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On Pearl Harbor Day, a team of elite skydivers raised a 3,200-square-foot American flag in free fall over Arizona, nearly doubling Libya’s recent record and setting a new world record with a certified jump now on track to enter the Guinness Book of World Records.
Libya set the previous record on October 5, 2025, over Benghazi by flying what was then the largest flag ever displayed in free fall.
After seeing the Libyan jump, retired U.S. Army Ranger Jariko Denman contacted entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to try to bring the record back to the United States.
Denman told Fox News Digital that he first saw the Libyan jump on social media and shared it with the caption: “Who’s ready to break this record?” who ultimately launched the project.
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Skydivers carried a 3,200-square-foot American flag in freefall after jumping from a Vietnam-era Huey during a record attempt in Arizona on Dec. 7, 2025. The certified jump was aimed at reclaiming Libya’s freefall flag record. (Credit: Forward Strategies)
The two assembled a team comprised of professionals from Skydive Arizona and Skydive Chicago, including Hall of Fame skydiver Rook Nelson. Veteran senators Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., Steve Curtis and Nick Kush also joined the effort.
The record attempt took place on December 7, 2025, in Eloy, Arizona, one of the nation’s premier skydiving centers.
He said the team chose the date based on calendar availability.
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Team members hold the fully open 3,200 square foot American flag to the ground. (Credit: Forward Strategies)
Jumping from a Vietnam-era Huey at about 10,000 feet above sea level, the team unfurled a 3,200-square-foot American flag, almost twice the size of the Libyan flag.
Denman said no one had ever attempted to fly a flag of this size before, creating “a lot of unknowns” and making the record jump “pretty scary.”
According to the team, the jump has been certified and will be submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records.
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Members of the skydiving team gathered for a group photo in Arizona during a world record free fall attempt on December 7, 2025. (Credit: Forward Strategies)
Only the most experienced members of the group handled the flag in free fall due to the technical requirements and risks involved.
Denman noted that the size and weight of the flag, 170 pounds, introduced “many external hazards to mitigate,” adding that the team had to account for risks never before encountered in a similar jump.
He also thanked the engineering team for making the attempt possible, saying, “It was my idea, but Steve Curtis did most of the work. And Sterling Becklin designed the whole system from scratch. I’m really proud of what the team achieved.”
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Denman, Isaacman and Sheehy participated in the jump but did not control the flag itself. A ground team supported the operation, and all personnel and equipment landed safely.
Sheehy said he views the effort as both a team accomplishment and a symbolic accomplishment.
“I was honored to be part of the incredible team of veterans, SEALs, Army Rangers and some of the world’s best paratroopers who brought back to the United States the world record for the largest flag ever parachuted from an airplane,” he said. “There is no doubt: This record belongs to American soil, and putting it alongside this great team of patriots is a fitting way to kick off next year’s celebration of 250 years of American Independence.”
