Cool Tech

WIND BENEATH MY WINGS

Experience the thrill of flying on a column of high-speed air

Imagine the adrenalin rush of freefall, riding mad pumping winds and soaring like a bird.

Now you can experience the sensations of a 4km drop without even getting onto a plane at iFLY Indoor Skydiving.

The state-of the-art facilities offer a safe controlled environment in which people of all ages can indulge in their flying fantasies. The indoor flight centres are located in major metropolitan cities, including Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Sydney.

The gravity-defying experience is made possible by the use of iFLY’s patented high-efficiency fans, with four of the 450hp units generating winds of up to 190km/h.

The winds are directed down the sides of a giant wind tunnel under the building, then back up into the flight chamber. The wind tunnel in Melbourne measures 4.26m in diameter.

The vertical upward forces of the winds allow flyers to float in midair, replicating the physics of body flight experienced during freefall. Flights last up to two minutes, and although that may seem short it’s actually longer than a tandem jump out of a plane.

Flyers can be as young as three years old, although those 17 and below will need a parent or guardian to sign their waiver. And apparently, you’re never too old to fly. People over 100 have flown with iFLY! To prevent dangerous wind speeds, though, participants must weigh less than 136kg. Pregnant women are also discouraged from flying.

Instructors are on deck to guide beginners on their maiden flights during a group orientation session. The entire iFLY experience will last over an hour, including the brief orientation with coaching from a trained flight instructor, and time in the air.

Beginners will first learn to maintain a stable body flying position with the help of an instructor, before progressing to forward and backward movements, then side to side, and up and down.

Small changes in body shape or even just tilting your head back a fraction can make a big difference to aerodynamic resistance and the way you move through the air, so it takes a while to get the hang of it. And although it might look like you are just floating in space, it does require physical effort to hold your form.

Advanced tricks such as rolls, spins and flips come with more flight experience. ■