Fearless Women Skydivers Set World Record

Falling head first, 41 women from around the world took the leap to set a world record for largest all-female skydiving formation while flying upside-down

An international team of 41 talented women skydivers from 10 countries set a new world record on Friday, November 26, for largest all-female formation while flying upside-down. The women traveled from around the globe for the record event at Skydive Arizona in Eloy, south of Phoenix. The team smashed the previous record of 20 set at Skydive Arizona in March 2008.
 
After leaping from three aircraft flying together more than three miles above the ground, the women built the formation flying upside-down with their heads pointed toward the earth - "head-down" in skydiving lingo. They had less than 60 seconds to complete the formation while plummeting toward the ground at speeds approaching 200 mph before separating from each other and opening their parachutes.

The record-setting jumpers came from across the U.S. and as far away as Australia, France, Finland and Israel. They range in age from 21 to 44 and have professions as varied as software developers, pilots, nurses, photographers and professional skydivers. They completed the record-setting formation just before sunset on Friday, on the 10^th attempt of the event.

Skydive Like a Pro
For sheer excitement and high-speed fun, no sport comes close to skydiving. Fortunately, this high-flying adrenaline sport is not as extreme or intimidating as it may seem. Just about anyone 18 years of age or older can take to the skies after some comprehensive safety instruction. In fact, all it takes is a half hour of ground school to prepare for a tandem jump, the easiest and most popular way to experience skydiving for the first time. Tandem jumping allows students to experience the thrill of freefall from 13,000 feet while securely harnessed to an experienced, licensed instructor. 

Another first-jump method called Accelerated Freefall (AFF) allows students to jump solo right away—with two instructors at their side—after four to five hours of intense ground instruction. Just about anyone can earn a license in as few as 25 jumps!

For more information on skydiving and to find a USPA Group Member skydiving center near you, visit www.uspa.org. 

About USPA

Founded in 1946, the United States Parachute Association is a non-profit association dedicated to the promotion of safe skydiving nationwide, establishing strict safety standards, training policies and programs at more than 200 USPA-affiliated skydiving schools and centers throughout the United States. Each year, USPA’s 32,000-plus members and hundreds of thousands of first-time jump students make approximately 3 million jumps in the U.S. USPA represents skydivers before all levels of government, the public and the aviation industry and sanctions national skydiving competitions and records.

For more information on making a first jump or to find a skydiving center near you, visit www.uspa.orgor call 800.371.USPA.