The sky's the limit

Whitefish skydiver part of record-breaking freefall in Thailand

Mind-boggling.

That's the first word Blaine Wright uses to describe the coordination that went into the World Team's largest ever freefall skydiving formation last month in Thailand.

Wright, of Whitefish, was one of the 400 skydivers who jumped out at 24,000 feet - about double the normal skydiving elevation - to accomplish the task. For exactly 4.25 seconds, the 400 divers, suited in red, white or blue jumpsuits, held together in spectacular form, breaking the team's own Federation Aeronautique Internationale freefall formation record of 357 skydivers, set over Thailand in 2004.

"In 1986 we were thinking a 100-man formation was huge," said Wright, who first began skydiving in 1974. "Four hundred is mind-boggling. It's such a production to organize it."

Wright's longtime friend and famous skydiver B.J. Worth, also of Whitefish, was at the helm of the record-setting jump. Worth's finesse for coordinating record skydiving events is legendary.

"If B.J. quits organizing, the records are over," he said. "He has amazing organizational skills. Just going from 357 to 400 [skydivers] took two years of planning. I'd like to see it stop at 400.

"But 500 is probably doable," Wright mused.

It's in a skydiver's nature to push the envelope. And Wright recognizes the risks involved with such feats.

"Make no mistake about it, this is dangerous," he said. "Even after 32 years, I go into it scared of being hurt."

Skydivers exit the airplanes at 150 miles per hour for such jumps, making the possibility of shoulder dislocation a real threat.

"I think we had six or eight shoulder dislocations in 2004," he recalled.

This time around, there were seven skydivers who sustained injuries. One jumper broke his pelvis when his parachute hit a telephone line on his final landing approach.

At 15,000 feet and up, the skydivers must use supplemental oxygen.

"It's easy to become hypoxic," Wright said. "Your vision narrows, the mind doesn't function."

Skydivers are always aware of the physiological side-effects of their extreme sport.

"If you get a cold or have congestion, you can blow an ear drum," he explained.

"I took Sudafed every day. I was having trouble with that much altitude change in two minutes, so I started taking it after the first day," Wright said. "Even with the Sudafed, I was struggling with the crackling and popping and plugging in my ears, and I probably wouldn't have been able to jump every day without it."

There's a method to the madness that accompanies putting 400 jumpers in formation. At the base are the "biggest, heaviest beer-gutted guys," Wright said. "The skinny small girls are on the outside.

"It all gets sorted out during practice. We had 23 practice runs on this one."

The group spent 2 1/2 weeks in Thailand perfecting the formation, conducting practice runs on the ground as well as in the air. A skydiver suited in bright green is a visual pivotal point for other skydivers, but even so, people get "lost" in the air and can't find their way to their slot in the formation. Freefall speed is a brisk 120 miles per hour.

A backup team of 45 skydivers called the Alpha Team provided supplemental manpower in case any of the designated skydivers couldn't make the jump.

"We used every Alpha person on the final jump," Wright said. "We're all on the same team, trying to accomplish the same goal."

SKYDIVERS FROM 31 countries participated in the jump that was a part of the Royal Sky Celebration honoring the 60th anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's accession to the throne. The Royal Air Force's orchestration of the jump was to honor the world's longest reigning monarch.

Thailand has become a wonderful host for mass skydiving events through the years, Wright said.

"When we show up in Thailand, they're determined to show us their culture and a good time," he said.

Elaborate opening and closing ceremonies are centered around the World Team jumps. This time, a mass jump of 960 skydivers into the Bangkok International Airport included over 500 Thai divers.

"Since only two Thai skydivers were qualified to be on the World Team freefall formation team, this was a great way for us to share the air with the hundreds of skydiving enthusiasts from the host country and to honor the contributions of Thai people," he said. "It's very heartening to see these [Thai] divers," he said. "I believe our presence in their country gives them a feeling of pride."

The Royal Thai Air Force provides the pilots and this time around, five C-130 Hercules transport aircraft were used to transport the skydivers.

"I don't we could set another record without the Thai Air Force," Wright added.

WRIGHT, 47, was just 15 when he completed his first jump with the Silvertip Skydivers in Missoula.

"I was always intrigued by the sport," he said.

To date he's logged 2,600 jumps.

The recent jump in Thailand is the seventh world record Wright has participated in. The number of divers has steadily increased since the records began with 100 skydivers in 1986. From 100, it went to 120, then 200, 282, 300, 357, and now 400.

"I was on all the double-zero jumps. I'm one of eight people in the world who can say that," said Wright, whose day job is working as a mechanical engineer and consultant.

He describes die-hard skydivers like himself as "odd birds."

"It's rare to say this [skydiving] is going to be my sport of choice," he said. "But there's something very rewarding and exhilarating about flying your body."

Also an avid skier and kayaker, Wright enjoys the social aspect of skydiving and the camaraderie.

"I've been seeing the same faces forever," he said.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com