Head-Up 201

Fly head-up in a 2-way

Flying head up relative to one other person: level, slot, dock.

What the course is about

You'll learn to fly a sit with one other person: get on level, approach, stop in the slot, take a dock, turn and break off. This follows Head-Up 102, because you need to move a sit forward, back, up and down before you can fly it to someone else.

In Australia, these are training jumps, briefed by a freefly coach with the drop zone safety officer's approval.

What comes before it

Screen 2 · What you are watched on

What you are watched on

The same short list a coach ticks, in the same words. Nothing is hidden from you.

3.3

Match the partner's fall rate, holding level (head-height tolerance) for 3 seconds.

Can you match another flyer’s fall rate and hold level with them for three seconds?

3.4

Approach from ~5 m into the slot without overshoot, holding slot 3 seconds before docking.

Can you close the last five metres into a slot without overshooting, and hold the slot for three seconds before you dock?

3.5

Take a hand dock without destabilising the partner.

Can you take a hand dock without destabilising the other flyer?

3.8 Safety critical

Execute the recovery position immediately on any loss of control, re-approaching only when stable.

If you become unstable on an approach, do you recover to back-fly, in the recovery position, and only go back in once you are stable?

Screen 3 · Safety and altitudes

Safety and altitudes

Everything here is a recommendation with a reason behind it. The drop zone you are jumping at, and your own limits on the day, decide what happens.

Safety-critical items on the short list

3.8

Execute the recovery position immediately on any loss of control, re-approaching only when stable.

If you become unstable on an approach, do you recover to back-fly, in the recovery position, and only go back in once you are stable?

Everything this course says about breakoff and deployment

1.3

State breakoff (guides: head-up work 5,500 ft minimum; for freefly groups generally 5,000 ft up to a 4-way, most modern jumpers plan 5,500 ft for any freefly group and will generally not accept 4,500 ft) and deployment altitudes, and the lost-partner plan.

4.1

Initiate breakoff at the briefed altitude (within −0/+300 ft).

4.3

Deploy at the planned altitude after clearing airspace.

The altitudes here are the guides this site recommends, with the reasons on the full course page. Where the drop zone briefs something different, fly what the drop zone briefs.

Screen 4 · After the jump

After the jump

From the course's closing section, review.

5.1

Debrief against the declared objective using video.

5.2

Identify one fault and its correction for the next jump.

5.3

Log the jump with criteria results.

One fault, one correction

Before the video, and before anyone else speaks, name the one fault from the jump and the one thing you will change on the next jump. Keep it to one of each, so you have one clear thing to fly.

Write them into your notes at the bottom of this card, and they will be here next time you open it.

Record this jump

You can record the jump yourself, because your own read of your flying is worth keeping. A record counts as verified once a coach signs it.

Your notes for this course

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

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This card is a summary. The full Head-Up 201 course page carries the reasoning, the sources and everything left off here. All briefing cards.