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HD202 Coach
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Head Down · Relative · The brief

Head-Down 202

Demonstrate crest-standard head-down flying

The head-down flying a crest sign-off consumes as evidence.

What the course is about

You'll fly the head-down crest's assessment jumps with your coach, the Head-Down 1 and Head-Down 2 dive flows, without help in the air. This follows Head-Down 201, because it teaches every skill in both flows. If you can, fly Head-Up 202 first, or bring an equivalent head-up crest record.
In Australia, you need to hold or be eligible for the Freefly Crest (Head-Up) to fly these jumps as 2- or 3-ways and to apply for 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.

3.6
Fly from an unlinked exit to a face-off within 5 m of the coach-held base.

From an unlinked exit, can you fly to a face-off within five metres of the coach holding base?

3.9
Perform a half transition to head-up on the coach's signal, maintaining fall rate and level while head-up.

Can you half transition through your back to head up on the coach’s signal and hold your fall rate and level while you are there?

3.11
Take a second hand-to-hand dock without destabilising either flyer.

After the front flip and both half transitions, can you re-establish the face-off and take a second dock without destabilising either of you?

3.12 Safety critical
Maintain a freefly-speed fall rate throughout, staying clear of the airspace directly above the coach.

Do you hold freefly speed for the whole flow and stay out of the air directly above the coach?

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
Maintain a freefly-speed fall rate throughout, staying clear of the airspace directly above the coach.

Do you hold freefly speed for the whole flow and stay out of the air directly above the coach?

Everything this course says about breakoff and deployment

1.3
State breakoff and deployment altitudes, and the lost-partner plan (breakoff guide: 5,000 ft for freefly groups up to a 4-way, 5,500 ft for a 5-way or larger; most modern jumpers plan 5,500 ft for any freefly group and will generally not accept 4,500).
4.1
Initiate breakoff at the briefed altitude (within −0/+300 ft).
4.2
Transition smoothly through a 180° turn into a back track 90° from jump run, the FFP-HD201 breakoff sequence (a progressive back track before rolling to belly, per the APF Training Operations Manual flow), decelerating gradually while checking airspace.
4.3
Deploy at the planned altitude after clearing airspace (breakoff-to-deployment ≥1,000 ft guide; a regulation in Australia, the APF Operational Regulations).

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 10,000 ft or higher (recommended). Both assessment jumps are sky jumps. Tunnel drills are preparation only.
The flyer flies each assessment jump as one complete, uninterrupted dive flow.
The coach flies the dive flow as reference and assessor, and makes no corrections in the air on an assessment jump. Group size stays at 2, or 3 with specific approval.
Video of both assessment jumps end to end, coach-flown or helmet-mounted, with the flyer identifiable. Without video the assessment is not valid.
Equipment: a visual altimeter, a working audible (a second audible recommended, and one audible is required by regulation on every freefly jump in Australia), an AAD highly recommended, and freefly-suitable gear to the Freefly Project checklist.
Conditions within the flyer's cleared limits.
The assessor is a freefly coach current in head-down coaching, using this checklist.
Each criterion is marked Satisfactory or Not Yet Satisfactory, and the course result is Competent or Not Yet Competent.
A flyer who already flies head-down flies both flows as challenge jumps in the sky against the full checklist, with logbook, any national crest or grade, and a video portfolio as the rest of the evidence. Tunnel records are supporting evidence only.
As a guide, coming in current from Head-Down 201, it takes about 4 coached 2-way jumps, with the two assessment jumps on different days and in different conditions, within 6 months.
Tunnel time can replace preparation jumps, but both assessment jumps are sky jumps, filmed end to end.
If you already fly head-down, bring your logbook, any national crest or grade and video of both flows' skills, and fly both flows in the sky with a coach.

Performance evidence

After each jump, debrief the video with your coach against the checklist and log the jump, naming the flow. Keep the logbook entry, dated video and completed checklist for each jump.
You've finished Head-Down 202 when you've flown one complete Head-Down 1 flow and one complete Head-Down 2 flow, each meeting everything on the coach's checklist below.
In Australia, a Freefly Coach and the drop zone safety officer sign off each stage, and the chief instructor verifies your crest application. More in the Australian freefly crest system.

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 and never trade them for a promising flow. Assessment jumps carry pressure, so protect the enjoyment: a Not Yet Satisfactory criterion is a normal re-fly. End each debrief on something that went well, with one thing to improve.

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 202 course page carries the reasoning, the sources and everything left off here. All briefing cards.