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2015 Take flight with new attraction With summer time vacations just around the corner and the economy the way it is it may not be in everyone’s plans to travel this summer. For those who will be “hanging around the house” there's a new attraction not too far from home that can be experienced with only a short drive. Aerodium St. Louis, pronounced “air-oh-dee-um”, is located at the Chesterfield Athletic Complex off the north outer road in Chesterfield. Owner Jason Siegel said they have three instructors. Two of them are from Latvia and the other is from Argentina. They are world class flyers and they have been doing this for a long time. “Everyone signs waivers and the instructors will go through instructions with the participants because they can’t talk in the wind tunnel ... it’s too noisy,” said Siegel. “They tell them how to position their bodies and what body movement will do to them while flying. They will go over hand signals to help correct their body position while in flight. There are four different hand signals and if they are doing well they won’t give any. The important thing is to just relax and that will make it a comfortable flight. Once they get the instructions done, they will gear them up with a flight suit, goggles and a helmet.” Daily Journal employee Tory Gray suited up to experience the Aerodium recently. She said at first she was a little nervous about the whole thing. “It ended up being really fun, even though at first I thought I wouldn’t end up doing it,” said Gray. “I don’t like roller coasters or anything with heights, but it wasn’t that bad. I haven’t ever done anything like that before because I was too afraid. It really felt like I was floating, but with a little more pressure. I was only in there for a couple minutes, but being in there it felt so much longer, at least 10 minutes or more.” Gray added that she felt the turbine blowing her up and that if the instructor would have taken his hand off her back she surely would have kept going up and away. “After doing it, I really want to go and do it again,” said Gray. “I’m going to take my sisters because I think they would really enjoy it. The instructor said that any age can do it and that his 3 year old son has done it, so I think my sisters will really like it.” Siegel said that customers go in for two minutes apiece. They will go in for the first minute to experience it, be brought back out and then go back in for another minute. “That first minute gives customers time to absorb it. It’s a sensory overload,” said Siegel. “During that second minute they can actually concentrate on what they are doing and that is when the instructor likes to take them up ... high fly with them, spin
Renee Bronaugh, Daily Journal
When beginners fly in the Aerodium they are accompanied by an instructor through the whole experience. Tory Gray, of Park Hills, was able to fly for the first time in the new attraction during a recent visit. Find videos and a photo gallery at www.dailyjournalonline.com.
Top left: An instructor goes over the flight rules. Bottom left: The Aerodium is 26 feet tall and 43 feet wide and it is reportedly the most advanced open tunnel available in the world. It's an attraction the whole family can enjoy and is set up at the Chesterfield Athletic Complex. Center: The ascent. Top right: Preparing for takeoff. Bottom right: Liftoff is achieved. them around and bring them up and down. It is very similar to skydiving.” Siegel added that most of them actually skydive, so they use it as a training tool because it is more affordable than actually jumping out of a plane. “Not only that, but you can really hone your skills up there, when skydiving you don’t have a point of reference to know if you’re going to the side or if you’re going front and back,” said Siegel. “In here if you make any movement you’re going to know what movement you made, so
skydivers use this quite a bit as a training tool.” This specific Aerodium will be in place until Aug. 2 and then they will have another unit coming in September. The current unit travels the world and will be heading to Korea next. Siegel said the plan is to build a permanent facility in the same location and it will be about a yearand-a-half project. The company will have a portable unit there through the winter and the summer until they get the permanent complex built. “When the new complex is
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built it will be year round and have a 14 foot tunnel, which is exhibition level, so we can actually have pro flyers,” said Siegel. “We can do shows in it. It will be 40 feet tall and glass, so we will be able to take customers 40 feet in the air in a solid glass enclosure.” Some fun facts about the Aerodium are that the wind speeds reach 127 miles per hour, which is the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane; the unit in Chesterfield features a custom-made electric motor; the overall dimensions of the unit are 26 feet tall and 43 feet
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wide; and it is the most advanced open tunnel available in the world. The cost to experience the unit in place now is $40 per person Monday through Thursday, or $45 per person Friday through Sunday. They also offer corporate rentals and family packages. It can also be rented for a half hour or an entire day. Walk ups are welcome or flight times can be reserved online. For more information or to book a reservation visit aerodium-stlouis.us.
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