To do it they will need to travel nearly 12,000 kilometres to the southern California city of Perris.

The city's skies hosted Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in film The Bucket List, and soon the airspace will be ticked off the wish list of Port Macquarie's Melissa Harvie and Ian Robertson, Wauchope's Steve Cusato and Tony Maurer and Janelle Hinze from Comboyne.

The five are part of a contingent of 120 Australians who will attempt to set the new Australian Freefall Formation Skydiving Record.

Ms Harvie, Mr Maurer and 110 others set the current record in 2010.

Ms Harvie, who holds numerous world records, has been mentoring other skydivers leading up to the event.

One of those is Ms Hinze, who only started practicing the sport last year and now has 172 jumps under her belt.

"Participating in a record attempt is out of this world," she said.

"I definitely did not imagine getting to this standard.

"I've surprised myself."

The record has to be attempted in America because there aren't enough required aircraft in Australia.

The Hastings contingent will arrive in Perris on May 18 and, after several training camps, will attempt the jump between May 28 and May 31.

Veteran Ian Robertson has notched up more than 4300 jumps, but next month marks his first attempt at such a large Australian group record.

He said practice sessions over the last two years at Newcastle Sport Parachute Club's Elderslie Drop Zone in the Hunter Valley had been invaluable training.

"(The jump) is about everyone doing a perfect jump every time," he said.

"We've been working on everything from exiting the aircraft to linking up without coming in too fast or too hard."

His laughter at the suggestion he'll one day tire of setting extreme records sums up his group's bravery and boldness.

"When you get it, it's an achievement and you can move on and do something else," he said.

ben.cooper@fairfaxmedia.com.au