Skydivers set new formation record
Thalefang Charles | Wednesday October 7, 2015 14:50
The sports skydivers from around the world successfully performed the first ever 18-Way formation in Botswana’s sky on the first day of the event.
An 18-way formation is when 18 skydivers jump from an aircraft and hold on to each other in a predefined formation or shape for some seconds during the free-fall before they open their parachutes.
“On Friday we achieved the 18-way, which was the first ever achievement in Botswana. The following day on Saturday there was an 16-way formation that was witnessed by the President of Botswana, Ian Khama together with the Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, Thapelo Olopeng and the Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Tshekedi Khama,” said Garai Makaya of Parachute Association of Botswana.
The event brought together 68 professional skydivers from five different countries including Botswana, South Africa, United Kingdom, Dubai and Germany.
The divers included celebrity divers, among them internationally acclaimed Sports Emmy Award-winning pioneering skydiver, Olav Zipser. Zipser (49), affectionately called ‘Father of Freefly’ is the founder of the scientific research mission called the FreeFly Astronaut Project. He has recorded over 23,000 skydives this year.
At Makgadikgadi Epic, Zipser was one of the sports stuntmen who performed epic stunts like proximity flying close to tents, wing suit skills jumps and flying flags and smokes.
The event also achieved over 65 tandem sky jumps. Four aircrafts, namely the Botswana Defence Force CASA-235, PAC-750, Atlas Angel and Cessena-206 were used at the event.
Makgadikgadi Epic Skydiving Boogie was organised by the Parachute Association of Botswana in partnership with the Botswana Tourism Organisation.