Don't let this page scare you, use it as a tool to help you make better choices in your own ballooning practices.  I also urge everyone, again, pilots and crew alike, to continue to hone their knowledge and skills in the ballooning world.  Read as much as you can about ballooning.  Get as much real world experience in as many different situations as you can.  Learn some common first aid practices.  ATTEND SAFETY SEMINARS AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.  Though they can be a little slow at times, you are surrounded by people with a genuine interest in keeping our hobby and it's participants safe.  Good decision making is the key to all of it, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that ballooning remains as safe as it can be.  This content is mainly geared towards pilots, but crew members can certainly benefit from it as well.

KEEP IN MIND - There are situations that require "unique" actions.  I am in no way, shape, or form insinuating that anyone in any of the images below did anything wrong, though some very well may have.  Once we are already in a situation there is no turning back.  Knowing what to do at that time, or at least having some idea can mean the difference between life and death.

Ugh.  Waivers...

With the major balloon insurance carriers requiring or 'strongly suggesting' the use of waivers we have found ourselves in a bit of a dilemma.  Do I REALLY need to have my best friend sign a waiver?  What about my neighbor?  Or my mother?  YES.  Will the waiver be needed, will there be an accident?  Probably not, but I doubt anybody ever planned on having a balloon accident.  If there is an accident, is my mother really going to sue me?  Hopefully not, but the waivers we are being required to use are not just to prevent frivolous lawsuits but also to act as tool for the insurance company to pay claims.  It has been said that the insurance companies may not pay for the x-ray for that bruised knee or twisted ankle if you don't have a signed waiver on file.  How much truth there is to that, I don't know, but why risk it?

Also keep in mind that the waivers are being required for everyone, not just free flight passengers - ground crew and tether passengers are required to sign also.  Everyone who touches any part of the balloon.  Don't just target those who look 'sue happy'.  You aren't going to offend anyone, in this day everyone is used to it, they have to do it everywhere they go, even by buying a concert ticket you are agreeing to some sort of waiver, read the back of it, your 'signature' on that waiver is the purchase itself.  IF SOMEONE DOES HAVE A PROBLEM with signing your waiver, chances are they are someone you don't want anywhere near your balloon to begin with...they may be one of the 'sue happy' individuals you have heard of.

Waivers can be made 'good' for extended periods of time (usually 1 year) meaning that you don't have to have your crew members sign a new waiver every flight, be sure the wording of your waiver includes something to allow it's extended use.  Yes, it is a little bit of a pain, but it is nothing compared to what can happen if don't even try to protect yourself.

Are waivers worth the paper they are printed on?  Maybe, maybe not.  Will they protect you from gross negligence?  Absolutely not, even the best waiver in the world won't do that, but even the worst waiver in the world is better than nothing at all.  Their intent is not only to protect you and your best interests, but those of your passengers and crew as well.

HERE is a sample waiver, I, nor the GPBC, nor anyone else will endorse, guarantee, or even imply that this is a great, or even a good waiver, but I will guarantee that it is a waiver, and therefore is better than nothing.  The best thing you can do is to talk to your insurance agent.  Meet with a lawyer and have a waiver drawn up specifically for you and your operations.  Protect yourself and ballooning - USE WAIVERS.

Checklists, do you use them?...

Ralph Waldo Emerson said "...consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds..."  but don't let that sway you, he never had to deal with the FAA.  Aside from being on required on the practical tests, checklists are a great way to make sure we are not overlooking tasks that we often take for granted.  Things so commonplace that they are often done without thinking about it...and it stands to reason that if you aren't thinking about it, it might get forgotten.  

Get into a routine, form a habit, do the same thing every time, use a checklist.  Consistency is the key to safety and checklists can help keep consistency as a part of your flights.  Though there is no actual requirement for what all has to be covered on your checklist you can never have too much.  It is a good idea to have several, one for each process in the flight, from gathering preflight weather briefings to the refueling process.  There are several commercially available checklists, HERE is a simple one that works great. Checklists are nice, but I think we should each make our own, individually tailored to our own systems and practices.  Don't get too comfortable, don't think you are too good or too experienced to do all you can to stay safe.

