It's All About Three Seconds - A Skydiving World Record

It's All About Three Seconds

"A three second accomplishment that takes a lifetime to achieve" is the way Roger Nelson so aptly describes a skydiving world record. Intertwined in these three little seconds are life long dreams, ambitions, hopes and desires. The personalities involved are extremely diverse ranging from a space shuttle astronaut to a State Senator to an eighteen-year-old kid with no job. For these three seconds in time all the skydivers are flying as one. It's a Zen-like hum of twenty-one tons of flying humanity rocketing toward earth at 122 miles per hour. Together linked forever in what will become the greatest skydive ever; the largest completed skydiving formation of 246 people. How did they do it? Or better yet, why would hundreds of people jump out of twelve perfectly good airplanes at the same time to meet in the same relative space for a goal that was so unimaginable only a short time ago?

The quest for the largest skydiving formation started many years ago with that same question. In 1993, Roger and I met in Lake Wales, Florida where we talked about organizing the next world record in skydiving. Sketching out some initial formation design ideas Roger boldly predicted that I would be the designer and engineer of the next world record. I have enjoyed designing formations and started right after my first world record 144-person formation in 1988 but never thought I would be designing something this large. I took Roger's prediction as a challenge and went to work puzzling through the engineering. The current record was 200 and was set at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in 1992. In 1994 we gathered skydivers from around the world and attempted a 232-person formation to set the world record. This attempt failed but we knew the design was good. Another attempt in 1995 of the same design held for only a second and fell short of the required three seconds required of a world record. We were discouraged but excited because we learned a great deal from these camps. The goal was attainable and still available for us to break. After taking a break from world records, Roger developed and built the current Skydive Chicago a multi-million dollar facility and airport. I decided to continue my mountain climbing quest to climb the highest peaks on each continent together with my husband Stan. Spending so much time away gave us the required energy to gain new insight into the quest of the world record.

During a climbing trip in Tibet, I designed the world record formation. After trying literally hundreds of designs the 300-person formation looked very good and very achievable. A formation this large would give us a nice number to shoot for and give us leeway in case we had to cut the formation down in size. The design concept was to build a formation that allowed for a large number of people to dock at the same time with structural integrity. Other factors included the uniqueness of the design as well as how the formation looked when completed with any number of people. Roger and I met again in October of 1997 to put forth the plans for making the record happen. From the onset our goal was to establish a new world record. The four previous attempts over a four year period all failed. Ten captains including Roger were chosen. Those captains would hand pick a team of skydivers to be on the record jump. The captains were Roger Ponce de Leon, Jack Berke, Sandy Wambach, Mike Eakins, Tom McLaughlin, Pat Dodgin, Jim Wallace, Tonney Boan, and Dave Courson. My idea was to try to put the captain's team members closely together, if possible, in the formation. The theory was that when times get rough during the record attempts the team members that already knew and trusted each other would give support to each other.

Roger and I traveled extensively throughout the year making visits to each of the captains drop zones and their skydiving events. We wanted to get as familiar as possible with the team members and more importantly let them know our theory and philosophy of the record formation. Months ahead of the record we challenged the team members to get into shape to prepare for the grind of the record week. The event would be a marathon of physical and emotional endurance that I can attest rivals any of my mountain climbing adventures including Mt. Everest.

The formation needed to have a color design for various reasons. By using different colored jumpsuits the skydive would be color-coded and make it easier for the record skydivers to find their correct position in the formation. We decided to use fluorescent colors for the majority of the positions, which hopefully would create an easy target for the team members and give us a beautiful photo when we completed the record skydive. A team patch was designed and soon colorful team jumpsuits were found at skydiving centers across America.

An Internet web site and electronic mail served as the main form of communication with the captains and team members. Nearly ninety percent of the participants could be reached via this method and it proved to be a great way of giving the teams updates nearly everyday as to the progress of the record plans. The slots in the skydive were assigned in March so the team would be able to study their spot in the formation, obtain the correct color jumpsuit and familiarize themselves with their teammates in their assigned aircraft.

