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HD301 Coach
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Head Down · Group · The brief

Head-Down 301

Fly head-down in groups

Head down in a group: stings, presented grips and break-ins.

What the course is about

You'll learn to fly head-down in a small group, from a linked exit through docks and break-ins to a group breakoff. Head-Down 202 comes first, because a grip pulls on your position, so your head-down needs to hold level and heading without help before anyone takes one.
In Australia, head-down jumps of 4-way or more need the Freefly Crest (Head-Down).

What comes before it

Screen 2 · What to watch

What to watch

The same short list the flyer sees on their card, in the same words.

3.8
Present an arm for an incoming dock: wide of the leg burble, hand in a fist, eyes back into the group.

Can you present an arm for someone to dock on, wide of your leg burble, hand in a fist, with your eyes back into the group?

3.10
Complete a break-in: sting one arm, dock the other, adjust the sting to an undergrip, pull the dock apart and join the round, finishing with the stabilising twist.

Can you complete a break-in: sting one arm, dock the other, change the sting to an undergrip, pull the dock apart and join the round?

3.12 Safety critical
Respond to any loss of control by controlling fall rate without corking up into the group (ball up, recover clear of traffic), rejoining only when stable and on level.

If you become unstable near a formation, can you control your fall rate without corking up into the group, recover to back-fly clear of traffic, and rejoin only once you are stable and on level?

Screen 3 · What blocks a sign-off

What blocks a sign-off

A safety-critical item marked not yet stops the sign-off, however good the rest of the flying was. The rest of the jump cannot make up for it.

Safety-critical items on the short list

3.12
Respond to any loss of control by controlling fall rate without corking up into the group (ball up, recover clear of traffic), rejoining only when stable and on level.

If you become unstable near a formation, can you control your fall rate without corking up into the group, recover to back-fly clear of traffic, and rejoin only once you are stable and on level?

Everything this course says about breakoff and deployment

1.4
State breakoff and deployment altitudes (guide: 5,000 ft up to a 4-way; 5,500 ft for 5-way and larger), the fan-out breakoff plan, and the lost-group/instability plan.
4.1
Initiate breakoff at the briefed altitude (within −0/+300 ft).
4.3
Deploy at the planned altitude after clearing airspace.

Recording a sign-off says what you saw on one jump. Permission to jump, and anything the drop zone requires, stay with the drop zone.

Screen 4 · Conditions

Conditions

Where the evidence is allowed to come from, and how much of it there needs to be.

Assessment conditions

- Sky jumps from 12,000 ft or higher (recommended), because group work needs the working time.
Assessment jumps are flown in a real group of at least 4, including the linked exit.
Video of every assessment jump. An outside camera flyer is recommended for the exit, and helmet-mounted video is fine where the flyer is identifiable.
Equipment: a visual altimeter, a working audible, freefly-suitable gear, and an AAD (recommended).
Conditions within every participant's cleared limits.
Coached jumps have the coach in the group, flying passively. Tunnel time can cover docking practice only: exits, breakoff and the assessment jumps are sky jumps.
The assessor is a freefly coach current in head-down group coaching, marking each criterion on this checklist Satisfactory or Not Yet Satisfactory.
As a guide, it takes at least 10 coached group jumps of 3-way to 6-way within 6 months, with at least 4 four-way linked exits from two or more slots, including Camera Step at least once where the aircraft has a step, over at least two different days or conditions.
Tunnel time can replace some grip practice. Exits, breakoffs and the final jumps are sky jumps.
If you already fly head-down in groups, your coach can assess you on two group jumps. A head-down crest or grade (the Australian head-down crest, or British Skydiving FF2) plus one challenge jump against the Head-Down 202 checklist covers the prerequisite.

Performance evidence

Debrief the video with your coach, name one exit fault and one docking fault with the fix, and log the course, slot and skill. You've finished Head-Down 301 when you fly two jumps in a row that meet everything on the coach's checklist below.

Screen 5 · Debrief

Debrief

Safety first, then fun, then learning. In that order, every time.

Coaching priorities

- Safety first, then fun, then learning. Hold the bold criteria to the standard above.
Plan sessions to be enjoyable: flyers choose this expensive hobby, and enjoying it keeps them in the sport.
End each debrief on something that went well, with one thing to improve on the next jump.
For advanced skills such as the ninja break-in: teach the theory, have the flyer try it on a jump, film it, then debrief by asking what they noticed. What did the feet do? The hands? What happened to stability?

One fault, one correction

Ask for their read before you give yours. Then leave them with one fault and one correction, in their words if you can get them. One of each is easier to carry onto the next load than six points.

A jump marked not yet is a jump to fly again. Tell them that as part of the debrief.

Record this jump

Your notes for this course

Saved on this device only, with no account. They will be here next time you open this card.

This card is a summary. The full Head-Down 301 course page carries the reasoning, the sources and everything left off here. All briefing cards.