On our recent driving tour of the southwest we took a hot air balloon ride in Albuquerque. It ended up being a study in power lines when the balloon pilot found out I was an electric kinda guy.
It appears the static lines are only on high voltage lines in that area. The medium voltage primaries had the grounded conductor lower on the pole with the single or 3 phase lines on top.
I showed him how to look for insulators and to look at how the lines got connected to the transformers but the reality is, if you get tangled up with any of these wires you are screwed.
It turns out these hot air balloons are really out of control most of the time and they get hung up on stuff more than you hear about. We heard a story of "Smokey Bear" who hung a balloon on a 1500' radio tower that everyone had to climb down. (that now "bears" his name) We ended up landing in some guy's back yard. The shreaded dog toys were somewhat alarming but he said the dogs were in the house.
I guess that is why "trespassing arrest" is one of the things you waive the right to sue him for in the release.
Of course the main thing you waive is "flaming crash" from a power line strike.
