Air Force Academy cadets form up while attempting to break the largest formation collegiate record with a 46-person formation March 31, 2012, in Gila Bend, Ariz. The cadets broke their own record of a 41-person formation they set March 2008. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo)
Air Force Academy cadets form up while attempting to break the largest formation collegiate record with a 46-person formation March 31, 2012, in Gila Bend, Ariz. The cadets broke their own record of a 41-person formation they set March 2008. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo)
4/4/2012 - U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFNS) -- The Air Force Wings of Blue Parachute Demonstration Team broke the collegiate record for largest formation March 31 in Gila Bend, Ariz.
Forty-six cadets jumped from 16,500 feet and took 52 seconds to build the formation. They held the formation for 10 seconds before breaking off at 6,500 feet.
The team actually broke their own record of a 41-person formation that they set in March 2008.
The plan was to set a 48-person record, but with poor weather cutting the number of attempts from a planned 10 jumps to five, they had to cut two cadets from the jump to have a better chance of completing it. The team made three attempts on the first day and eventually completed the attempt on the second jump of the second day.
Overall, more than 75 people were involved in the jump including six pilots, three videographers and three maintainers. There were nine sophomores, 22 juniors and 15 seniors in the formation.
The oldest cadet was 25-year-old Cadet 1st Class Shawn Johnson, who completed his 901st jump during the attempt. The youngest was 19-year-old Cadet 3rd Class David Moore, who completed his 149th jump.
(Courtesy of the Air Force Academy Public Affairs)
Comments
4/9/2012 9:33:38 PM ET @Gameshow thanks for your valuable contribution to this discussion. I reviewed my previous posts and I didn't see one insult of academy grads. It is true that I didn't graduate from the AFA. I also have not served in the Senate as President or as a Supreme Court Justice but as a citizen that pays taxes I am entitled to an opinion. Some great officers come from the AFA. But some great officers come from AFROTC at an average of a quarter of the price. Wait I'm not an AFROTC grad so I can't have an opinion about them either.
Paul, Hanscom
4/9/2012 4:39:25 AM ET Dear PaulFormer cadet here and current a reservist having also been ROTC Army. I am always impressed by experts slamming the development of exceptional citizens who would rather dedicate themselves to their dreams than drink away brain cells at Civ U. Here's a thought for you be proud of people for doing something you couldn't survive instead of flaming something you don't understand.
Gameshow, KS
4/7/2012 1:40:18 AM ET Paul thanks for the correction. I didn't take the time to look up the numbers but I did think AFA commissioned the most. Dane I left AFA after my sophomore year and received a bill to the tune of 75000 from DAF.
Load, Vegas
4/5/2012 12:00:17 PM ET @Load now I get to do some correcting too. The Academy is not our largest source of commissioning. AFROTC commissions approximately 2000 Lts a year. The AFA commissions approximately 1000. OTS including BOT and COT can add anywhere from a few hundred to a couple thousand depending on need for a particular year. These percentages are similar in the other branches also. If the AFA was eliminated AFROTC could easily swallow up the additional personnel at their 144ish detachments. The Academy also has no flexibility to deal with manning shortfalls and overages.
Paul, Hanscom
4/5/2012 10:22:11 AM ET I stand corrected about my comment regarding the extra benefit at retirement because of the years at the USAFA. I got bad information. Even without those long-term costs it still doesn't make fiscal sense to keep the academies.
Paul, Hanscom
4/5/2012 7:55:29 AM ET Please tell me that we are not adding to our national debt for a photo op. Didn't the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff say that the biggest danger to our national security is our national debt. The Air Force is cancelling major weapon systems and laying people off. How can we possibly justify this activity
Brian, East Hartford CT
4/4/2012 4:51:11 PM ET Actually Artic Warrior we aren't issued new flight suits as cadets. They are issued freshman year and must be returned or paid for by graduation week. We do not get to keep them and they certainly aren't new.
Lt, LA
4/4/2012 2:55:46 PM ET Paul are wrong about the 4 years comment. But you are right on about the price that it costs for the cadets and all the support that it takes to put them thru the Academy. The entire goverment should look at the costbenefits of the services academies. There's no way to keep justifying keep the academies running with all the other cuts to enlisted pay and benefits. We need to focus on saving money and another thing is that a cadet can leave the AF academy after their sophomore year and they don't have to pay any money back to the Air Force basically they get 2 years free if they do that. To bad the leadership will never change the process.
Dane, Colorado
4/4/2012 2:10:05 PM ET Here's another way to save some money. Stop issuing flight suits to cadets and Space Operators.
Arctic Warrior, Colorado Springs
4/4/2012 1:42:37 PM ET 901 jumps - lots of jet fuel
BS, KS
4/4/2012 1:21:46 PM ET Paul you are not correct in stating that the four years at the Academy boosts retirement pay.
Maj, SWA
4/4/2012 12:18:59 PM ET Paul of Hanscom - You may wish to know that your closing statement is not correct. There are no additional long-term costs associated with the 4 years a cadet spends at the AF Academy. It does not count towards time in service for retirement nor does not go into the calculation of retirment pay. The only place that particular 4 years is credited to the member is via an extra oak leaf cluster on the AF Longevity Ribbon.
Mark, Andrews
4/4/2012 12:15:51 PM ET Paul 4 years at the zoo doesn't boost any service members retirement. Retirement is based on average last 36 months retirement. Having talked to several retirees from the academy none of them got any extra years or pay for the 4 years. The only thing they get besides a really good education is a longevity service ribbon for the 4 years. I think the academies should stay they are our primary source for commissions and are money well spend-even if I didn't graduate from there.
Load, Vegas
4/4/2012 11:57:23 AM ET Actually Academy time doesn't count to retirement at all. I wish it did.
reid, TYNDALL
4/4/2012 10:39:15 AM ET People talk about all the ways we need to cut spending. Here is a great idea. Let's get the DOD out of the college business. There are estimates that it costs over 400k for every Lt commissioned through the Academy. It costs an average of less than 100k to get a Lt through AFROTC. Not to mention all the active military that could be freed up that are at the Academy working with the sports teams as instructors and professors. Our budget wouldnt be spent on athletics or other college activities. And when an Academy grad hits retirement their four years at the academy boosts their retirement pay which adds a lot of long term costs.
