Forty women set the Texas Record for Largest Formation Skydive. Photo by Daniel Angulo.
On July 15, 40 women from across the U.S., as well as England, Ecuador and Brazil, met up at Skydive Spaceland-San Marcos in Fentress, Texas with two goals in mind: break the 38-way Texas Women’s Record for Largest Formation Skydive set in 2010 and set a Total Break Sequential Record. Organizers Celine Pelletier and Helaine Rumaner, with help from Scott Latinis, put together a team of talented lady skydivers. Although four of the jumpers had fewer than 300 jumps, lack of experience didn’t hold them back from performing admirably.
The DZ staff was welcoming, and check-ins went smoothly as everyone made a leisurely start on Friday for the three-day event. First, the base and divers split into groups and began working on exits and build. When South Texas decided to provide unexpected afternoon showers, jumpers spent extra time dirt diving and waiting for the weather to pass. Despite the delay, the ladies were able to get their planned jumps completed. By the end of the day, the two groups came together to dirt dive the record formation, anticipating a 7 a.m. wheels up on Saturday. After a thorough briefing by DZ manager Thomas Hughes on the oxygen system, everyone said their good nights.
Saturday morning was sunny, and everyone was excited to begin as they gathered for their first jump from 16,500 feet. While the pilots kept the plane formations tight, jumps on Saturday fell short of a record, and clouds kept the team from completing the expected number of jumps.
Spirits were high Sunday morning as the organizers made a few changes to the skydive in an effort to get everything clicking. The ladies were excited, but not as excited as camera flyer Daniel Angulo, who was cheering after landing from Sunday’s first jump. The changes to the jump were so effective that judge Elizabeth Hoyt-Pitts had no trouble certifying that the 40-way formation built properly, and on the very first attempt of the day!
The record-setting jumpers gather for a group photo.Photo by Daniel Angulo.
Pelletier and Rumaner emerged from the debrief room to tell the team that they would be doing something different on the next jump since they had set the record. After a moment of quiet, the women cheered for their achievement but immediately went back into business mode. The team was ready to try for another record—at total-break sequential—and the local packers performed a miracle and got the ladies back in the air in less than an hour. Three attempts at the total-break record were unsuccessful, however each jump got closer to completion and left the entire group wishing they had one more shot at the end of the day. With such a great group of women it’s hard to imagine it will be too long before they come together for another record-breaking weekend!
Jackie Ellis | D-17907
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma