I realize most of you don't care, but I think it's pretty damn cool. A new record was set for the largest freefall formation in the world. 357 people came together to build this formation. I've met a few of the people who were a part of this record, trust me, this shit is MUCH harder than you may think. The old record was exactly 300, set in 2002 in Arizona.
Quote:
BANGKOK (AFP) - A team of 357 skydivers from 42 countries have broken the world freefall formation record in Thailand's northeastern Nakhon Sawan province, the team's spokeswoman said.
After seven attempts over three days of rehearsals during which the team endured both bad weather and mechanical problems with planes, the skydivers jumped from four C-130 Hercules Friday and managed to link up.
"Once they exited from four Hercules flying in formation at 24,000 feet, they managed to all connect and stay connected for six seconds while freefalling," spokeswoman Karina Willerup told AFP.
The previous official world record was a formation of 300 skydivers formed in the US's Phoenix, Arizona in December 2002, she said.
"It was ecstatic, it was energy you wouldn't believe," Willerup said of the mood after the record was smashed.
"These 450 people have come to Thailand to make this one goal, and after weather holds and some cancellations from the Air Force... It was their last chance yesterday, and they did it."
A panel of four judges from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale officially verified the record, she added.
Also during their trip to Thailand, the team along with 250 members of Thailand's royal armed forces broke the world mass freefall skydiving record on January 24 in Bangkok, with a total of 672 skydivers completing the dive.
The records were broken to mark the sixth 12-year cycle, or 72nd birthday, of Thailand's Queen Sirikit.
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More info on the group's website, found
here.
-Ugly Bastard
[ February 08, 2004, 01:40 PM: Message edited by: Ugly Bastard ]
02-08-2004, 04:36 PM
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