Oak Ridge North is now home to the Houston area’s second indoor skydiving facility, iFly Indoor Skydiving.
The facility gives the daring the opportunity to experience skydiving in an indoor wind tunnel rather than having to jump out of an airplane. iFly creates free fall conditions in which participants float in a 60-foot vertical glass wind tunnel.
The wind tunnel is 14 feet in diameter and generates a wall-to-wall cushion of air, iFly lead instructor Nick Riedl said.
Riedl said anyone is able to fly in the glass wind tunnel and no experience with skydiving is necessary. In addition to accepting individual flyers, the facility also hosts birthday parties, education field trips, corporate events and team-building events. Professional skydivers also make use of the wind tunnel for practice.
Flight packages for first-time flyers range from $69.95-$249.95. Flight packages for return-flyers range from $54.95-$229.95.
“Our motto is that anyone can fly, from ages 3 to 103,” Riedl said. “The most important thing is to just have fun and relax.”
“Our motto is that anyone can fly, from ages 3 to 103."
–Nick Riedl, iFly lead instructor
Riedl said all customers must go through training before they are able to go in the wind tunnel.
The training consists of participants watching a flight video to learn to identify hand signals the flight instructors use to communicate with them while they are inside the chamber.
Hand signals alert flyers on certain tips, such as whether they should bend or straighten their legs, lift their chin up or simply just to relax.
Flyers can then receive their flight suit, goggles, helmet and ear plugs. After suiting up, the anti-chamber is opened, where participants wait for their turn outside the wind tunnel. They then enter the wind tunnel with a flight instructor and float for 60 seconds. Each flyer gets two flights in the wind tunnel with the help of the instructor, Riedl said.
“This is mostly about just being relaxed and floating on a cushion of air,” he said. “We just want to see people having a good time.”
