The new record is 85, set 12/05/2005 at Lake Wales, FL.

An you thought Naval Aviators® were the pre-eminent formation flyers…

Notes from the website on what was hanging there in the sky:

The 85 way was completed in 9 minutes and 46 seconds from the time Chris left the plane until the last legal grip was taken on Annie. We held it for 17 seconds.

Taking the height measurements from the canopies down the center line and heights of those individuals the formation was about 276′ tall give or take a foot or two. The formation was 175′ wide since there was about a foot between each person’s canopy.

According to the Sunday/Monday weigh ins (and Chris wearing 90 pounds) the people on the 85 way made it weigh 17,552 pounds

Get more info on this World Record here…

Here’s the preceeding work for an 81-way diamond:

I as sat watching the first two hours of Season 5 of the Fox series “24,” I thought there is one difference between that and reading the blogvel “Rythyms” by Capt Lex:

At least you know for sure when the next episode of 24 is coming on…

One doesn’t come with exceptionally loud (and appropriate) sound effects…

Other than that, both are action packed and worth every minute.

BTW, Rythyms XLII is posted!

Update: Thanks to an astute commenter at Little Green Footballs, there is a list of rules when operating in or near former Special Agent Jack Bauer…

Over at Plain as the Nose on Your Face, we have these truthful Bauerisms:

We feel it is high time that everyone learned a bit more about the man entrusted to safeguard our national security:

* When in Jack Bauer’s presence, Chuck Norris urinates sitting down.
* Jack Bauer can squeeze through spaces that would make a spider claustrophobic.
* Tired of the incessant whining and complaining, Jack Bauer found the dogs and let them right back in.
* Jack Bauer’s saliva is bullet-proof.
* After receiving repeated roundhouse kicks to the head from Chuck Norris, Jack Bauer was heard to ask,”Can you go a bit lower? I was crammed in an air conditioning duct between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. and my back is killing me.”
* Jack Bauer can eat five times his body weight in terrorists.
* Concerned that his dog would break under interrogation, Jack Bauer snapped his neck and turned him into the bag which he still carries to this day.
* Jack Bauer has the ability to smell sounds.
* Ancient peoples sacrificed virgins to Jack Bauer in anticipation of his birth.
* The only thing elephants used to fear was mice. Until they hurt one of Jack Bauer’s friends.

And…thanks once more to Little Green Footballs for the Open Threads, that are the cause of so much fun and information from all over the world!

This was published in the local paper on New Year’s Day, but not listed in the Pearls Before Swine cartoon archives.

Maybe it’s an analogy of what happens out here in the blogosphere sometimes…Thanks to Little Green Footballs for the Open Thread!Thanks to Mudville Gazette for the Open Post!