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Weather information is available on VHF radio. A balloon pilot could obtain nearby weather reports by tuning to the Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS). The appropriate frequency is listed on the cover of the sectional chart and in the airport information block printed on the chart near the appropriate airport. 

## Landowner Relations 

## Identification of Animal Populations 

Balloonists must learn how to locate and identify animals on the ground. Even though it may be legal to fly at a certain low altitude, animals do not know the laws—nor do most of their owners. If a pilot causes dogs to bark, turkeys to panic, or horses to run, even while flying legally, it may provide legitimate cause for complaint. 

Horses and ponies can be anywhere from the smallest paddock and roughest fields to the largest pasture. Boarding stables and breeding farms are easily identified by their painted wooden fences, stacked bales of hay and straw, and horse trailers. Assume all horses are valuable: race horses, breeders, and those privately boarded. While horses generally behave the same way when frightened, each one’s alarm level differs. Anything from the glow of the back-up burner to the balloon’s shadow can spook them. In a pasture, they may buck, neigh, or even charge; in extreme cases, they might try to jump the fence and may injure themselves. As horses are accustomed to hearing human voices, talking to them may help calm them down. [Figure 7-14] 

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Cattle need more space than horses, about one acre per cow. Dairy cows tend to stay near the barn; corn near the pasture and a muddy yard usually means milk production. If they are out in more remote pastures, they are probably beef producers. When startled, cattle usually bunch together to face a threat but can just as easily panic and run. A stampede can break down a fence or locked gate. Once out, cattle can 

be herded by driving them from behind where they need to go by blocking sideways means of escape (with people or vehicles). Brood cows can be unpredictable, especially during breeding, and are capable of damaging a truck. As with horses, the sound of human voices may help calm cattle. [Figure 7-15] 

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Pigs are perhaps the most difficult livestock for farmers to raise. Easily disturbed, it is best to avoid them at all costs. When frightened, they bunch together and bolt, and are virtually unstoppable, almost impossible to catch, and potentially dangerous (especially boars). Pigs run until they are exhausted; rounding them up can take days. Pork prices fluctuate dramatically, and monetary claims against a balloonist who upsets pigs can be quite high. 

Poultry (chickens and turkeys) are more often raised in confinement buildings than free range. A long windowless building with fans on the ends and atop the roof usually indicates a poultry production facility. With the lights and fans off, tens of thousands of birds can be amazingly quiet. Any disruption of this tightly controlled environment, however, can severely affect production. A sudden blast of a balloon’s burner can start an all-out panic; birds trying to flock in a confined space trample and crush each other, leading to mass-scale suffocation. Ducks and geese raised outside average about 200 birds per pen. When panicked, they also tend to flock which can lead to injury and death. 

Livestock will appear along a balloon’s flightpath, as well as landing sites. Follow these livestock tips to minimize disruptions during these encounters: 

• Always watch for signs of livestock: barns, sheds, silos, fences, muck heaps, tractors, trailers, stacked bales of straw and hay, and mudded areas all point to some form of livestock nearby. 

