New Age Spark

Today starts the 30 day expedition! Today brings several emotions: excitement to start this journey, nervousness for today’s activity, and soreness from getting drinks last night for the first time since the pandemic started.

When planning this month, there were 2 activities that I wanted on specific days. Today is one of those days. (The second is the 30th.)

I booked a 7 pm flight in Westchester for my brother and myself. We arrived 15 minutes early, per iFly’s request, to fill out paperwork and talk about the fly packages they have available. iFly offered several other packages for group and weekly rates, more flights, more high fly experiences, pictures, videos, etc. I purchased 2 flies ($99. 99) for each of us ahead of time and 1 high fly ($19.99) for each of us. For me, this was enough. The check in attendant was very knowledgeable on all aspects of the experience. I did feel like they were trying to upsell a bit, especially with the package deals, but it wasn’t in an overwhelming pushy way. We were sized for a flight suit by stepping on the scale then we sat, waited for our group time to be called, and watched other fliers fly.

Once our group time was called, we sat for a 10 minute instruction – 5 minutes of video and 5 minutes of hands on instruction. The instructional video explained some quick indoor flying facts, technology about the tube which I think they refer to it as a wind tunnel or flight chamber, communication motions while flying, and the proper body positions while entering, in the tube, and exiting the tube. The instructor then came in to make sure you weren’t taking a pre-flight nap during the video and go over all the important parts. When the instructions were finished, we got flight suits, helmets, and were ready for the tube!

The tube itself wasn’t frightening. It reminded me of the soda room tube from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. I’m a bird! I’m a plane! I’m going too high! The first flight was about 5 – 6 feet off the ground. I know what you’re thinking, Cristiano Ronaldo can jump higher than that! But when you’re in there, it doesn’t feel that way. There’s a net flooring which gives a view of the giant fan below. When you’re flying you don’t see it because you have to keep your head up.

I’m not gonna lie, I was nervous! As a person under 6 foot with minimal muscle, I was nervous about being able to hold my arms and legs out correctly. During the instruction, the instructor said to not tense up and be loose. Easier said than done when you have anxiety going in. My brother, the engineer, explained to me that the more the body is crunched and tight, there’s less surface area for the air to push your body up.

We made sure that going in we would be the last two in line so I could watch everyone else go first. Knowing all the facts and getting a visual image of what I should be doing for the best outcome usually helps my anxiety. With every person before me, my anxiety diminished, until I was next. When it was my turn to fly, I did my best to stay flat and relaxed. I was sure you could see on my face how uncomfortable and nervous I was during the first flight.

You’ll notice in the videos that the instructor gives hand motions to the flyer and to the person controlling the wind speed. Hand gestures are used to communicate in the wind tunnel. The flyer must know these gestures: Two fingers straight out means to straighten your legs. Two crunched fingers means to bend your legs. One finger pointed up means to look up/look straight. Hang loose sign means to relax yourself, relax your body, and have fun. Also, the flashing lights indicate that there are a couple seconds left in your flight.

During my second flight with the high fly, I was feeling better. I was still nervous. In the second flight, I was able to relax my body a little more, now that I understood the technique first hand. I also felt more comfortable with the high fly since the air wasn’t pushing straight at my neck and chest.

After the flight, the instructor took us into a party room and gave out flight certificates. Woo hoo! I was relieved. Day 1 checked off!

I would definitely recommend this to any thrill seeker! Although they’re called by the same name, I didn’t feel that it was very similar to skydiving where you’re plummeting towards the ground. I guess I’ll find out later in the month.😂 I felt that the hardest part was getting over my own anxiety and relaxing. Once I let go, it was a lot of fun! Something else I enjoyed about this experience is that it doesn’t matter your age, shape, size, or skill level to participate. Every type of person was represented in the group, and everyone was very supportive of each other. When someone finished their flight, they were given a round of high fives as they walked to the back of the line. The instructors make sure the experience feel positive and uplifting.

Day 1 ✅️

iFly offers a variety of packages for you and your group to have the best experience. No prior experience is necessary. Some health and weight restrictions may apply. Instructions are given on site and locations can be contacted for any questions.

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