Twelve airplanes were utilized for this formation, including seven super twin otters, three super CASA's, one DC-3 and one super skyvan. Logistically this could have been a nightmare but we were quite familiar with each of the pilots and were confident they could handle such a tough assignment. Flying formation loads was not unfamiliar to any of these pilots. However, flying in a formation of twelve had never been accomplished and that would be a huge challenge to these men and women. The team members collectively started naming their individual planes and teams. The team's comradery built quickly as more and more names were chosen for each of the twelve planes. The Bobcats, Eagles, Chinooks and Kool-Aid Kids were just a few of the twelve teams that came up with battle cries and songs for their planes. A team spirit was already upon us before we even began the record attempts.

July came very quickly and soon hundreds of skydivers were calling Skydive Chicago their home for the ten days of the world record attempts. There were twenty-five jumps scheduled for the 300-person formation beginning on July 19th, 1998. The talent of the jumpers was evident in the practice jumps held on the Friday and Saturday before the record jumps. There was a special feeling of something great about to happen.

Early Sunday morning everyone had their team jumpsuit on with their team dog tags around their neck ready for their first record attempt. Roger decided to show a video of how the best large formations in the world were built and used that theory in building our formation of 300. "Building slowly and smoothly with a constant movement toward the center of the formation is the key" Roger told the crowd. The team met on the grassy area adjacent to the hanger and slowly went through the moves designed to build the formation. This is called a dirt dive and is necessary to rehearse the plan on how to build the formation correctly. We needed to see if there would be any major problems with traffic in the air, it can get congested as each skydiver approached the formation from the different aircraft. Roger and I wanted to attempt at least three skydives that day to keep us on schedule. The weather was perfect and we were soon boarding our planes for take off.

One concern I had as an organizer was getting all twelve airplanes into the pre-determined aircraft formation. My concerns were soon alleviated at 16,500 feet when a nearly flawless formation began to form. After that jump I told a local news crew, "I wish everyone could see what I just saw." Watching the aircraft in such a precise flying formation and seeing the jumpers start to exit from the other planes was simply breathtaking. Never had I witnessed such an awesome display of human and mechanical flight. The first jump went quite well considering we just launched 300 people for the first time on American soil. The captains were very pleased and soon we were preparing for the second and third attempt of the day. The third jump built to a very large formation and the breakoff sequence began at the usual 6,000 feet. In formations such as this, skydivers need extra time and altitude to break away from each other. Finding clear air space is crucial to deploy a parachute. This prevents entangling with each other. The sequencing of breakoff started at 6,000 feet with half of the skydivers turning 180 degrees and using a maneuver called tracking to speed away from each other until they reach an altitude of 2,000 feet to deploy their parachutes. At 5,000 feet another 78 skydivers do the same maneuver and the remaining skydivers track away at 4,000 feet.

Tragically on this jump, one of our captains, Sandy Wambach was knocked unconscious during a freefall collision on the breakoff sequence. She was unable to deploy her parachute. Two of my former skydiving students, who are now instructors themselves, raced to try to save her. One of them tried desperately to open her parachute, but just missed her. He was wearing an audible altimeter that gives warning sounds when certain altitudes are reached. The warning sound turned to a flat pitch meaning he was dangerously close to the ground and had only a few seconds to deploy his parachute or face the same fate as Sandy. He deployed his parachute and watched helplessly as her figure fell to the earth.

On the ground people were saying that they thought someone had not opened their parachute and soon another rumor was whispered in my ear it was Sandy. In disbelief I looked for my husband who would have been summoned to the accident scene since he is an emergency medicine physician and was in charge of all the medical needs for the event. In just a few minutes, he returned from the scene and confirmed my worst fears. Sandy was dead.

As an organizer of the event my job right now was to remain calm, keep a stiff upper lip and take care of the business at hand. As a close friend of Sandy's the pain was just starting to seep into me that she was truly gone. We had worked very close in the past years as co-organizers of big events, captains and teammates on multiple world record events. Later in the year Sandy and I were scheduled to work as a team trying to break the current women's record of 100. We just knew we could do it and looked forward to the event. Now tragically she was gone.

Roger, the captains, and myself met long into the night looking at ways to regroup the team and keep their focus. We all knew Sandy would want us to keep going and to get that record we had all worked so hard for. The record would be dedicated to Sandy when we built it. Everyone would work hard for this goal.

