Head-Down 402

Organise multiple-aircraft loads

Loads across more than one aircraft.

What this unit covers

Covers organising a head-down load large enough to need more than one aircraft: flying the aircraft in formation, timing exits across the planes, assigning sectors of the build, and running the comms that keep two or more plane-loads on one plan.

This is the next step up from a single-aircraft big-way (FFP-HD401). That unit's slot craft, slotting logic and breakoff architecture still apply, scaled across planes.

The rest of it

Assumes competence organising single-aircraft big-ways. Environment: sky for the jumps; the aircraft-formation plan is set with the pilots on the ground.

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.

2.1 Safety critical

Extend the breakoff architecture of FFP-HD401 across the whole formation, verifying at least 1,000 ft banked per wave.

Can you extend a breakoff design across a whole multiple-aircraft formation, with at least 1,000 feet banked per wave?

2.2

Assign waves and radials so sub-formations from different planes break into clear, non-converging airspace.

Can you assign waves and radials so groups from different aircraft break into airspace that does not converge?

2.3

Coordinate exit separation and the aircraft's ground track with all pilots.

Can you coordinate exit separation and the aircraft’s ground track with every pilot involved?

Screen 3 · What blocks a sign-off

What blocks a sign-off

A safety-critical criterion marked not yet stops the sign-off, however good the rest of the flying was. There is no averaging across this line, and no trading a good jump against it.

Safety-critical criteria on the short list

2.1

Extend the breakoff architecture of FFP-HD401 across the whole formation, verifying at least 1,000 ft banked per wave.

Can you extend a breakoff design across a whole multiple-aircraft formation, with at least 1,000 feet banked per wave?

Everything this unit says about breakoff and deployment

3.1

Brief the whole load together so every flyer can state their plane, sector, slot and breakoff wave.

4.1

Run the load to the plan, holding the breakoff regardless of build completeness.

Recording a sign-off says what you saw on one jump. It is not a rating, it is not a permission to jump, and it does not replace anything the drop zone requires.

Screen 4 · Conditions

Conditions

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

Assessment conditions

Assessed on real multiple-aircraft head-down loads, or record-style loads under an experienced organiser. The aircraft-formation and exit plan are assessed with the pilots on the ground, the breakoff in the air. Video across planes is the primary debrief tool.

Assessor: an experienced head-down big-way / record organiser current in the discipline, using the published FFP-HD402 checklist. Each criterion Satisfactory / Not Yet Satisfactory; unit Competent / Not Yet Competent, recorded as a milestone.

Performance evidence

A guide; competency against the criteria is the standard. The evidence base at drop-zone scale is thin, because multiple-aircraft head-down loads are rare outside record attempts.

The evidence is a record of organising, or holding a key organising role on, multiple-aircraft head-down loads, learned under an experienced record-attempt organiser. Most flyers meet this by apprenticeship on real record or record-style loads, not by a jump count.

Screen 5 · Debrief

Debrief

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

Coaching priorities

Deliver in the project's priority order: Safety → Fun → Learning (curriculum Part A0). The organiser and pilots own the load's safety, the aircraft-formation plan, exit cue and breakoff are non-compensable. The organiser runs debriefs without blame and ends each one on a win with one focus for the next attempt.

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. Six points is six points forgotten by the next load.

A jump marked not yet is a jump to re-fly, not a failure, and saying so out loud is part of the debrief.

Record this jump

Your notes for this unit

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This card is a summary. The full Head-Down 402 unit carries the reasoning, the sources and everything left off here. All briefing cards.