22 MARCH 2022 W hen I was a kid, one of my favorite Disney movies was Peter Pan . Fly anywhere you want with just some fairy dust? Sign me up! I had traveling to do. Even as an adult, if someone asked what superpower I’d wish for, I would answer, “flight.” I would hurry right into the air and head to London; but that’s a story for another time. Since actual flying is impossible, I decided to try the next best thing – indoor skydiving. You’re probably thinking, “Why didn’t she just head to Eloy and jump out of a plane?” Baby steps, my friends. iFLY is a vertical wind tunnel that recreates the freefall part of a skydive in an indoor, controlled environment. I headed to the Scottsdale location at The Pavilions at Talking Stick and filled out a waiver – safety first! Before flying, participants must attend a short educational class. We learned to keep our arms at eye level, legs straight out and bent slightly at the knees, and chin up – this helps keep you in the air and the center of the tunnel. Since it’s hard to talk or hear in the tunnel, instructors use hand signals to remind flyers of what to do. I needed constant reminding. It’s hard to concentrate in a tube filled with hundred- mile an hour wind! I was in a session with four others, and we each took turns flying for 60 seconds apiece. For regular flights, flyers go up around seven feet in the air. High-flights go up to about 20 feet. It. Was. Exhilarating! When the instructor motions for a turn, flyers lean into the wind with their hips and are guided to the middle of the tunnel. More experienced flyers can do tricks – like our instructor, Erick Arevalo. I choose the four-flight option – three regular and one high fly. I don’t have anything to compare to being 20 feet in the air and spinning 360 degrees. It was so fun! On my last turn, Erick showed me how to position my body so that I flew around in a fast circle. I probably looked silly, but I was laughing the whole time. At the end of the session, Erick showed us his skills: flying up the tunnel (almost 60 feet), upside down, twists and turns. He reminded me of someone. (Pan, is that you?) After my session, I spoke to General Manager Spencer Labunski to get the low down on iFLY, which has roughly 40 locations around the U.S. and 100 locations worldwide, including five Royal Caribbean Cruise ships. “Alan Metni, an engineer and avid skydiver, founded and started SkyVenture with the initial location opening in 1998 in Orlando. A few years after that, SkyVenture created the brand iFLY,” Labunski said. “Knowing the military had already invented this technology, Alan figured he could create a better version of a vertical wind tunnel that would allow a person to experience the thrill of freefall and excitement of body flight without needing to jump from 14,000 feet,” he continued. Labunski said that most kids fly at roughly 85 mph, and adults typically fly around 100 mph. iFLY has four 4,350 HP electric motors with 10-foot axial fans. These are what produce wind speeds of up to 170 mph. The fans are above the flight chamber, and the system is constantly recirculating, which allows for efficiency and to have the air climate controlled. The Scottsdale location’s wind tunnel is standard – 14 feet in diameter and around 56 feet tall. iFLY makes various sizes, including the largest vertical wind tunnel in the world located in Abu Dhabi – 32 feet in diameter and 110 feet tall. All of the instructors at iFLY are certified by their governing body: The International Bodyflight Association. To receive certification, the instructors have to go through a rigorous four-week training program that teaches them how to keep all guests safe and how to teach bodyflight with non-verbal communication. Labunski has been with iFLY Phoenix for almost three years. “I started at our Chicago location and since then, have traveled around the country opening new ones,” he said. “I helped open iFLY Phoenix in early 2017, left in late 2018 for the Portland location, and then returned to Scottsdale in late 2020.” He said there are three key differences between iFLY and outdoor skydiving: 1. You do not have beautiful views of the middle of the desert. 2. There is more adrenaline jumping out of an airplane at 14,000 feet. 3. There is no big sweaty dude attached to your back at iFLY. “For us, as the operator and instructor, the coolest moment is when it all clicks for the guest, and they can control themselves within the wind. Seeing that is extremely rewarding to us since we love to fly and teach people how to fly,” Labunski said. His advice for those flying for the first time: breathe and try to relax. “Flying is about finesse and small movements. If you can breathe and relax while flying, you will fly perfectly,” he said. Flights start at $69 for two (during the week) and $99 during peak times. They also offer packages for birthday parties, field trips and flight school programs for all ages. I didn’t make it to London, but I did get to fulfill my dream of flying, if only for a moment in time. iflyworld.com Mallory and instructor Erick. The wind tunnel and waiting area. Airfoil shaped turning vanes in each corner for maximum efficiency. Patented water cooled assemblies provide consistent air conditioning. Four fans at the top of the tunnel draw air through the flight chamber and then drive it through the return air towers. The inlet contractor narrows to compress and speed up the air before it re-enters the flight chamber. Things we tried BY MALLORY GLEICH NO CHUTE? NO PROBLEM!