Head-Down 401

Organise head-down big-ways

Organising a head-down big-way: slotting people and designing the breakoff.

What the course is about

You'll learn to organise a head-down big-way: size the group, slot each flyer, brief the jump and design the breakoff. This follows Head-Down 302, Head-Down 303 and Head-Down 304, because you fly the float, diver and base slots before you ask others to.

In Australia, every jumper on a head-down jump of more than 3 needs a Freefly Crest (Head-Down), and above 10 a Star Crest as well.

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.

1.2

Assign each flyer to base, float or diver by weight, build and demonstrated competence, resolving the heaviest-flyer trade-off consciously.

Can you put each flyer on base, float or diver by weight, build and what you have seen them fly, and make the call on the heaviest flyer deliberately?

2.1 Safety critical

Choose single-stage or two-stage against the group size, verifying at least 1,000 ft banked per wave.

Can you choose single-stage or two-stage breakoff for the group size, and check that each wave has at least 1,000 feet banked?

3.1

Brief the dive, the slots, the exit and the approach lanes so each flyer can state their own job back.

After your brief, can every flyer state their own slot, exit and approach lane back to you?

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

2.1

Choose single-stage or two-stage against the group size, verifying at least 1,000 ft banked per wave.

Can you choose single-stage or two-stage breakoff for the group size, and check that each wave has at least 1,000 feet banked?

Everything this course says about breakoff and deployment

2.2

Assign each flyer a breakoff wave, altitude, radial and deployment altitude giving about 30° of radial separation.

2.4

Coordinate exit separation with the loadmaster in both directions. A long stack needs more room from the group ahead; the group behind needs room for large drift and up-jump-run breakoffs.

3.2

Brief the breakoff, waves, altitudes, radials, shade/hold assignments, and confirm each flyer sets their audible to their own wave.

3.3

Run the mock-up and at least two full dirt-dives including the breakoff.

4.3

Initiate the breakoff on the base wave at the briefed altitude regardless of formation completeness.

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, debrief.

5.1

Run a video debrief that classifies approaches (clean / corrected / aborted) without blame.

5.2

Attribute failed approaches and any traffic conflict to a cause and a fix.

5.3

Record the jump and the plan, and set the group's next objective.

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.

Notes need JavaScript, because they are stored in this browser. The card itself works without it.

This card is a summary. The full Head-Down 401 course page carries the reasoning, the sources and everything left off here. All briefing cards.