A 103-year-old man from central Texas has qualified for the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest tandem skydiver. Al Blaschke took the 14,00

103-year-old man to set a world record as an oldest tandem skydiver

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2020-07-04 18:32:24

A 103-year-old man from central Texas has qualified for the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest tandem skydiver.

Al Blaschke took the 14,000-foot plunge to celebrate his two grandsons graduating from college, KVUE reported. Blaschke first jumped in 2017 to celebrate his 100th birthday, but that same year Verdun Hayes, a D-Day veteran, set the record at the age of 101.

"I'm excited to see my grandsons up there – that's what I'm excited about," Blaschke told the reporters. "That's my dream. I never thought I'd be around this long."

The retired craftsman, who lives in Georgetown, survived the Spanish Flu, the Depression, World War II and now coronavirus. But he said he isn't jumping out of planes just for a thrill.

For his grandsons, it was their first jump, but they were glad to celebrate their graduations that way – Jason, from Texas A&M and Kevin from the University of Texas.