What is a hazard of rapid descents?

• A. The pilot light cannot remain lit with the turbulent air over the basket
• B. The envelope may overheat
• C. The burner may extinguish unexpectedly
• D. The balloon may lose lift rapidly

Answer: (A)

Rapid descents create turbulent air over the basket, and that turbulence can blow the burner’s pilot light out. When the flame goes out, you lose heat and can’t reliably maintain or quickly re-light the air inside the envelope, making controlled descent more dangerous. This specific hazard—turbulence extinguishing the flame—is why the option focusing on the pilot light being blown out is the best fit. Overheating the envelope is a concern tied to excessive heat input, not to rapid descents, and while the burner going out can happen, the key risk in a rapid descent is the flame being extinguished by turbulent air. Losing lift rapidly is an expected result of descent, not a separate hazard caused by the rapid descent itself.