Bob has participated in most of the World Record formation attempts since 1994 including all five official FAI World Records.
This was a complete formation but unfortunately one of the Russian skydivers was not in his intended "slot" so it didn't beat the FAI Record of 200. The next day we did one with 215 (I wonder who didn't get to go??) and after a lost grip was reclosed we held the formation for 2.4 seconds before running into a cloud which fogged up all the videographers' lenses. Unfortunately the judges could not verify that the formation was held for the 3.0 seconds required for the official FAI record so it still stood at 200.
This set a new "Guinness" record for the largest freefall formation. There were supposed to be 302 in the formation but several of the skydivers in red suits at the bottom of the picture didn't get into the formation before it was time to break off.
We started out attempting 300-ways and gradually reduced the numbers. One skydive yielded a complete 259-way but it was only held for 2.2 seconds. The one in this picture was a 246-way and was held for 7.3 seconds. It had taken six years to break the old 200-way FAI record
This one was completed in "over-time". We had completed a 285-way the previous day that was only held for 1.1 seconds. The Royal Thai Air Force was convinced to give us one more chance on the day we were leaving. It resulted in a new FAI record with 282 skydivers that was held for 7.11 seconds.
After six years of trying we finally built a 300-way! It was held for 7.02 seconds
Only a little over a year later we smashed the "old" 300-way record! Once again it was on the last possible day and only after the Royal Thai Air Force flew us out from under the overcast conditions at Korat to another airbase at Takhli that had clear skies. We held the 357-way for 6 seconds.
Two years later and we were back in Thailand for what might be the last
time. We held the 400-way for 4.25 seconds. Wendy was not standing on the ground taking this picture with a big telephoto lens! She was in freefall below the formation; about a dozen other photographers are visible above the formation.
The World Team "trilogy" of events in Thailand has enjoyed tremendous support from the Royal Family, the Royal Thai Airforce and the people of Thailand. For more details on this event see http://www.theworldteam.com