The record-setting formation by 400 skydivers as seen from below. Photo by Henry Wiggers How do you find, train, and organize 400 skydivers to join together in one flying formation to set a world record? Lee Hunnicutt of SC was one of those who did just that on February 8, 2006, over Thailand.   

Five C-130s of the Royal Thai Air Force flew in a tight wedge formation at 24,000 feet. Each of the 400 skydivers and 17 video personnel were breathing supplemental oxygen. Pallets of rice in the front of the planes counterbalanced the weight of the skydivers crowding the rear ramp.

The exit and build sequence had been rehearsed on the ground like a carefully choreographed stage production. Each skydiver was a part of a 400-piece jigsaw puzzle. Each piece must go in exactly the correct slot in a precise sequence. The approach vectors were carefully laid out, rehearsed, and sequenced. There had to be a huge trust factor among skydivers.

The skydivers used radio communication to insure the exits took place in the proper sequence, each leaving a few seconds ahead or behind the lead airplane to prevent collisions on approach.

Four hundred brightly dressed bullets dropped from the planes and separated in waves at 7,500' and created a huge bell-shaped dome of canopies. There were no collisions under any canopies and no serious ones on approach.

The break off and landing patterns worked flawlessly. The 400 skydivers left the large formation and found

clear air in which to open their parachutes, the most dangerous part of the skydive. Flying back to the landing zone without colliding was very tricky. There were quite a few minor injuries, but everyone will fully recover.

After an hour of deliberation by the judges, it was announced. Lee Hunnicutt and his crazy band of 400 skydivers formed a complete formation over Udon Thani, Thailand, and held it for 4.25 seconds, a new world record. They did it!!!

Lee recalls the moment, "We all came together for that one instant when we felt the quiet perfection of what we had built and knew instinctively that we had set a new standard in large formation skydiving...This team came for a record and would not be denied. That much positive energy from that many people, fueled by prayers, adrenaline, and a touch of fear, was something to behold...I have never felt anything quite like the overwhelming emotions of that day."