Your feet are at the edge, knowing there’s a long wait until the ground.
You’re told not to look down, but to keep your chin up and your arms in
front.
… And you’re off.
For some, the adrenaline – heck, the anxiety! – is too intense to jump from
an airplane. However, thanks to iFly, located in Ashburn and Gaithersburg,
you can have that same experience but from a wind tunnel!
The premise arose from skydivers who wanted to refine their craft in a
controlled environment. There’s no need for a parachute here, and the
tunnels keep the divers in suspense to emulate free-falling.
Everybody starts by calling in or registering online for a certain time and
the kind of flight experience he or she wants. The instructors then
introduce themselves, asking the flyers to empty their pockets and put on
the flight suits and goggles. They hold small class instruction with a
video to demonstrate how to fly safely. Then, everyone’s off for two flight
sessions that last about two minutes each. (For comparison, an average time
a skydiver spends in free-fall is 45 seconds.)
The instructor also evaluates the flyers’ skills and will hand them
certificates to show what they accomplished successfully and safely during
their experience.
The key word is “safe.” Many who attend think that they will immediately
fly independently, doing tricks in the air and going upside down. The
instructor, however, will guide the first-time flyer along the way and
partially hold on to him or her, though nobody feels the contact when in
the air.
Chris Navarez, a flight instructor for iFly, has been a professional
skydiver for four years. He says his favorite customer interactions are
with those who are “stoked” to fly, to make their day better.
“If you practice sports like baseball, this is where you become really good
at skydiving,” Navarez says. “In here, you have endless amounts of time to
keep working on the same body position, and you have other people who can
help you fly in the right position.”
Sales manager Matt Owens says iFly engages with the community to encourage
people to try out this unique experience. Owens attends community events,
talking to scout leaders for example, and disseminates marketing materials
to spread awareness about its ease and accessibility.
He also notes how the facility preserves energy, such as the energy for the
wind tunnels also keeps the building cool during hot months.
“Doing as much as we can to keep our carbon footprint to a minimum,” Owens
says they participate in energy saving days during those peak periods,
“making sure that every minute our tunnel is in operation is accounted
for.”
Owens repeats that anybody can fly. iFly has hosted an all-abilities night
where, for example, children with any disability can fly with the help of
an extra instructor. All one has to do is notify them about their child so
they can accommodate ahead of time.
Navarez referred to one flyer, an 11-year-old named Parker. He has been
trained from the ground up, and professional coaches come from all over the
country to develop him. Since he cannot legally skydive, he comes to iFly
to practice and develop routines similar to figure skaters.
iFly encourages retention so returning flyers can further develop their
skills. Sales manager Owens says the aim is to get returning flyers to
continue learning how to maneuver their body in mid-air.
“We really take pride in what we do here,” Owens says. “We meet some of the
most passionate ever, who are as excited about the sport of skydiving as we
are.”
