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place in an uninhabited area and the obstacle should be a simulated obstacle. 

A drop-in landing or steep approach to landing is another good maneuver to practice. Being able to perform this maneuver can get the balloon into that perfect field that is just beyond the trees or just the other side of the orchard. A pilot that is able to drop quickly, but softly, into the fallow field between crops is more neighborly than making a low approach over the orchard. Being able to avoid frightening cattle or other animals during an approach is a valuable skill. 

Having the skill to predict the balloon’s track during the landing approach, touching down on the intended landing target, and stopping the balloon basket in the preferred place can be very satisfying. It requires a sharp eye trained to spot the indicators of wind direction on the ground. Dropping bits of tissue, observing other balloons, smoke, steam, dust, and tree movement are all ways to predict the balloon track on its way to the landing site. During the approach, one of the pilot’s most important observations is watching for power lines. 

In ballooning, approaches can be practiced more often than landings. A good approach usually earns a good landing. 

## Thermal Flight 

The experience of being caught in a thermal can certainly occur at any altitude, but is more common during the landing phase of balloon flight. This is primarily due to the balloon’s proximity to the ground and being exposed to the conditions that cause thermals. [Figure 8-8] 

There are indicators of thermal conditions that may be visible to the pilot, such as “dust devils” or small tornados visible from the ground. An uncommanded ascent, usually at a significant climb rate, may be experienced, or perhaps significant changes in direction. In the extreme, a balloon caught in a tight (compact) thermal may even create small horizontal circles in the sky. 

There are two rules to thermal flight. First, the pilot must continue to fly the balloon. Many pilots are distracted by the thermal flight experience and may forget that the balloon is cooling at a faster than normal rate. The pilot should ensure that the temperature of the balloon’s envelope is kept at or above that required to maintain normal flight, and under no circumstance should the pilot allow the balloon to cool. The temperature noted at equilibrum should be a minimum temperature to maintain. Additionally, the pilot should not 

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