Vertical skydiving world record - Skydivers break World Record in USA
Falling at speeds of up to 354 kph, a group of nearly 140 skydivers shattered the vertical skydiving world record as they flew heads-down in a massive snowflake formation in northern Illinois.
Three judges representing the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, the international air sports agency, certified that 138 skydivers created the formation Friday evening over Ottawa, about 129 kilometres southwest of Chicago. It took 15 attempts over three days for the team to break the previous record of 108 skydivers, which was set in 2009.
Vertical skydiving world record picture
"I feel amazing," Rook Nelson, an organizer and the owner of Skydive Chicago where the record was broken, said shortly after he made the jump. "There was a lot of emotion and a lot of days where we should have got it. But we dug down deep and stuck at it."
Following months of planning, tryouts and camps to decide who could take part in the dangerous challenge, the record breakers squeezed into six aircraft and launched themselves into the air at 5,639 metres. Flying at such a high altitude presents a risk of altitude sickness, so the skydivers and pilots used oxygen tanks aboard the planes.
Four camera operators shooting video and stills jumped with the 138 participants to record their achievement for the FAI judges. Those images are key, said co-organizer Mike Swanson, a professional skydiver who base jumped from Willis Tower and its fellow Chicago skyscraper Trump Tower for the movie "Transformers 3."
If no one records the 46-metre-wide formation showing all the jumpers in their pre-assigned slots, "then it wasn't really done," Swanson said.
Skydivers reached speeds of up to 354 kph Friday.Skydivers reached speeds of up to 354 kph Friday. (Sitthixay Ditthavong/Associated Press)
The challenge for the record began Wednesday, midway through a 10-day skydiving festival. After each attempt, the organizers reviewed the videos and decided who should stay and who should be swapped out for one of the dozens of hopefuls who didn't make the initial cut.
"It's a hard job coming in from the bench," said Erica Tadokoro, from Brisbane, Australia. "You have to be positive because it's a team effort."
Tadokoro, 43, was one of just 13 women selected in the first string. She was cut after the 14th unsuccessful attempt — one shy of the record jump.
Nelson explained that vertical flying is "basically doing a headstand" in the air. The lack of wind resistance speeds the skydivers' fall rate to an average of 273 to 290 kph. Ahead of the record attempt, he said some of those involved would need to reach much higher speeds. And that increased the risks.
If they're not paying attention when diving into the formation at upwards of 354 kph, "it's going to be like someone running a red light and you taking them out," Nelson said.
Each skydiver knew exactly when to exit the aircraft, whom to follow and where in the formation they should be. At 2,134 metres, the skydivers began to peel away on a last-in, first-out basis, and each wave deployed their parachutes at altitudes specified according to their positions in the formation.
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Vertical skydiving world record, skydiving world record 2012, Skydivers break World Record in USA, Skydivers World Record 2012, Vertical skydiving picture, vertical wind skydiving, vertical skydiving suits, vertical extreme skydiving video, vertical extreme skydiving reviews, Vertical skydiving photo gallery
Falling at speeds of up to 354 kph, a group of nearly 140 skydivers shattered the vertical skydiving world record as they flew heads-down in a massive snowflake formation in northern Illinois.
Three judges representing the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, the international air sports agency, certified that 138 skydivers created the formation Friday evening over Ottawa, about 129 kilometres southwest of Chicago. It took 15 attempts over three days for the team to break the previous record of 108 skydivers, which was set in 2009.
Vertical skydiving world record picture
"I feel amazing," Rook Nelson, an organizer and the owner of Skydive Chicago where the record was broken, said shortly after he made the jump. "There was a lot of emotion and a lot of days where we should have got it. But we dug down deep and stuck at it."
Following months of planning, tryouts and camps to decide who could take part in the dangerous challenge, the record breakers squeezed into six aircraft and launched themselves into the air at 5,639 metres. Flying at such a high altitude presents a risk of altitude sickness, so the skydivers and pilots used oxygen tanks aboard the planes.
Four camera operators shooting video and stills jumped with the 138 participants to record their achievement for the FAI judges. Those images are key, said co-organizer Mike Swanson, a professional skydiver who base jumped from Willis Tower and its fellow Chicago skyscraper Trump Tower for the movie "Transformers 3."
If no one records the 46-metre-wide formation showing all the jumpers in their pre-assigned slots, "then it wasn't really done," Swanson said.
Skydivers reached speeds of up to 354 kph Friday.Skydivers reached speeds of up to 354 kph Friday. (Sitthixay Ditthavong/Associated Press)
The challenge for the record began Wednesday, midway through a 10-day skydiving festival. After each attempt, the organizers reviewed the videos and decided who should stay and who should be swapped out for one of the dozens of hopefuls who didn't make the initial cut.
"It's a hard job coming in from the bench," said Erica Tadokoro, from Brisbane, Australia. "You have to be positive because it's a team effort."
Tadokoro, 43, was one of just 13 women selected in the first string. She was cut after the 14th unsuccessful attempt — one shy of the record jump.
Nelson explained that vertical flying is "basically doing a headstand" in the air. The lack of wind resistance speeds the skydivers' fall rate to an average of 273 to 290 kph. Ahead of the record attempt, he said some of those involved would need to reach much higher speeds. And that increased the risks.
If they're not paying attention when diving into the formation at upwards of 354 kph, "it's going to be like someone running a red light and you taking them out," Nelson said.
Each skydiver knew exactly when to exit the aircraft, whom to follow and where in the formation they should be. At 2,134 metres, the skydivers began to peel away on a last-in, first-out basis, and each wave deployed their parachutes at altitudes specified according to their positions in the formation.
Searching Tags:-
Vertical skydiving world record, skydiving world record 2012, Skydivers break World Record in USA, Skydivers World Record 2012, Vertical skydiving picture, vertical wind skydiving, vertical skydiving suits, vertical extreme skydiving video, vertical extreme skydiving reviews, Vertical skydiving photo gallery
