iFLY has more than 80 locations across the United States, Canada and abroad. Texas has several: Austin, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Dallas, Houston and The Woodlands. It began in 1998 in Orlando, Florida.
One of the 10 million people who have experienced this indoor skydiving experience is Sharon, visiting Austin from Michigan. SunNewsAustin went along to take pictures and get her first-hand experience. Her skydiving instructor was Stephen.
“I got out of the military,” said Stephen, “and just needed something to do, so I thought I’d get my skydiving license and I fell in love with it. I didn’t sky-dive in the Navy, I was in search & rescue.” Since working for iFLY in the last few months, he has logged 50 hours in the tunnel.
As the description on the wall in the tunnel room states, “We invented the recirculating wind tunnel for bodyflight. Four fans located in the optimal position for flow quality drive the air around a simple and efficient loop. The airflow is narrowed below the flying chamber to speed and smooth the flow for maximum enjoyment.”
Lengthy instruction is not needed to fly. Prospective flyers must watch a brief orientation video at home, before arriving at the location. Upon arrival, it’s time to learn a few basic hand signals from the instructor, as voice communication is not possible in the tunnel. Then it’s time to suit up and don some gloves.
There are different levels of experience, depending on how daring you want to be. Sharon had an initial one minute in the tunnel, floating on air just 2-3 feet above the flooring. One her second one-minute flight, Stephen took her up higher into the 48-foot-high tunnel, which can generate wind speeds of 171 mph (typical cruising speed for some Corvette drivers!).
“At 77 years old, I cannot honestly say this was not at the top of my bucket list,” said Sharon. “But Stephen could not have been more patient and reassuring. Each step in suiting up had a calming effect. He explained every detail, and I listened as any good student should. He assured me I could pull this off. Of course I did: I could not fail! I felt very comfortable in a very out of my comfort zone.”
Friends or family are welcome to take photos or video while watching the experience from outside the tunnel, and professional shots are also available for purchase on the website after your experience. A wide selection of iFLY T-shirts are also for sale in the lobby, including one specifically for this Austin location.
Certainly a great Christmas gift for someone who has everything, or the thrill-seekers in your circle. Fly high!
iFLY in Austin is open Tues thru Sunday each week. It is located at 13265 North US 183. To book a flight, visit the website:
www.iflyworld.com/austin/