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HD401 Flyer
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Head Down · Mastery · The jump

Head-Down 401

Organise head-down big-ways

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

What this unit covers

Covers the organiser's craft on a head-down big-way: sizing the group, slotting people to jobs, briefing the jump, and designing the breakoff. The participants fly their slots: base FFP-HD304, floats FFP-HD302, divers FFP-HD303.
The organiser builds the plan they fly and owns the breakoff architecture. Formation shape engineering (base shape, build order, wacker lines) is FFP-HD403; multiple-aircraft loads are FFP-HD402.
The rest of it
Assumes the organiser has flown base, float and diver slots and holds the relevant credentials. Environment: sky for the jumps; the design work is done on the ground.

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 assign flyers to base, float or diver by weight, build and demonstrated ability, and resolve the heaviest-flyer trade-off 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 verify at least 1,000 feet is banked for each wave?

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

Do you start the breakoff on the base wave at the briefed altitude even when the formation is incomplete?

Screen 3 · Safety and altitudes

Safety and altitudes

Everything here is a recommendation with a reason behind it, not a rule. The drop zone you are jumping at, and your own limits on the day, decide what actually happens.

Safety-critical criteria 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 verify at least 1,000 feet is banked for each wave?

4.3
Initiate the breakoff on the base wave at the briefed altitude regardless of formation completeness.

Do you start the breakoff on the base wave at the briefed altitude even when the formation is incomplete?

Everything this unit 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.

Altitudes here are the guides this curriculum recommends and argues for. Where the drop zone briefs something different, the drop zone is what you fly.

Screen 4 · After the jump

After the jump

From this unit's own closing element, 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, before anyone else speaks: name the single thing that went wrong, and the single thing you will do differently next jump. One of each. A list of six is a list you will not 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

Most records are the flyer's own, and that is the point: your own read of your own flying is worth keeping. A record only counts as verified once a coach signs it.

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 401 unit carries the reasoning, the sources and everything left off here. All briefing cards.