Instruction manual

117
11.1 Briefings
It is vital that the crew knows what the target is and what the customer wants,
so make sure that the customer has described both in order to avoid confusion
and cause the sortie to be re-flown because the results weren’t what the customer
expected. For example, the customer may ask you to take pictures of a levee
and, if there are any signs of flooding or seepage, to capture photos that show the
extent of the leakage. Also, the customer may dictate very strict requirements for
an imaging sortie, telling the crew what altitude to fly and the precise angle for the
photos or video. The customer may also require more than one picture be taken
from each direction or angle. Whatever the requirements, CAP aircrews can
deliver the desired results by getting a thorough briefing, which in turn allows you
to properly plan the sortie.
Sometimes the customer won’t spell out how they want the pictures taken, nor
will they tell you how many pictures to take. The orders you receive may just say
“Take pictures of the tornado damage” or “Get pictures of the Lake Meredith
dam.” In these cases, the mission briefer (or aircrew) must ask enough questions
to ensure the customer gets what they really want.
Note: Sometimes the customer really doesn’t know exactly what they want,
and truly mean for the crew to “Take pictures of the (whatever) damage.” In these
cases, the staff and imaging aircrews will use their knowledge of aerial imaging
and damage assessment to bring back pictures that will meet and usually exceed
the customer’s expectations.
Normally the mission staff will have obtained all the information the aircrew
needs and has prepared a thorough briefing. However, an imaging aircrew needs
to know all the information that is needed for a successful mission (and a satisfied
customer) so they can ask for any information that is missing from the prepared
briefing.
11.1.1 Determine the Customer’s Needs
You must know the purpose of the sortie and what the customer expects to
see as a result. The end use of the photos or video will determine what
equipment the aircrew needs to accomplish the mission, how they will set up the
camera/camcorder, and how they will plan and fly the sortie. Just as importantly,
understanding the customer’s objectives is vitally important for customer
satisfaction; if we don’t deliver they may never request CAP’s assistance again!
Mission command or staff is normally responsible for getting enough
information from the customer to conduct a thorough aircrew briefing, and satisfy
the customer’s needs. Some customers know exactly what they want and give
CAP a complete and detailed request. Some customers either assume you know
what they want or don’t give you enough information in the first place. Some
customers don’t really know what they want, but if the final product doesn’t meet
their (unvoiced) expectations they will be dissatisfied with CAP. So it is up to the
CAP to ensure they have enough information to plan and brief the imaging
mission.