iFLY Indoor Skydiving Lands in San Diego

iFLY Indoor Skydiving Opens in Mission Valley

iFLY, San Diego’s first indoor skydiving facility, is open and ready to offer people of all ages the dream of flight!

This state-of-the-art location is in Mission Valley, and it soft-opened its doors Monday, February 8th. I was invited to be one of the first people to find out what this high-flying hoopla was all about. They are having a formal Grand Opening March 4th, so read on to find out about the free and fun stuff they’ll be offering to celebrate!

iFLY, the world’s largest indoor skydiving operation, is now delivering the dream of flight to adventure seekers throughout San Diego County. The new location in the heart of Mission Valley at 2385 Camino Del Rio North, San Diego marks the 15th iFLY facility in the U.S. San Diegans and area tourists who have looked to the skies and dreamed of flying like a bird can now make that dream come true.

I’m sorry if I disappoint you when I tell you that I did not fly. I asked my 24-year-old son, Alex, if he’d try this out for me and he was all over it!

iFLY is open in San Diego. Alex is a first time flyer.

Humans aren’t meant to fly. iFLY in San Diego defies nature and physics by providing individuals with one of the safest ways to experience the thrill of skydiving without the need for a parachute or the risks associated with jumping out of a plane at 12,500 feet, and the potential for terminal velocity impact.

People of all ages and abilities can experience human flight in a safe, comfortable and fun environment. Each indoor skydiving facility is a marvel of engineering that replicates the experience of skydiving, creating conditions that allow people to fly on a smooth cushion of air. With the help of iFLY certified flight instructors, customers learn to fly, control their bodies in the air and experience true human flight.

How much does this cost? Before I give you the bottom line, let me explain what you get for your time and money.

Don’t expect to arrive and jump into the wind tunnel a few minutes later. There’s a whole process that includes training and special gear each flyer has to get before flying. You’ll never be alone in the tunnel either. Each flyer has a personal instructor with him or her at all times.

To prepare for their flight experience, customers complete a training class guided by one of iFLY’s flight and safety instructors, are equipped with flight gear, including goggles, helmet and flight suit, and then with their instructor at their side, they enter the flight chamber and are supported by a cushion of air.

After watching a short video, your personal International Body Flight Association (IBA) certified instructor will go over the essential body, arm, leg, and hand positions that will enable you to control your flight. You’ll also be taught hand signals to follow once inside the tunnel.

iFLY Video Lesson

Then you head over to the counter to select your jump suit, helmet, goggles, and ear plugs.

iFLY Get your gear on before you fly

Once you’re suited up, your instructor will walk you into the anti-chamber, hold you and slowly guide you into the tunnel.

This is when the fun starts!

iFLY Alex Takes His First Flight

As soon as you step into the vertical wind tunnel you feel the power of the fans blowing air beneath you, and also pulling it out above you. The air is circulated to keep you free-falling in mid air! To give you an idea about the progress you can make in a few short flying sessions, take a look at this video. This is Alex’s first ever 2-minute skydiving session.

Just think, if you were to jump out of a plane the normal free-fall time is between 20 to 30 seconds before opening the parachute. In an iFLY wind tunnel, each ‘free-fall’ session is two minutes! That, my friends, could feel like an eternity. And if you don’t thinks so, ask your muscles the next day if those 2 minutes of controlling your body during free-fall weren’t the work out of the week. The soreness will let you know it was!

This is what you might be able to do after 5 sessions at iFLY. Take a look at Alex’s progress!

How did Alex do on his first ever experience with skydiving? It took only a couple of 2-minute sessions for him to get the hang of it. According to IBA instructor Brandon Forke, who’s been body flying for over a year and a half and came to San Diego from a tunnel in Chicago, said “he’s in the 90^th percentile,” after his 5th flying session. That’s my boy!

Alex is able to maneuver his body around the iFLY tunnel after 3 sessions.

All the instructors I saw have a very outgoing and fun disposition. I asked Brandon what he likes most about teaching people that have never flown before. “Watching someone go in from scratch, and learning what Alex learned today,” is the best part of his job he said.

Alex and Brandon after the 5th flying session at iFLY San Diego

Brandon also told me that the youngest person he’s taught was a 3-year-old, and the oldest was a 94 year-old man who would go in once a week to the Chicago facility.

A 10-year-old was waiting in the wings to have his turn at iFLY

Here he is…flying! iFLY San Diego

Now that you have all the info you need to take the plunge, here is what this will cost you:

Earn Your Wings: The basic first-time flyer package starts at $79.95 for two 2-minute flying sessions with a personal instructor.

Spread Your Wings: Four flights or two double-length flights $119.95

Spread Your Wings for Two People: $151.06*

Family Package: 10 Flights for up to 5 people $342.33*

(*Video is included in the “Spread Your Wings for 2” and “Family Flight Package.” For all other flyers, video is $7.95 on-site and it’s about $4.27 per photo.)

Take Flight Package: 10 Flights or 5 double-length flights $249.95

Birthday Parties at iFLY San Diego

Party Packages are also available. Call or email iFly San Diego for rates.

iFLY San Diego will have it’s public grand opening party on March 4 from 6-8 p.m. with food trucks, music, flight demos, a photo booth, first-time flyers and much more.

Everyone in San Diego is welcome to come check it out, watch and fly!

Now, do you want to see what you could learn to do at iFLY San Diego? Check out Brandon!

Disclaimer: I was invited to try out iFLY San Diego. All opinions are my own.