The next day we met with the team and made sure everyone felt comfortable continuing the skydive. We fully understood the impact that Sandy's death had on many of the jumpers. I adjusted the formation to accommodate the loss of those jumpers wishing to sit down for the day. The last thing we wanted was trying to build a world record formation with skydivers whose heart and head were somewhere other than the task at hand. The weather Monday was cloudy and we only made one jump the entire day with the entire team. Given the circumstances of the night before I think it was a good time for people to relax, regroup and get back in the proper frame of mind. Later that day, Roger received a call from the owner one of the aircraft in the formation. Sandy had done a great deal of organizing for him and his wish was that Sandy be brought home using the plane that she jumped from most, the CASA. The plan was for a crew of four pilots to fly her back to Virginia and then fly all night back to Chicago for the next day's attempt.

On Tuesday we made a total of three jumps with some weather delays occurring in the morning. The winds came up and caused a further delay but subsided so we could at least get a couple more dives. Later in the day Roger received a phone call from the coroner saying that they were going to bring Sandy's body to the drop zone later that evening for the aircraft to fly her back to Virginia. We called the captains together and quickly planned a memorial service for her. All the teammates were told to put on their team jumpsuits and gather in front of the facility. Team captains grouped them according to colors and had Sandy's closest friends in the front rows. The largest team members located in the middle of the formation silently pushed the CASA into place at the base of the hanger ramp. Sandy's body draped with an American flag was wheeled in front of the team as Roger began reading scriptures. He gave one of the most moving and touching memorials I have ever witnessed. This enabled the team to say goodbye with class and dignity, befitting such a special and wonderful skydiver. We moved to form a line as a group of Sandy's friends wheeled her body into the back of the plane as we sang Amazing Grace. The door slowly shut and we walked out toward the runway and into a spectacular sunset. Team members and friends lined both sides of the runway and waved goodbye as the CASA lifted off taking Sandy home to Virginia.

Personally I did not know how the team's response to such a moving memorial would be the next day. All I could do was hope the team pulled through and got stronger with adversity. The sun shone brightly Wednesday and the weather was clear when we regrouped for our next three tries for the record. The group was upbeat and ready to work together but the formation did not build past 240 people. Long into the night we worked again to fix problem areas and re-engineer parts of the dive. We would start the attempts with twelve less people due to their failure to do their job properly. Our philosophy from the start was to get the world record with the people that we have chosen for the dive. The formation was designed with positions or slots as we call them, that can purposely be left out and not affect the flight characteristics. It was time to start removing slots out of the dive and cut some of the personnel off the record jumps. That decision is very difficult to make but warnings are given and we expect that they will be heeded or else you pay the consequences.

Another beautiful morning greeted our team of 275 people and we made a total of five jumps on Thursday ending with formations building into the 250 plus range. We were so very close to popping off the big one. Roger and I could feel the momentum building with each dive. We both hope that the team feels it also and takes that opportunity to build the perfect formation. Another long night is scheduled for the organizers and captains looking at problem areas, lending suggestions and recommendations on how we can get the record. The twelve of us are now one big family in the "War Room" as we call it. Everyone sits in the same seats for our discussions and to review the video from the jumps. Tensions and emotions are high and thankfully all of us have worked together on many world records in the past. Another session ends at 1 a.m. and again we have forgotten to eat supper. The decision to cut the formation down to 263 people is made and more skydivers will be riding the "pine" in the morning.

Morning comes very early for myself on record days. My job as logistical coordinator and dive engineer is to keep track of all the personnel and dive changes. I get to the War Room every morning at 6 a.m. to make sure that the changes are put into action before the captains arrive expecting their daily check-in boards to be updated. This is turning into a marathon grind just like we knew it would. I am so thankful that I am in superb physical shape prior to starting this event. Looking in the mirror this morning I can tell that I have dropped at least seven pounds. How much longer can this last?

Luckily for us Friday's weather is crystal clear and we are ready to launch a 263 person formation. The dives go very well and we just about get the record on each jump. We are tantalizingly close. During the ride up to jump altitude many of us use the time to relax and read books. One of the books being past around was Jonathan Livingston Seagull. My friend Paul, pointed out a passage that he thought was particularly appropriate to the record and asked me to read it. The passage ends by saying, "Perfect speed, my son, is being there." In my exhausted state I just looked at those words as tears streamed down my face. Never a truer phrase was spoken in a record situation.

