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HD405 Coach
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Head Down · Mastery · The brief

Head-Down 405

Fly sequentials and hybrid formations

Sequentials and hybrids, where orientations are mixed inside one formation.

What this unit covers

Covers flying documented freefly sequential and hybrid formations: named formations (rodeo, alley-oop, pancake, infinity, and the totem, shorty, stair-step and compressed randoms from the VFS/MFS pools), the mechanics of transitioning between points in a sequence, and the safety of hybrid jumps that mix orientations, including belly.
This is fun-jump and cross-discipline mastery; the competition-team course is open-class VFS, FFP-HD404. Assumes solid multi-orientation flight from the group and VFS work. Environment: tunnel for the formations that can be drilled; sky for exits, altitude and breakoff.

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.

3.1
Build each formation from the safe approach angle, side and below for head-down, never into the feet-side burble.

Do you build from the safe approach angle, side and below for head down, never into the feet-side burble?

3.2 Safety critical
Transition between points by holding position, releasing, manoeuvring to the new slot and re-docking at low relative speed, not by tracking away and not by staging an orientation change over another flyer.

Do you move between points by holding, releasing, flying to the new slot and re-docking slowly, rather than tracking away or turning over the formation?

3.3
Match fall rate across mixed orientations, bridging the gap with body position rather than forcing the grip.

Can you match fall rate across mixed orientations using body position, rather than forcing the grip?

Screen 3 · What blocks a sign-off

What blocks a sign-off

A safety-critical criterion marked not yet stops the sign-off, however good the rest of the flying was. There is no averaging across this line, and no trading a good jump against it.

Safety-critical criteria on the short list

3.2
Transition between points by holding position, releasing, manoeuvring to the new slot and re-docking at low relative speed, not by tracking away and not by staging an orientation change over another flyer.

Do you move between points by holding, releasing, flying to the new slot and re-docking slowly, rather than tracking away or turning over the formation?

Everything this unit says about breakoff and deployment

1.3
State breakoff and deployment altitudes and the abort-altitude commitment; sequential and hybrid personal minimums run higher than solo freefly because a formation breakup is more complex.
4.1
Initiate breakoff at the briefed altitude (within −0/+300 ft), with each flyer tracking in their own orientation before flattening.
4.2
Check airspace and deploy at the planned altitude.

Recording a sign-off says what you saw on one jump. It is not a rating, it is not a permission to jump, and it does not replace anything the drop zone requires.

Screen 4 · Conditions

Conditions

Where the evidence is allowed to come from, and how much of it there needs to be.

Assessment conditions

Sky and tunnel. Real formations are required for the Perform criteria that build points with others; tunnel evidence is preparatory. Sky jumps from a recommended 12,000 ft minimum, higher for larger or mixed-orientation builds. Video is the primary debrief and evidence tool.
Equipment: visual altimeter, functioning audible, AAD recommended, freefly-compatible gear for every flyer including belly slots. Assessor: a freefly coach current in sequential and hybrid flying, using the published FFP-HD405 checklist.
Each criterion Satisfactory / Not Yet Satisfactory; unit Competent / Not Yet Competent, recorded as a milestone.

Performance evidence

A guide; competency against the criteria is the standard. A record of sequential and hybrid jumps across a range of the documented formations, at small group sizes first, with consecutive jumps flown and broken off to plan.
Tunnel evidences the formations that can be drilled; it cannot substitute for exits, altitude awareness or breakoff.

Screen 5 · Debrief

Debrief

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

Coaching priorities

Deliver in the project's priority order: Safety → Fun → Learning (curriculum Part A0). These are fun jumps with real hazards, the approach angle, the release trigger and the higher breakoff are non-compensable, and calling a move off because its mechanics were not agreed is a correct decision.
The coach runs debriefs without blame and ends each one on a win with one focus for the next jump.

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. Six points is six points forgotten by the next load.

A jump marked not yet is a jump to re-fly, not a failure, and saying so out loud is part of the debrief.

Record this jump

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