If you’re a regular viewer of Solar Impulse TV (SI-TV), you’ve most certainly seen the tall grey-haired and fairy-fingered man gently and patiently handling the cockpit at every take-off and landing. He’s a member of the ground crew responsible for the pilot’s equipment and proper functioning of the cockpit.

Prior to a flight this member tests the gear in advance to make sure there are no malfunctions. But the action really starts the following day, usually at the crack of dawn, when he or she assists André or Bertrand dressing. First come the undergarments, the cuffs (armbands connected to the Omega instrument which indicate the plane’s bank angle and precise direction, vibrating when the inclination exceeds 5°) and the flightsuit. Over the flightsuit, the pilot wears a parachute, which is also equipped with a small oxygen bottle in case an emergency ejection occurs at high altitude. The flightsuit is especially designed to keep the pilot warm at high altitudes, but it also has integrated zippers that can be opened when the aircraft is facing the sun. Heated shoe soles and gloves are likewise part of the gear maintaining the pilot’s body temperature throughout the flight, night and day.

Once the pilot is ready, he takes his place in the cockpit and the member of the ground crew connects all the wires on the pilot’s body to the airplane. For example, aside from the Omega instrument attached to the cuffs, the pilot also has a cap on his index finger called Oxymeter, monitoring the pilot’s oxygen level in the blood. Around his neck is an laryngophone, a necklace transmitting the pilot’s voice when his mouth is covered by the oxygen mask.

When all the wiring is set, the ground crew member helps the pilot put on his helmet and fills the camel bags for hydration during the journey. One bag is filled with the sports drink Isostar and the other with water while the food is packed away for easy access during the flight. All the cables and wires are then secured to make the cockpit as comfortable as possible and as soon as the pilot has had his breakfast, he or she closes the canopy. What is most important about this role aren’t the meticulous checks and preparations for the flight but rather the intimate relationship that is nurtured with the founders and pilots of Solar Impulse.

During this year’s Crossing Frontiers Mission it was Daniel Ramseier who took on this vital role. It is he that heard André and Bertrand’s last words on the ground and their first “Bonjour” after landing. He learned their quirks, moods and food preferences. He sensed when they wanted to chat, have a laugh or simply focus on the flight ahead in silence. It’s why he loves his job so much and why he goes through the motions of this peculiar ritual, each time as if it were the first. It’s the human contact that matters more than plugging-in the right wires because, in fact, it’s before the last words that the flight actually begins.