Incredible stunt sees 61 daredevils fly in formation to set new world record for wingsuit skydiving

New world record: 61 wingsuit skydivers perform their record-breaking aerial formation in the sky over California
Mark Harris/Skydive Perris via AP
Tom Marshall21 October 2015

Sixty-one skydivers swooped into the record books by creating an incredible diamond formation in the sky as they soared over California.

The wingsuit skydivers, from 12 countries including Britain, set the record for the largest such formation at Skydive Perris, south east of Los Angeles, shattering the old record set by 42 flyers in June.

They leapt from three separate aircraft at 13,500 feet, create the formation and then break apart at 5,500 feet.

Taya Weiss, the jump's lead organiser who took part in the stunt, said: "It was an absolutely incredible experience.

"We're a very small community, although we're growing, and to get everyone together from all over the world, especially to achieve such a difficult goal, is very rewarding."

The feat included wingsuit flyers from the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, Russia, Poland, South Africa and Israel.

The record was verified by a panel of judges from Federation Aeronautique Internationale, which keeps track of skydiving and other aviation-related records.

Ms Weiss said the flyers actually broke the former record twice.

After 50 people went out for a first jump there was time for a second one, so 11 more joined in.

Skydive Perris was the site of another record earlier this month when 202 divers linked up to form the world's largest sequential skydiving formation.

Wingsuit diving differs in that skydivers wear special suits with pressurised wings attached to their bodies, allowing them to glide horizontally while they fall at a slower rate than regular skydivers.

Additional reporting by the Press Association

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