LAKE WALES, Fla. – Skydivers from four countries will gather in Lake Wales next week to attempt to break a world record that organizers say has stood for 40 years.
The group of 26 skydivers will attempt to build the world’s largest vertical stack canopy formation at Jump Florida, with record attempts scheduled for November 11–13, 2026. A preparation day is planned for November 10.
According to organizers, the existing record of 24 skydivers was established by the British Royal Marines in 1986.
The formation involves skydivers leaving an aircraft one after another and connecting beneath their open parachutes to create a vertical stack, forming a human chain in the sky.
Participants will travel from the United States, Canada, Argentina and Australia. Building the formation requires careful planning that accounts for parachute size, the weight each canopy carries, equipment age and other factors.
The attempts begin on Veterans Day, and the group includes eight active-duty U.S. military members and veterans representing the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force, according to information provided by event publicist Megan Custodio.
Among them are an active-duty member of the U.S. Army’s Golden Knights parachute team and Florida resident Jorge Chacon, a Marine Corps veteran.
Organizers plan four or five attempts each day. Participants are scheduled to begin their day at 6 a.m., with the first record attempts expected between 6:15 and 6:45 a.m. Additional attempts are planned throughout the morning.
Spectators are encouraged to watch once Jump Florida’s drop zone opens to the public at 7 a.m. each day.
Jump Florida also plans to continue its regular operations during the event.