Weather forecasts and current conditions...

Pilots, set personal limits and abide by them.  Get up to date forecasts, release pibals at your launch site, and always watch your current conditions.  If you have to leave hot in order to get through a shear layer is it really worth it?  How important is that tether?  Just because there are other balloons in the air doesn't mean you have to be also.  Listen to that little voice in your head.  

Crew, though your pilot has the final say in whether or not he or she will fly you can play a big role in his or her decision making process.   Crew members outnumber pilots by a large margin and often see things that the pilot does not see.   A single lightning strike on the horizon, the fast decent that the pibal made while the pilot was checking his compass, even equipment problems have a higher percentage of being noticed by crew members than by pilots simply because of the number of eyes.  You are part of the team.  Be heard.

Power lines...

We all know their dangers, and power line safety is a must.  Assume there are power lines everywhere, on both sides of every road, running through every wide open field, and in every tree row unless and until you can PROVE that they are not.  Nobody has ever hit power lines at 1000' AGL, and when in doubt, rip out.  Always be aware of your surroundings and brief your crew and passengers about your procedures and techniques regarding power line safety.

Crew members can play a vital role in choosing a safe landing area by scouting it out before the balloon gets there.  If there are power lines or other obstructions let your pilot know what and where they are.  Keep your radio communications brief and precise.  If you are away from the radio and your pilot is on approach to landing you can point power lines out simply by crossing and uncrossing your arms over your head pointing to where thy are.  Establish a signal with your pilot and use it.  Power lines can create a danger even after landing, as the image on the right shows.  The crown line is dangerously close to the power lines, running underneath them.  A sudden gust, a "burp" of the balloon, any number of things can cause the envelope to move, dragging the crown line into the power line and putting everyone in the vicinity in great danger.

Splash and dash...or sometimes dunk and drip...

Splash and dashes are fun, offer great photo opportunities, and are an excellent way to fine tune your skills, but over water your depth perception is sometimes compromised.  

Stay away from rough or running water, watch your decent rate very closely, and remember: your basket, even full of fuel will float - your envelope will not.

Keep a waterproof striker on your person, and don't panic if you get a little too deep.  All that extra water in your basket is heavy, warm the balloon slightly over your equilibrium temperature, do not overheat it, the water WILL drain out.  Eventually.

Choosing your landing spot...and committing to it...

One of the major factors in your decision making process should be knowledge of your flying area and your personal limits with regards to it.  Are there any PZ's in the direction that you will be flying?  Are the landing sites large and plentiful?  

We often find ourselves in a situation where we will be flying in unfamiliar territory both at out of town rallies and around home.  Do everything you can to learn about what you are getting yourself into.  Most of the online map sites offer the option of viewing their maps in "satellite" mode, giving you a birds eye view of exactly what you will be flying over, but keep in mind, the photos used are often old enough that they do not depict recent urban sprawl.  When you are out of town talk to local pilots, they are your best source of information for details on their flying area.

When the unexpected presents itself, and it often does, keep a close eye on your fuel reserves and remember that the safety of you and your passengers come before the safety of your equipment.  You may have to consider landing in a spot that you normally wouldn't even give a second glance.  Be prepared to make that decision at any time.  There may be a time that you have to take that small back yard, the small clearing in the trees, and as the pilot in the third photo above said "Sometimes you just have to plant it.  As a matter of fact, of all my landings, this is the one that I am the most proud of.  I had to hit it and I did."

The ground crew plays a vital role in this as well.  They can scout out potential landing sites before the balloon gets there, inform you of PZ's and can save you that costly repair bill by blocking that street sign, fence post, or swing set when you have to hit that tight spot.