September 2000
travels extensivelyor even just occasion-ally
andfindshimor herselfatthemercyofacrew ofvolunteers
whosenamesandabilitiesareessentiallyunknown,acrew
manual couldbe an invaluable tool. What is a crew manualyou
ask?
There is no absolute description for a crew manual, it can be
as simple and brief or as detailed and extensive as the individual
pilotfeelsthe needfor. Obviouslythough, anymanualshould
provide some basicguidelinesfor the crew. Thefollowing are
merelysuggestionsthatyoumaywishtoincorporateintoa
manual of your own.
Introduction:thissectionofthemanualincludesyour
name,addressandphonenumbers,the nameof the balloon, a
descriptionandif possible a color photoof the balloon. Whya
picture?JimWhitesellofDallasrelatesastoryofflyingin
Albuquerque with a volunteer crew. They got so excited watch-
ingalltheballoonsinflateandlaunchtheyforgotwhatthe
balloontheywerechasinglookedlike!Ofcoursethisonly
became a real problem when the radios went dead and Jim had no
communicationwithhiscrew.Fortunatelyoneofthecrew
remembered there was a picture of the balloon on the trailer they
were pulling! That’s why a photo. Here too you might choose to
include personal preferences the crew should be aware of such as
a no-smoking policy or shouldthey bring their own cold drinks.
ChaseCrewEtiquette:canbeacatch-allsectionfora
variety of reminders, forexample, no smoking on thelaunch field
oraroundtheballoons.Hereyoumightalsowishtoinclude
instructions onproper dress includingappropriate type of shoes
and gloves to be worn. If you’ll be carrying passengers, instruc-
tions on how they are toboard and disembark the balloon might
be helpful. a few basic do’s and don’ts might be included as well
likeremindersnottowrapropesaroundhands,tohandlethe
balloon onlyby the loadtapes, and toalwaysremain outof the
direct path of the balloon no matter howslow it might be moving.
The ChaseVehicle:herewouldbeincludedinformation
aboutwhere the insurance papersare in case ofanaccident. Is
there a hide-a-keyavailable for the pilot who just might flyoff
with the keys? You might also wish to include the location of the
fireextinguisherandfirstaidkit.Isthetruckoutfittedwitha
Tommy lift?Include operating instructions. Pull a trailer? How
about hitchandlighting connections?
Operating Procedures:should address what you expect of
each crew member at each position. This might further be divided
intosub-categories ofinflation, chase andretrieve. Outline for
the crew how you expect the balloon to be inflated. How should
they handle spectators, how doesthe quick release connect and
operate? How is the top seated in your balloon? Do you want the
left runningfull speed, reducedto half speed, or shut down
completely whenyou beginhot inflation.
On chasedo you preferthe chase crew to followor beslightly
ahead of your position? What radios do you use, which frequen-
cies do you operate on, what call-sign should be used and should
the crew speakonlywhenspokento?
Upon landing howdo you want theballoon deflated? Do you
daisy chain your crownline or coil it? Do youpack intothe bag
and drag toward thebasket or snake the balloon back to the basket
and stuff it there? Which goes back on to the truck first, envelope
or basket?
LandownerRelations:isacriticalsectionespeciallyif
yourcrewaretrulynovices.Becertaintheyunderstandthe
necessitytoaskfor permission, notdemandit.Include instruc-
tions on howto address situations where excited spectators might
flock onto a landowners property. Explain why not to drive onto
thepropertyuntiltheballoonispackedandwhycelebrations
should be movedoff the landowners propertyunless, of course,
thelandownerisonsiteandhasacceptedaninvitationto
participate.
EmergencyProcedures:isoftenthe forgottenarea when
one briefsa new crew.Don’tletyour machismofoolyouinto
thinkingthatyouwillalwaysbe abletobe inchargeof every
situation. A powerline strike might incapacitate you leaving your
crew to handle the situation. With life in the balance wouldyou
trusttheyknow exactlywhattodo?Evenasimplehighwind
landingcouldcreateaninjurysituationdemandingmedical
treatment. And don’t forget to be certain the crew knows the lost
balloon number andhow toaccess it.
As we said at the beginning this manual can be as simple or
as complex as you feel necessary. Keep in mind how much time
the crew will have to readand retain the contents of the manual.
If traveling to an out of town event you might want to contact the
organizers to determine ifthey’ve pre-assigned crewto you.Ifso,
sending your manual to them in advance is an easy way to begin
gettingacquaintedprior toyour arrival.
Remembertoothatsuchamanualneednotbeamajor
expense. For some a few typewritten sheets will do. Others may
choosetocreateanactualboundbookletorpamphlet.Ifyou
don’t feel up to the task of writing the manual from scratch, check
aroundwith your localballoon club. Likelysomeone else has a
manual you can adapt to your own purposes with little trouble or
better still, involvethe club in writing a crewmanual of it own for
all the pilots toshare.
With rare exception, most of us in the sport cannot afford the
luxury of a full-time crew who turn out for every local flight and
travel acrossthe countrywithus. Atsomepointintime weall
