IFLY Manchester : Indoor Skydiving
I like to try new things, I have a list of experiences that I want to do and every day I keep adding to it. I am bored of being safe I want to push my comfort zone, obviously I don’t want to do anything dangerous but I do want to try things and to feel proud that I did it and I am looking for the wow factor.
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I have dreamt of doing a parachute jump for years, right back to the days when I was at school. When I started working and had the getting to know you sessions where you have to tell an interesting fact about yourself I used to always say my dream was to jump through a cloud. In my head I wanted it to be fluffy and soft but I knew in reality this would not be the case, that it would just be wet.
I don’t know if I am brave enough to do a parachute jump as yet but when I saw indoor skydiving I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to see if I was going to like it because let’s face it once you jump out of a plane there’s no going back.
I regularly visit Manchester, this is where I grew up so I have friends and family there I was really excited to try IFly Manchester, there is also one in Basginstoke and Milton Keynes.
I booked me and my friend in the day before we were due to fly out on our holiday to Egypt. I have to admit that even though I was excited I was a little nervous to what I had actually signed up for.
The moment we entered the door we were greeted by reception staff they were very friendly I was put at ease.
My friend made me laugh we had a eyelashes done for our holiday she asked if they will be blown off it wasn’t until she had even asked this question that I thought about it but we were in reality going into a wind tunnel. I guess it’s not something that they are asked that often but we were reassured by our instructor that the goggles would protect our eyes.
However we decided on the full face mask just to be sure. This is available at a extra cost. So because we had the full face masks on I am not sure if the wind actually takes your breath away.
When you book you are given a time slot and you need to arrive 1 hour before for the safety briefing and to sign the relevant forms. There is a waiting area, toilets and a café.
First we watched a couple of kids having a go they were really good and apparently they come often, I didn’t even think that this could become a hobby but there are clubs where people learn more advance moves.
I wish I hadn’t looked down at the wind tunnel though it reminded me of a giant cheese grater and my nerves started rising.
Before our turn we were taken to watch a safety video and ask any questions we had. There are a number of hand signals the instructor may use as it is noisy in the chamber ( I don’t know what else to call, it hope that doesn’t make it sound too scary as it really isn’t)
We then got to put on our overalls and facemask. They are not the most flattering overalls but you could go for a superman themed overall if you want to look extra special. You need to wear tie up shoes which I didn’t even think about before the visit good job I had on trainers.
You can’t take your phone into the wind tunnel for obvious reasons but they do take photos and a video which you can purchase and I would recommend so you have a lasting memory.
Our instructor explained how it all worked and again put us at ease, he made us feel comfortable and I felt safe with him. He comes into the chamber with you and sort of guides you around, basically he is stopping you from banging into the Perspex clear walls as I did keep flying towards them.
It is a really weird experience when you go into the wind chamber you need to sort a flop yourself on your belly to get yourself in the horizontal position I thought that it was going to be really hard but it wasn’t.
It was so much fun. It is a lot harder than I thought and it was a little uncomfortable as it is putting pressure on your body to keep you upright but once I got used to it I was fine. I have mobility issues and had no problem doing it, as I said you have the instructor in with you at all times so you are not going to hurt yourself. Anyone over the age of 3 can give it a go and it is OK for most people however there are a few limitations :
- Under 18 stone (114kg) in weight
- 3 years of age or above (flyers should be able to comfortably wear our flight equipment)
- NOT pregnant
- NOT previously dislocated a shoulder
- NOT under the influence of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs
We were in a 14 ft wind tunnel and apart from the standard flying there is also a virtual reality package where it combines the indoor skydive experience with a simulated real life sky dive from a plane this is something I would love to try next.
We also got to try the high flight which took us up to the top of the wind tunnel. I didn’t want to do it as I was a little scared but my friend did it first and said I had to give it a go so I did and it was fun. (This is available at a extra charge)
It is a brilliant experience and a great idea for a gift to someone who want to try something different. I am ready to go to the next level and do a parachute jump who wants to join me!!
Prices do vary on location, time and date so check the website for current prices and special offers. I definitely think it is worth every penny.
Then the instructor showed us how it was done and I was blown away, maybe if I go a few more times I will be able to do this.
I was invited to try IFLY Manchester, receiving a complimentary ticket has not influenced my review in any way and all opinions are my own. Thank you to IFLYWORLD for this opportunity and also the photos. If you would like to find out more information about indoor skydiving or see if there is a attraction near you then check out this website.
