Head-Down 404 — Fly open vertical formation skydiving (VFS)

Application

Covers flying an assigned slot in open-class Vertical Formation Skydiving: building randoms and blocks from the full competition dive pool at head-down and head-up fall rates, with the grip discipline, fall-rate matching and inter-move craft open class demands. VFS is the vertical analogue of belly Formation Skydiving, the same randoms, blocks, scoring and rounds, in vertical orientations.

• Intermediate VFS (the reduced pool, small formations) is FFP-HD305.
• This unit is the open-class step above it. It sets the standard a flyer meets to fly open-class slots safely and reliably.
• It does not coach a specific team to podium. Assumes HD305 and comfort head-down under time pressure. Tunnel for repetition of formations and inter moves.
• Sky for exits, altitude and breakoff.

Pre-requisite units

FFP-HD305 (intermediate VFS). FFP-HD303 (diver) and FFP-HD304 (base) sharpen the fall-rate matching and quiet-body control open-class VFS lives on. RPL route: logbook and video of open-class VFS training or competition, or 4-way VFS tunnel records plus sky validation of exits and breakoff.

What open-class VFS asks

Open is the full pool flown to a short clock. In 4-way VFS all four flyers need strong head-down; the 22-block pool includes the hardest inter moves (carves, half-eagles, half-cradles) that require flying relative to a stationary partner while inverting. In 2-way Open both flyers must fly head-down safely across all 17 randoms and 5 blocks.

Working time is 35 seconds from a 13,000 ft exit, so open-class flyers memorise the pool, call and build from draw, and manage altitude at the same time.

The difference between Open and Advanced is mostly reliability: Open teams hit 4–5 points a round and train the whole pool, including the complex blocks; Advanced teams target 3–4 from a reduced pool. Foot grips appear in several formations, so grip vocabulary extends past the hands.

Elements and performance criteria

1. Plan the jump

1.1

State own slot and the draw (randoms and blocks), with the inter move for each block.

1.2

Confirm the exit formation and which point scores from exit.

1.3

State breakoff and deployment altitudes and the lost-formation plan; VFS breakoff runs higher than belly because the head-down fall rate spends altitude faster.

2. Prepare

2.1

Complete a freefly-specific gear check (handles, hand-deploy pouch, riser covers, closing loop, helmet, audible set and functioning).

2.2

Dirt-dive the exit, each point and each inter move at the team's tempo.

2.3

Confirm exit order and separation with the load.

3. Perform

3.1

Exit into the briefed formation, scoring the exit point where the draw allows.

3.2

Hold heading and fall rate as the stationary reference when own slot is the holder on a block.

3.3

Fly the inter move relative to the partner, arresting closure before taking the next grip.

3.4

Take grips (hand or foot) cleanly, at low relative speed, without loading or destabilising the formation.

3.5

Match fall rate precisely at close range, riding the burble interaction between bodies without overcorrecting.

3.6

Build randoms by approaching from outside the formation, never from directly above a head-down slot (into the feet-side burble).

3.7

Recover to a stable solo position on any cork or lost formation, separating laterally rather than holding a failing grip.

4. Complete

4.1

Initiate breakoff at the briefed altitude (within −0/+300 ft).

4.2

Turn to the assigned track, transitioning off head-down before flattening, checking airspace.

4.3

Deploy at the planned altitude after checking airspace.

4.4

Fly the briefed canopy separation plan.

5. Review

5.1

Debrief the draw against the videographer's footage, locating dropped points and their cause (grip quality, inter timing, heading error, fall-rate mismatch).

5.2

Identify one correction to train next.

5.3

Log the jump naming the unit and slot, the points built and the next focus.

Bold criteria are safety-critical, strongly recommended must-meet standards within FFP courses, not regulations. A cork at head-down fall rates or a low breakoff in a formation endangers more than the flyer, so a Not Yet Satisfactory on a bold criterion makes the unit Not Yet Competent.

Foundation skills

Memorising and calling the dive pool under time pressure. Altitude awareness held alongside rapid formation building. Close-range fall-rate matching and quiet-body control. Structured video debrief with a videographer as a team member.

Performance evidence (suggested sufficiency — adjust locally)

• A guide to how long open-class readiness takes, not a gate. Progression through the recognised VFS build: 2-way randoms one at a time, then in sequence.
• Blocks in isolation (top, inter, bottom).
• Mixed draws.
• Then full 35-second rounds with video debrief. Substantial tunnel time is normal before competing. Tunnel evidences formations and inter moves.
• It cannot substitute for exits, altitude awareness or breakoff.

Knowledge evidence

• Describe the VFS competition structure: team sizes, 35-second working time, how randoms and blocks score, and the difference between Open and Advanced.
• Name the randoms and blocks in the current APF dive pool your slot must build, and the inter move for each block you fly.
• Explain the No-Fly Zone: a head-down flyer’s burble sits above the feet, so approaches come from the side and slightly below the formation’s hips.
• Explain why VFS breakoff runs higher than belly (faster fall rate, altitude spent transitioning to a track).
• Explain fall-rate matching at close range and the burble interaction between two vertical bodies, and why the correction is small inputs.
• Describe the cork response in a formation: separate laterally and recover solo rather than hold a failing grip.

Assessment conditions

Sky and tunnel. Real VFS formations are required for the Perform criteria that build points with others; tunnel evidence is preparatory for exits, altitude and breakoff. Sky jumps from a recommended 13,000 ft minimum (the VFS competition altitude). Video: the videographer’s footage is the primary debrief and evidence tool. Equipment: visual altimeter, functioning audible, AAD recommended, freefly-suitable gear.

Assessor: a freefly coach or VFS competitor current in open-class VFS coaching, using the published FFP-HD404 checklist. Each criterion Satisfactory / Not Yet Satisfactory; unit Competent / Not Yet Competent, recorded as a milestone.

Coaching priorities

Deliver in the project’s priority order: Safety → Fun → Learning (curriculum Part A0). Safety criteria are must-meet, a cork recovery or a clean breakoff is never traded for a point. VFS debriefs run off video without blame, celebrate the points that built, and end on one focus for the next round.

RPL evidence set

Logbook and video of open-class VFS training or competition (state or national VFS participation is ideal evidence); 4-way VFS tunnel records plus sky validation of exits and breakoff; or a challenge assessment across a set of draws against the full criteria with a qualifying assessor. An experienced VFS coach recognises open-class competence quickly.

Sources