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 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.

3.8

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 · 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

3.12

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.

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

Diagnose own slot's faults against the per-slot failure-mode table (Appendix A) and state the correction for the next jump.

5.3

Write the jump up in the logbook with a reflection naming the unit and skills assessed (e.g., "HD301, Tail slot, break-in") alongside the criteria results, unit-tagged entries turn the logbook into a training record, not just a jump count.

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-Down 301 course page carries the reasoning, the sources and everything left off here. All briefing cards.