The team was only able to make two jumps today. It was a very early show, at 0630, 222 skydivers, 10 pilots, and a slew of support staff were on hand and the jumpers were geared up ready to dirt dive once or twice before a 0700 launch of the 10 aircraft… and then a 40 mile swath of low clouds passed overhead. Apparently Arizona does have clouds now and then.

108-way

The captains had a conference and decided to work with a slightly smaller group during the “weather hold” and then launch that group as soon as the clouds passed over. Since there had been some personnel changes in the base and to give the rest of the group the confidence that there would be a solid core for them to build on, director BJ Worth made the decision to practice one dive with the 42-way Base to be docked on by only 66 other skydivers, all the ones in yellow jumpsuits, building on the base, for a total of 108 skydivers in this formation. He also sent up six cameramen to document the results.

From this point forward we could make the record at any jump

As the five ship formation turned on “jump run,” the final leg of the flight, before dropping the 108 skydivers, 114 skydivers on the ground got into position, some with binoculars, to watch their brothers and sisters in the air. If the jump was solid, the group knew they would be able to move forward successfully.

The skydivers exited and within about a minute, the base built and one by one, the first half of each sector built. A perfect 108-way; the core was solid. A sigh of relief and some whoops followed.

222-way

The entire 222-way cadre was then loaded up and sent off into the blue about an hour later. The ensuing jump was good. One sector was complete, another almost built – two skydivers short. Each of the other sectors came in at around 20-25 of the 33 skydivers needed for completion. Everyone was enthusiastic about making the next jump… Unfortunately, high winds were to plague the team once again.

The group spent the next two hours dirt diving and laying the whole formation down on the grass, the purpose, to practice the move to the second point. On each jump from now on, the group would be given a “key” (an orange streamer) to move forward to the second point, even it the first point wasn’t complete. Team Director, BJ Worth said, “It’s important to get the team into the mindset of making two points on each skydive. I think itt will help them pick up the pace.”

Optimism

The weather is expected to be quite a bit better tomorrow. The team is optimistic as displayed by the following conversation between Dutch team members Marloes Swarthoff and Tom Winkler.

Marloes: “It’s hard to get up at 0530, get to the drop zone, gear up and find out that you’re not on the first jump. But I was very happy that my teammates had a good skydive; that we will have a good base and middle to attach onto. We now have something to work with. The wind sucks and so do the dirt devils. But it’s better that we stay on the ground than risk getting hurt.”

Tom: “I had a great day. I was on both jumps!”

Marloes: “Shut the ….”

Tom: “I want to feel that magic moment, when everyone is switched on at the same time.”

Marloes: “When we succeed, we kind of all know it because it quiets down so much. It’s electric! I knew it when the last record I was on was built. It was suddenly got so quiet.”

Tom: “And there is this great excitement, but quietly”

Marloes: “We are looking forward to that! We are progressing and we will get the record.”

Daily Captain’s Commentary

Sven Mortberg, Sector 5

Day 6 of the Fly It Forward is over. What do you feel about the progress so far?

“We are very much moving in the right direction. We are at a point where we not only able to but we are ready to make the record. From my experience from other world record events we are on the right track. There are still small problems that are being worked out. But we will do it. From this point forward we could make the record at any jump.”

“My Sector (Sector 5) did really good. Every jump we did better. Every jump we achieved our small goals. I can only say that is like ‘eating an elephant in small pieces’ “.

##How long have you been part of the World Team?

“Since 1999. It’s incredibly sad that this is ending. I will miss for sure the spirit we have created and the results we achieved together. We have EARNED the records that we have done so far! But I’ll always have the memories. They’ll never go away.”

Do you think you’ll get this record?

“On every World Team event we had we had to struggle. With the weather, with the aircraft and many other things. It was never easy but we worked hard to do it. This only made us stronger in the end. Yes, I think we will do it!”