A 'star' formation of 18 skydivers in free-fall. The skydivers jump from aircraft at an altitude of around 12,500 ft, giving some 50 seconds of free- fall time in which to gather together in such formations. The skydivers are falling at the terminal velocity, approximately 125 miles per hour. The world record for formation skydiving is a star of 144 parachutists, held for 9 seconds over Illinois , USA, in 1988.