Passenger Briefings and Management Face the Direction of Travel Stand in the Appropriate Area of the Basket  Place Feet and Knees Together, with Knees Bent  “Hold On Tight” in Two Places Stay in the Basket $_{Figure 8-9.}$  Landing with passengers. 8-10 Some passengers, believing the flight is over as soon as  the basket makes contact with the ground, start to get out.  Even a small amount of wind may cause the basket to  bounce and slide after initial touchdown. If a 200-pound  passenger decides to exit the basket at this point, the balloon  immediately begins to ascend. All passengers should stay in  the basket until individually told by the pilot to exit. This is probably the least followed of the landing instructions.  Up to this point, the typical balloon flight has been relatively  gentle, and most passengers are not mentally prepared for the  shock that can occur when a 7,000 pound balloon contacts  the ground. Passengers should be reminded to hold on tight.  The pilot should advise the passengers of correct places to  hold, whether they are factory-built passenger handles or  places in the balloon’s basket the pilot considers appropriate.  The pilot should obey his or her own directions and also  hold on firmly. To some people this may not seem to be a natural ready  position; however, it is very appropriate in ballooning. The  feet and knees together stance allows maximum flexibility.  With the knees bent, one can use the legs as springs or shock  absorbers in all four directions. With the feet apart, sideways  flexibility is limited and knees do not bend to the side. With  legs apart fore and aft, one foot in front of the other, there  is the possibility of “doing the splits” and a likelihood of  locking the front knee. Avoid using the word brace as in  “brace yourselves,” as that gives the impression that knees  should be locked or muscles tensed. Legs should be flexible  and springy at landing impact. Feet, hips, and shoulders should be perpendicular to the  direction of flight. Impact with the ground while facing the  side puts a sideways strain on the knees and hips, which do  not naturally bend that way. Facing the opposite direction  is more appropriate under certain conditions. Recall the  discussion on passenger briefings on page 6-12. In a high-wind landing, passengers should stand in the front  of the basket because if the basket makes surface contact and  tips over, passengers fall a shorter distance within the basket  and are not pitched forward. They are more likely to remain  in the basket, minimizing the risk of injury. 3. The passengers are less likely to fall out of the front  of the basket. • Stand in the appropriate area of the basket. • Face the direction of travel. • Place feet and knees together, with knees bent. • “Hold on tight” in two places. • Stay in the basket. Prior to landing, the pilot should explain correct posture and  procedure to the passengers. Many balloon landings are gentle,  stand-up landings. However, the pilot should always prepare  passengers for the possibility of a firm impact. The prelanding  briefing should instruct passengers to do the following: Passengers and the pilot normally position themselves toward  the rear of the basket.  [Figure 8-9]  This accomplishes three  things.  1. The leading edge of the basket is lifted as the floor  tilts from the occupant weight shift, so the basket  is less likely to dig into the ground and tip over  prematurely. 2. With the occupants in the rear of the basket and the  floor tilted, the basket is more likely to slide along the  ground and lose some speed before tipping.