Definition
An FAA-approved document prepared by the manufacturer of a hot air or gas balloon that contains the operating limitations, procedures, performance data, and equipment information required to safely operate that specific balloon. It is the balloon equivalent of an airplane's Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) and must be carried during flight.
Plain English
The official handbook for a balloon. It tells the pilot how to fly that particular balloon safely — what its limits are, how to operate it, and what to do in normal and emergency situations.
Context Anchor
Seen in balloon training, preflight planning, aircraft records, and checks of operating limits before a balloon flight.
Why Pilots Care
It provides model-specific procedures and limitations that must be followed for regulatory compliance and safe flight.
Intuition Check
Do not read “manual” here as hand control or a general training book. In this term, it means the official operating book for a particular balloon model.
Example Sentence 1
Before the morning flight, the pilot reviewed the maximum envelope temperature listed in the Balloon Flight Manual.
Example Sentence 2
During a landing emergency the pilot followed the rapid deflation procedure listed in the Balloon Flight Manual.