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HD402 Coach
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Head Down · Mastery · The brief

Head-Down 402

Organise multiple-aircraft loads

Loads across more than one aircraft.

What the course is about

You'll learn to organise a head-down load that fills more than one aircraft, so every plane flies one plan.
This follows Head-Down 401 and Head-Down 403, because the slotting, brief and staged breakoff of a single-aircraft big-way all still apply, spread across planes, and you design the formation each plane-load builds.
The rest of it
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 to watch

What to watch

The same short list the flyer sees on their card, in the same words.

1.3 Safety critical
Agree the aircraft formation and the exit cue with the pilots-in-command, in writing where the operation requires it.

Do you agree the aircraft formation and the exit cue with every pilot in command before the load, in writing where the operation needs it?

2.2
Assign waves and radials so sub-formations from different planes break into clear, non-converging airspace.

Can you assign waves and radials so groups from different aircraft break into airspace that does not converge?

3.2 Safety critical
Brief the exit cue and the abort, including what each plane-load does if the aircraft formation is not made.

Do you brief the exit cue and the abort, including what each plane load does if the aircraft formation is not made?

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

1.3
Agree the aircraft formation and the exit cue with the pilots-in-command, in writing where the operation requires it.

Do you agree the aircraft formation and the exit cue with every pilot in command before the load, in writing where the operation needs it?

3.2
Brief the exit cue and the abort, including what each plane-load does if the aircraft formation is not made.

Do you brief the exit cue and the abort, including what each plane load does if the aircraft formation is not made?

Everything this course says about breakoff and deployment

2.1
Extend the breakoff architecture of FFP-HD401 across the whole formation, verifying at least 1,000 ft banked per wave.
3.1
Brief the whole load together so every flyer can state their plane, sector, slot and breakoff wave.
4.1
Run the load to the plan, holding the breakoff regardless of build completeness.

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

- Real multiple-aircraft head-down loads, or record-style loads under an experienced organiser.
The aircraft formation and exit plan are assessed with the pilots on the ground, and the breakoff in the air.
Video across the planes is the main debrief tool.
The assessor is an experienced head-down big-way or record organiser, current in the discipline, using this checklist. In Australia that is an APF Freefly Coach or a recognised record organiser. Elsewhere it is the national or drop zone equivalent.
Each criterion is marked Satisfactory or Not Yet Satisfactory. The course is recorded as a milestone, Competent or Not Yet Competent.
The evidence is a record of organising, or holding a key organising role on, multiple-aircraft head-down loads, learned under an experienced record-attempt organiser. Apprenticeship on real record or record-style loads is the usual route, and there is no jump count.
There's no jump count. These loads are rare outside record attempts, so the usual route is an apprenticeship on record or record-style loads.
Tunnel time doesn't count: the work happens in the sky and on the ground with the pilots.
If you already organise these loads, your coach can use your record of loads organised or key-slotted, your plans, and a word from a recognised record organiser.
Who jumps, and how the aircraft fly, stays with the pilots, your drop zone and your federation.

Performance evidence

Debrief across all the planes with video, give each timing or sector error a cause and a fix, and log the plan for the next attempt. You've finished Head-Down 402 when you've organised, or held a key organising role on, multiple-aircraft head-down loads and meet everything on the coach's checklist below.

Screen 5 · Debrief

Debrief

Safety first, then fun, then learning. In that order, every time.

Coaching priorities

Safety first, then fun, then learning. The organiser and the pilots own the load's safety. The aircraft formation plan, the exit cue and the breakoff are held to standard whatever the build achieves. Debrief without blame, and end each debrief on a win with one focus for the next attempt.

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