People: Jul. 21, 1986

Getting 100 people to hold hands for a few seconds hardly seems an overwhelming challenge; after all, Hands Across America assembled nearly 5 million for 15 min. But when they are free falling from three miles up, it is a world's record. Over the Fourth of July weekend Guy Manos and Tom Piras of Deland, Fla., headed a group of sky diving aficionados who gathered in Muskogee, Okla., to have a go at breaking their 1983 record of 72 parachutists in cluster formation. Even though 24 previous attempts had ended in failure, hopes were high as the sky divers boarded three specially equipped DC-3s. At 15,000 ft. they bailed out, took 61 sec. to set up the formation, then held it for 7.67 sec. Jumper Bill Campbell of Muskogee had only a limited view, but, he said, "I knew it had happened by watching the smiling faces in front of me."