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Local skydiving company, Mile Hi Skydiving, based at Vance Brand Airport in Longmont, CO is hosting the "Go Fast Colorado State Record Invitational" at an event that began yesterday and goes through the weekend in an attempt to set a state record for most jumpers in free fall formation.
Sunday, 4pm update: According to a phone call with Jim McCormick (organizer of the event and a five time record holder himself!), after weather delays, they are "ahead of schedule in six attempts" and have put "48 into formation, but not a record breaker yet as 56 is the record". The team is sticking around and assessing the weather (which is again changing) and are planning for one more attempt. If not successful, they will need to try again next year. Some of the team is from out of the country and two of the planes are from Arizona and can't keep them around much longer.
Sunday, 12pm update: The planes are up...wish them luck! See this related picture: http://twitpic.com/hm3yn
Sunday, 11am status update: Waiting on cloud cover, planning to go up soon...
Saturday, 11am status update:
Event on hold today due to weather, they plan to try again tomorrow (Sunday)
They will be using four different aircraft for this event, including three Twin Otters and one King Air. Keep an eye out over the skies of Longmont as they will need to climb to an altitude of 18,500 feet for this (and will be using oxygen on board for that altitude!).
According to a representative from Go Fast Colorado, "there are special challenges in setting skydiving records in Colorado due to the higher than normal ground elevations and that this team will have to be the best to ever skydive together in Colorado to be successful."
Yesterday consisted of ground training, but today they have been spotted over Longmont practicing to break the state record (which is 56). They will use 70 jumpers plus 2 video/photo jumpers. Also according to an employee at Mile Hi Skydiving, it could be as many as 76 jumpers.
For more information and to see the schedule and planning for this, click HERE
Related: On Dec 12, 2002, former Mile Hi Skydiving owner Jeff Sands was one of 300 skydivers from over 25 countries who broke the world record for the world's largest freefall formation. Click here to read the story and see pictures.
*The Longmont Examiner will update this article later this weekend regarding this event.
Click here to read more of the Longmont Examiner's coverage of Mile-Hi Skydiving
Related story: Skydivers attempt to break record over Longmont (includes pictures and video)
About Mile Hi Skydiving Center
Located in Longmont (CO), Mile Hi is the most active skydiving operation in the mountain west with the largest fleet of skydiving aircraft in the region and the most extensive ground support facilities. Over thirty five thousand skydives are made each year at the facility.
Comments
I Love that our little airport is a sky jumping destination. How cool that Go Fast is doing this. Are there any ground festivities for the public?
The event is open to the public to view from the ground...what a sight it must be to see that many skydivers coming one after another to land :)
There also is an onsite food vendor at the Airport (near Air West) called Flight Deck Grill to get food and sit and watch their record setting attempts.
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