ELOY, Ariz. – A group of nearly 100 female skydivers gathered in Arizona on Thursday as they prepared to try to break the world record for an all-female mass-formation jump.
The women made four jumps Thursday from Skydive Arizona in Eloy on Thanksgiving Day, said Nancy Koreen, a skydiver and spokeswoman for the U.S. Parachute Association. They're gearing up for a record-breaking effort that will likely come Friday or Saturday at the site about 65 miles south of Phoenix.
Thursday's jumps allowed the skydivers to practice joining up in formations, Koreen said.
Video from one of the skydivers showed dozens of women leaping from three planes that flew in tight formation. Many of them gathered and joined hands as they plummeted head-first toward the ground at speeds approaching 170 mph.
The skydivers hope to break the previous record of a 41-woman formation.
Participants include nearly 40 Americans and 50 women from Australia, Russia, France, England, Canada and Mexico, Koreen said. They'll be competing for slots on a record attempt set for Friday or Saturday.
The group plans multiple jumps each day from aircraft flying as high as 16,000 feet.
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