 On December 15, 1985 (age 88), Smitty made his 216th parachute jump at Perris Valley, California, extending a record that he had set two years before, when claiming the title "World's Oldest Sky Diver".The jump also set a world record for the oldest father-son skydiving team, with Smitty's son, Wichita businessman Jerry Smith (age 54 / 56), who had only jumped for the first time the day before.Also at Perris Valley, with Don Balch (Perris Valley Sky Diving Society), Smitty made a tandem jump from 13,000 feet, and during their 8,000-foot free-fall, Smitty and Balch, with seven other skydivers from the Coors World Champion Sky Diving Team, joined arms to form an eight-sided, falling star formation, before breaking apart, opening their parachutes, and landing on target.