What Really Happens On An Indoor Skydiving Experience?

• Find out what to expect from an indoor skydiving experience, from the safety briefing to your first wind tunnel flight
• Learn how indoor skydiving works and how the wind tunnel recreates the sensation of free-fall without jumping from an aeroplane
• Explore the best iFLY indoor skydiving experiences for one, two or four people, plus a 360° virtual reality flying experience

Ever wondered what it is actually like to go skydiving without having to jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane? Indoor Skydiving gives you the chance to experience the sensation of free-fall inside a vertical wind tunnel, where powerful airflow lifts you into the air and lets you float, spin and dive. It sounds slightly bonkers, but once you are in there, it starts to make a lot of sense.

Best of all, you do not need any previous experience. The sessions are designed with beginners in mind, with a qualified instructor guiding you through what you need to know before you take to the tunnel. So, if your previous flying experience extends to jumping off the sofa, you are still in with a chance.

What Happens Before You Fly?

You will not simply turn up, put on a helmet and get launched into the air. There is a proper introduction first, where you will learn about the correct body position, hand signals and some important safety information.

Depending on the experience, this includes a video briefing and demonstrations from the instructors, as well as practising the basic body position you will need inside the tunnel. It is all designed to get you comfortable with the idea of body flying before the fans are switched on.

Then comes the kitting up. You will be given a flight suit, helmet and goggles, ready to head towards the flight chamber. You can leave your everyday clothes underneath, so there is no need to arrive looking like you have just joined the Air Force.

What Is It Like Inside The Wind Tunnel?

The flight takes place inside a vertical wind tunnel, with powerful fans creating a strong column of air from below. Once you step into the airflow, it lifts you off your feet and gives you that familiar freefall feeling without an aeroplane, parachute or several thousand feet of open sky.

Some of the experiences use airflow of up to 120 mph, which is rather more impressive than the average British breeze.

You will have an instructor with you inside the chamber throughout your flight. They will help you maintain the correct position, guide you through the experience and make sure you get the most from your time in the tunnel.

How Long Do You Spend Flying?

The actual flying time might sound short on paper, but once you are in the tunnel, 60 seconds feels considerably longer than it does when you are sitting on the sofa.

Several of the experiences include two 60 second flights, giving you time to get used to the airflow on your first go before having another chance to put what you have learned into practice. Across some experiences, this gives you the equivalent freefall time of around three tandem skydives.

There is more to your visit than just the flying, too. You should allow around an hour or more at the venue for checking in, the briefing, getting changed, watching other flyers and receiving your flight certificate.

Is It Really Like Skydiving?

It recreates the sensation of free-fall rather than being exactly the same as jumping from an aircraft. There is no aeroplane and no parachute deployment, but the vertical wind tunnel creates the floating sensation that makes skydiving so exciting.

It is also not just for people who have never flown before. Wind tunnels can be used by experienced skydivers to practise and improve their flying skills, while first timers get a controlled introduction to bodyflight.

That makes it a pretty versatile experience. You can turn up knowing absolutely nothing about bodyflight, learn the basics from your instructor and still have a brilliant time.

Who Can Try It?

One of the appealing things about indoor skydiving is that you do not have to be a seasoned adrenaline seeker to give it a go. Some experiences are available from just three years old, although age, height and weight restrictions can vary depending on the individual experience.

That means there are options for solo flyers, couples, friends and families. If you want to make a day of it with a group, there are experiences designed specifically around sharing the tunnel with other people.

For example, the iFLY Indoor Skydiving Experience For One is a straightforward way to give it a go yourself, with two 60 second flights and tuition from a qualified instructor. It is ideal if you want to concentrate on learning the basics without worrying about anyone else.

If you would rather have some company, the iFLY Indoor Skydiving Experience For Two gives two people two 60 second flights each. You can both go through the briefing together, take turns in the tunnel and see who manages to look the most natural while being blasted upwards by a giant fan.

For families, the iFLY Family Indoor Skydiving Experience for Four takes things up another notch, with eight flights shared between four people. Everyone can take part in the same session, making it a good way to turn the experience into something you can enjoy together rather than simply watching from the sidelines.

What If You Want Something A Little Different?

The standard wind tunnel experience is exciting enough, but there is also the option to add another dimension to your flight.

The iFLY 360° Virtual Reality Experience combines real wind tunnel flying with 360 degree virtual reality. After getting used to the airflow with standard flights, you put on a VR headset while flying, with the footage synchronising with your movements.

Instead of simply seeing the inside of the tunnel, you can experience the sensation of flying through different virtual environments, including sunny coastlines and British countryside. It gives the feeling of taking the freefall experience somewhere completely different, while you are still safely inside the tunnel.

What Should You Wear?

There is no need to turn up looking like an astronaut. You will be provided with a flight suit, helmet and goggles, which you wear over your normal clothes.

Casual clothing is recommended, with trousers and a shirt or T-shirt, while lace-up trainers or skate shoes are suitable for flying. Secure lockers are also available for your belongings.

If you wear glasses, goggles can be provided that fit over them, so there is no need to spend the whole flight squinting at your instructor.

So, What Can You Expect From The Experience?

Ultimately, an indoor skydiving session is a lot more straightforward than it might first sound. You arrive, get briefed by an instructor, put on the necessary gear and learn how to position your body in the airflow. Then you step into the tunnel and suddenly discover that falling upwards is apparently a thing.

You do not need previous experience, you are guided throughout the flight and there are different ways to enjoy it depending on who you are bringing along. Whether you fancy trying it solo, sharing it with someone else, taking the family or adding a VR twist, there is an option to suit the sort of day you have in mind.

And that is probably the best thing about it. You get the sensation of free-fall without having to climb into an aeroplane first, making it a fun introduction to skydiving and bodyflight for complete beginners and something a little different for anyone who has already tried it.