202 Skydivers in California Set World Record

W460

More than 200 aerial daredevils plunged into the record books this week, linking up in a giant lattice-like configuration 7,000 feet (2,130 meters) above Southern California to shatter a world record for the largest sequential skydiving formation.

The group of 202 leaped Tuesday afternoon at Skydive Perris, 80 miles (130 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported (http://bit.ly/1FEtj3e).

The jump center's manager, Dan Brodksy-Chenfeld, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that more skydiving records could fall in the days ahead. The same elite group of jumpers is poised to take to the air again this week in an effort to form three separate formations, he said.

The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, which keeps track of skydiving and other aviation-related records, had a judge on site to verify that Tuesday's leap set a record. It shattered the old one of 122.

The group that took part was co-organized by Skydive Perris and included jumpers from the U.S., Russia, Brazil, Italy, France and Germany.

About 80 percent of skydivers who show up for such record attempts are experts, said Patrick Passe, a Frenchman who helped organize the jump. The other 20 percent need coaching, he said.

Comments 0