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Another Planet
Another Planet are the UK's premier 16-way formation skydiving
team in which Phil was a member of this team for 5 years.
Since it was recently recognised by the IPC as an official
event, the worldwide standard of 16-way has improved beyond
all expectations.
With some of the UK's best formation skydivers on the team,
it is no surprise that 'the planeteers' can 'cut the mustard'
but our recent performance has overcome all expectations.
Already undefeated in the UK, Another Planet set out to
take on the best in Europe.
1998 saw the planeteers putting in their best performances
to date. At the European Cup in La Ferte Gaucher, France,
Another Planet locked horns with twelve other teams from
France, Germany, and Belgium for ten rounds of competition
over three days from four aircraft. By round five, the competition
was as hot as a heat wave in hell. The German team, Fantastic
16 jumped first setting a new German record and equalling
the World record set by the Australians earlier that year
of 9 points in time. The planeteers had to come up with
something special to stay in the running. We did. Our previous
best had been 8 points, a blistering performance gave us
13 points, 12 of which were in time. We had not only smahed
our own personal best but also the World record in the process!
Later on in the year we entered the World Cup. Against the
best in the business we managed an awesome Bronze medal.
Brit Chicks 2004
Lesley Gale and Kate Stephens organised a successful attempt at
the ladies British Large formation record. Elaine Curtis was a participant
in this new british record. A 60 way formation was completed.
Photo: Nick Davidson |
A heart shaped formation by the Brit Chicks during break-off.
Photo: Andy Ford |
World Record sequential skydives 2003 & 2004
Renowned american organiser Guy Wright built back-to-back
world sequential skydiving records in which Phil took part.
Photo: Tony Hathaway
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The World Team
Brainchild of renowned US skydiver B.J. Worth, the world
team brought together some of the World's best skydivers.
Their aim was to build the largest formation of falling
humanity the world had ever seen. Phil had the pleasure
of partaking within this team.
World Team '94
For ten days in the summer of 1994 the world team gathered
in Bratislava, Slovakia. Jumping from high altitude using
AN-6 and AN-12 aircraft provided by the Slovak military,
they built the largest formation ever seen -216 skydivers.
World Team '96
The World Team came together again in September 1996 in Anapa, Russia.
B.J. had envisaged a three hundred-way formation, -the logistics
of which had previously been thought impossible.
Photo: Henny Wiggers |
On 27 September 1996 with the beautiful Black Sea as a backdrop, the
World Team skydivers left the four gigantic Russian MI-26 helicopters
at 21,000ft. By the time the ground loomed close and the formation
broke up, a new Guinness world record formation of 297 people had
been made. Although the 300-way formation did not build, the attempt
had given skydiving more media coverage than ever before.
For more information on the World Team visit their web
site at http://www.theworldteam.com/
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