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HD404 Coach
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Head Down · Mastery · The brief

Head-Down 404

Fly open vertical formation skydiving (VFS)

Open vertical formation skydiving.

What this unit covers

Covers flying an assigned slot in open-class Vertical Formation Skydiving: building randoms and blocks from the full competition dive pool at head-down and head-up fall rates, with the grip discipline, fall-rate matching and inter-move craft open class demands.
VFS is the vertical analogue of belly Formation Skydiving, the same randoms, blocks, scoring and rounds, in vertical orientations. Intermediate VFS (the reduced pool, small formations) is FFP-HD305; this unit is the open-class step above it.
The rest of it
It sets the standard a flyer meets to fly open-class slots safely and reliably. Coaching a specific team to a podium is outside its scope. Assumes HD305 and comfort head-down under time pressure. Environment: tunnel for repetition of formations and inter moves; sky for exits, altitude and breakoff.

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.

3.5
Match fall rate precisely at close range, riding the burble interaction between bodies without overcorrecting.

Can you match fall rate precisely at close range, riding the burble between bodies without overcorrecting?

3.6
Build randoms by approaching from outside the formation, never from directly above a head-down slot (into the feet-side burble).

Do you build randoms from outside the formation, never from directly above a head-down slot?

3.7 Safety critical
Recover to a stable solo position on any cork or lost formation, separating laterally rather than holding a failing grip.

On a cork or lost formation, do you separate sideways to a stable solo position rather than hold a failing grip?

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

3.7
Recover to a stable solo position on any cork or lost formation, separating laterally rather than holding a failing grip.

On a cork or lost formation, do you separate sideways to a stable solo position rather than hold a failing grip?

Everything this unit says about breakoff and deployment

1.3
State breakoff and deployment altitudes and the lost-formation plan; VFS breakoff runs higher than belly because the head-down fall rate spends altitude faster.
2.1
Complete a freefly-specific gear check (handles, hand-deploy pouch, riser covers, closing loop, helmet, audible set and functioning).
4.1
Initiate breakoff at the briefed altitude (within −0/+300 ft).
4.3
Deploy at the planned altitude after checking airspace.

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

Sky and tunnel. Real VFS formations are required for the Perform criteria that build points with others; tunnel evidence is preparatory for exits, altitude and breakoff. Sky jumps from a recommended 13,000 ft minimum (the VFS competition altitude).
Video: the videographer's footage is the primary debrief and evidence tool. Equipment: visual altimeter, functioning audible, AAD recommended, freefly-suitable gear. Assessor: a freefly coach or VFS competitor current in open-class VFS coaching, using the published FFP-HD404 checklist.
Each criterion Satisfactory / Not Yet Satisfactory; unit Competent / Not Yet Competent, recorded as a milestone.

Performance evidence

- A guide to how long open-class readiness takes.
Competency against the criteria is the standard. Progression through the recognised VFS build: 2-way randoms one at a time, then in sequence.
Blocks in isolation (top, inter, bottom).
Mixed draws.
Then full 35-second rounds with video debrief. Substantial tunnel time is normal before competing. Tunnel time evidences the formations and inter moves; it cannot substitute for exits, altitude awareness or breakoff.

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). Safety criteria are must-meet, the coach never trades a cork recovery or a clean breakoff for a point.
The coach runs VFS debriefs off video without blame, celebrates the points that built, and ends on one focus for the next round.

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

Saved on this device only. Nothing is sent anywhere, there is nowhere for it to go, and no account is involved. They will be here next time you open this card.

This card is a summary. The full Head-Down 404 unit carries the reasoning, the sources and everything left off here. All briefing cards.