The third dive of the day built to a 255-person formation with only four people out. Basically everyone was in the correct position but a few of the grips were broken. The record day is near and the entire team can feel it happening. The enthusiasm is very high and I hear individual planes each chanting their own slogans and songs competing with the others. Another long session in the evening and on into the night results in only one person losing their slot. We are now very blurry eyed from watching digital video over and over. Tonight is "Reggae Night" for the team and it's a great time for them to dance and relax.

At dawn Saturday, I drive to the drop zone with a special feeling. The day is very beautiful and the air is still and ready for something magical to happen. Everyone is ready to go by 7a.m. and we launch a 259 person formation that indeed builds perfectly! The air is charged and there is much cheering from the landing skydivers. Roger and I are more cautious in our celebration. We both know that there are many elements required to set a world record, only one of which is building the formation. The formation must be built exactly as the diagram that was given to the judges prior to each attempt. The participant's documents must be valid and in date. And lastly, the formation must hold for THREE SECONDS. Six different skydiving videographers shoot the videotape of the formation with the team. They also shoot still film of the dives. Roger and I meet with the three judges and review the tape of the dive while our hearts race in anticipation. They use hand timers along with the electronic timer synchronized on the video. After reviewing all the angles the best time is 2.2 seconds that the formation held together before the scheduled break-off. There is no world record on this jump. The only solace is that this jump qualifies in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest completed skydiving formation. Also the 259-way is the largest formation ever built in the state of Illinois smashing the old record of 144 built during the world record of 1988 in Quincy. This is the largest formation to be built in the Nation and of course at our drop zone. Despite all these accolades we must go back up and build an official world record. We try another three times that day and despite cutting the formation down each time we come up one short on each try. Everyone is physically and mentally exhausted after such an emotional day. Roger had scheduled a victory barbecue tonight following the evening debriefs about the day's progress. The mood is surprisingly upbeat and the team is truly pulling together into one cohesive unit. The party doesn't go on too long since everyone knows we only have one more day and only two more dives to complete what was once thought impossible.

Sunday is a crisp cool morning that finds the skydivers very tired but ready to accomplish their given task. I have given the judges the dive diagram and personnel sheets as I do on every attempt but then find out in the practice run through that two of the team members called in stating they were "too tired to keep jumping." Other captains bristle at the thought but I told them to conserve what very little energy we had and concentrate fully on the task at hand. We now needed to move some people around and make this dive work. While I was inside trying to fix all of the diagram and paperwork for the judges Roger gave an incredible motivational speech to the team. Everyone had such a purposeful look in their eyes and moved slowly to their aircraft waiting for takeoff. When Roger and I first placed everyone in their respective spots in the skydive, I made sure that the person next to me was someone that I trusted with my life and someone I cared a great deal about. From past experience I knew exactly how exhausted I would be at this time of the schedule. Paul gave me all my gear checks and made sure I was ready to skydive. We sat next to each other in the plane and a smile came across our faces. "This is the dive, I just know it." Both of us agreed that we just had to get it on this dive. Jump run was soon was upon us and I literally just fell out the back of the plane and swooped into my slot. In my head I was counting ever so slowly, "One, Two, Three, Four, Five." I looked at Paul and we smiled at each other through our helmets. Electricity raced through the completed formation creating a feeling only world record holders know. I kept counting until I reached fifteen. We turned toward each other and flashed our secret sign before tracking off knowing we had set the new world record.

Jubilantly all of us landed screaming and yelling. The aircraft roared by in a fabulous formation in honor of our record. I couldn't yet be overjoyed until the tape was reviewed by the judges and all three of them signed the documents proclaiming this skydive as an official world record. With all the last minute paperwork changes of the morning I held my breath as they reviewed each angle of the videotape. The dive held an astonishingly long 7.3 seconds until the breakoff signal was given. Now they checked to see if the formation was correctly done according to the dive diagram I handed them prior to the jump. Each judge reviewed the diagram and looked at all the tapes. After a long 45 minutes they officially declared the 24th attempt of 246 people a new WORLD RECORD in skydiving. Downstairs the speakers blasted "We are the Champions" while everyone gave each other hugs and congratulations. We were truly the champions of the world at that moment in time.