AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (KOAA) — 104 skydivers from 20 countries linked up midair in Lake Wales, Florida, breaking a record that had stood for nearly two decades.
Among them was Air Force CPT Charlene Sufficool. She is a UV-18B Twin Otter pilot and a jump instructor at the United States Air Force Academy.
Sufficool admits something that might surprise people watching her jump out of planes, she’s afraid of heights.
“I don’t like rock climbing with ropes,” said Sufficool.
Instead of avoiding that fear, she chose to confront it.
"That doesn’t mean I will always be afraid of it,” said Sufficool.
That mindset carried her through months of preparation, leading up to the record attempt in November. The formation required skydivers to build a massive diamond shape in layers, adding more jumpers with each successful attempt.
“They’re going to start building a diamond top to bottom,” said Sufficool. “They’ll go from nine to 16, 25, 36, adding a new layer of jumpers each time.”
While it may sound simple, Sufficool says it’s anything but.
“The first time I docked on it, I was looking at it from the side, and it was tilted,” she said.
Now, after setting a world record, Sufficool says her next mission goes beyond skydiving. She hopes her story encourages others, especially those interested in aviation, to push past fear and take chances.
“It’s my hope that seeing someone like me face their fear will encourage others to get out there and join the aviation community,” she said.
Her message is simple, don’t wait.
“There’s no better time to try something that scares you than now,” said Sufficool.
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Swire, Coca-Cola announces $475 million manufacturing plant for Colorado Springs
The Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC announcing a major new project during a special event at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum Wednesday.
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