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AAP
AAP
Politics
Savannah Meacham

Hundreds jump from the skies to set world record

Skydivers jump over Langhorne Creek in South Australia for World Skydiving Day. (HANDOUT/AUSTRALIAN PARACHUTE FEDERATION)

It's not a bird or a plane - it's hundreds of skydivers trying to set a new world record.

Thrillseekers across the globe have taken to the skies on Saturday intending to make the most jumps from a plane in a single day.

The World Skydiving Day event kicked off in New Zealand followed by Australia before other participating countries woke up.

There were 33 drop zones across Australia, with all states and territories taking part.

Australian Parachute Federation CEO Stephen Porter hoped at least 1500 jumps would be recorded on Saturday.

He was confident that worldwide - including the US, UK, Canada, South Africa and Europe - there would be the most jumps in a single day recorded in 2024.

"We have sky-high hopes that Australia will achieve a fantastic tally of jumps to contribute to the world record," he said.

It wasn't just pros seeking an adrenalin rush; some people jumped for the first time, such as Emily McKechnie on Queensland's Gold Coast.

"I just thought, 'Why not?' It's a bucket-list item. It looked a lot safer and more enjoyable than bungee jumping so a friend and I decided to do it," she said.

"It was terrifying but brilliant."

She said the experience was made even sweeter by knowing she was sharing it with thousands of others across the globe on World Skydiving Day.

"You're out of the plane, you're spinning, it's like being a snow globe without the snow then the parachute opens and it's like the world goes still," she said.

Professional skydivers such as Adelaide instructor Greg Smith said it was an opportunity for the community to come together to make history.

The Australian Parachute Federation will submit proof to their US counterparts, who will co-ordinate the world record verification process.

This means tallying the jumps from participating skydiving associations around the globe.

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