After days of weather challenges, technical setbacks, and determined effort, 60 skydivers from 11 nations came together on September 4 at Skydive Monkey Head in Morelos to achieve what had not been done since 2018: a new National Record.
This record carried deep meaning. It was a tribute to Ernie Butler’s “Friendship” event, which celebrated the joy of bringing friends together to share the skies. It also honored 50 years in the sport for Larry Henderson, Norman Kent, and Johnny Saavedra, and served as a pre-inauguration for Monkey Head, soon to be one of the world’s five largest drop zones, with more than 100 acres, a fleet of seven turbine planes, and one of the best climates anywhere.
As so often happens, the record was set on the very last jump of the final day, after overcoming a series of setbacks: bad weather, air traffic, long waits for the right conditions, and technical problems. The team persevered, and on that final attempt, boarding to the sound of a mariachi band playing for us, the planes took off. A cloud layer forced the pilots to descend to 14,500 ft to stay below it. Mid-flight, the pilots asked the captains: “Can you do it at 14,500?” The answer came back: “Yes, we can…go ahead!”
As the restricted altitude registered on their altimeters, everyone on the plane began to sing: “Ay ay ay ay, fly and don’t cry, because flying makes little hearts happy,” a playful twist on a famous Mexican song. After a second pass and lowering the altitude, we prepared and jumped.
Photo by Roman Alba
On approach to the stadium, everything looked solid until a collision near Sector 1 sent three flyers out of the formation. The remaining 47 held steady. One of the captains glanced at an altimeter: 8,800 ft. We still have time.
On the ground, more than 80 spectators watched the sky. They already knew the struggles of the previous days, and with cell phones and cameras in hand, they filmed while calling out updates to one another: “They’re doing very well… three are out, too bad! …Wait, they’re coming back… one is missing! …It closed, it closed!!” Soon the crowd erupted in applause and cheers, swept up in the drama unfolding overhead.
In the air, one by one, the three flyers returned to the formation while the rest held perfectly flat and still. As the final grips closed, the base captains exchanged glances, nodded, and we knew: “We did it.”
When we landed, the applause and celebration were overwhelming. The mariachi band played loudly, beers were opened, and the day ended with a fly-by from all three planes in perfect formation against the sunset.
Photo by Roman Alba
This record is a testament to the talent, discipline, and passion of the athletes, as well as the collaboration with the international community that trusts Mexico as a safe and excellent place for the development of skydiving.
Kate and Carsten led the attempts, bringing both expertise and personality to the event.
Planes: 1 Casa 212 and 2 Twin Otters from the Monkey Head fleet
Pilots: Oscar Calleja, Manuel Calleja, Santiago Arredondo, Dony Cardona
Captains: Kate and Carsten Cooper Jensen, Larry Henderson, Fernando Gallegos, Nacho Álvarez
Cameramen: Norman Kent, Ralph Wilhelm, Román Alba
This special record brought together skydivers from 11 countries to gather in friendship, and, of course, enjoy plenty of Mexican food to celebrate!
