Flying in a free-fall simulator has long been one of our best-selling experiences. Why is that and is wind tunnel flying really worth it? Because the personal experience is priceless, we set out to test this flying experience for ourselves.
So is it a wind tunnel or a free-fall simulator?
You may know this divine experience by various names: indoor skydiving (because a minute in the tunnel is like one parachute jump from an airplane), wind tunnel (because it's a tunnel where the wind blows at speeds of up to 270 km/h), or freefall simulator (because that's exactly what it does).
Whichever of these names you have come across, they are all correct and all represent the same thing. But what is flying in this tunnel really like and what does it feel like?
In the videos, the flying of the pros fascinates us, it looks really easy and we can't take our eyes off it. You can see it for yourself:
So we thought it was time to try it for ourselves. On behalf of our adroit team, 4 of us went to test the free fall simulator - Mirka, Kuba, Danča and Míša, and each of us experienced it a bit differently.
Dreamteam on the scene
After arriving at the site, filling in a questionnaire with important information and a short pre-flight briefing, we were given decent uniform overalls, helmet and goggles. After slipping into the jumpsuits, the instructor was waiting for us and led us directly to the tunnel.
There he repeated to us how to behave and direct our movement in the tunnel as we want, not the wind There he repeated to us how to behave and direct our movement in the tunnel as we want, not the wind blowing incredibly fast. The last thing that couldn't be missed were earplugs and it was on...
The way Cuba saw it
Kuba is an experienced adrenaline junkie who has done tandem skydiving before, so he was looking forward to comparing it to flying in a free fall simulator:
"After my first experience with the tunnel, I was a little nervous, which finally kicked in just before entering the tunnel and I suddenly felt like I wanted to spend at least the whole morning in the tunnel. That's why I definitely recommend the longer time variant, which will really make you have fun. Already on the second entry into the tunnel I mastered the basic positions, so the instructor added more and more parades. The highlight of the whole experience was the free fall down the whole tunnel from the top, where the adrenaline rush was similar to the tandem jump. Almost like every experience here, the wind tunnel is quite addictive, and I believe that it was not my last visit."
In conclusion, "It's just awesome!"
As Mirka saw it:
Mirka is not one of the biggest adrenaline junkies, yet she throws herself headfirst into everything and isn't afraid to try anything we have to offer.
"Right after entering the tunnel for the first time, I was surprised by the force of the wind. It really wasn't easy for me to coordinate all the movements of all the body parts to tame and turn that wind to my side right away. But the instructor was right next to me the whole time, showing me what to do. Sometimes he left it up to me to try to fight the wind and enjoy the feeling of flying... but whenever he was ready to direct me back again.
By the second entry, I was feeling much better, I knew what I was getting into and I was more focused on my body, and I was also posing at least a little for the camera that takes every flyer's picture."
In conclusion, "I overcame my initial fears very quickly and ended up having a really great flight! On the second entry into the tunnel, I even did a two-way turn on my own and felt like I was in control and could fly how I wanted."
How Misha saw it:
Misha is action-oriented and likes to try new things, so for her there was no way she wouldn't fly in the tunnel.
"We got earplugs just before entering the tunnel, so from then on we only talked to each other by shouting, which was quite funny. Now we were completely prepared and ready to go. We sat on the benches in the area in front of the tunnel watching a screen that listed the order of the participants. The screen was counting down the seconds until my entry and my nervousness began to rise. But I had nothing to worry about at all. The instructor was in the tunnel with me the whole time, holding me down and gesturing me through what I needed to change to fly on my own. And you know what? I actually flew by myself! Unreal!"
In conclusion, "I was really looking forward to this experience and I have to say that it was really worth it! I really enjoyed it and definitely plan to go to the wind tunnel again to try out the tricks the instructor showed us at the end."
How Danča saw it
Danča is an adrenaline junkie, so she couldn't wait for the wind tunnel flight and had been talking about it all the time for about a week beforehand.
"After arriving at the place, I started to get slightly nervous and worried. Of course, I imagined the worst case scenarios where I would fly uncontrollably off into space somewhere, or stick to the glass like a fish in a fish tank and have to be peeled off with a big scraper. But once you put yourself in the tunnel, it's fun. Thanks to the instructor's instructions, after a while you can move in the tunnel exactly where you want to go. The adrenaline level is then increased by the final bead, where you get up to 14m with the help of the instructor and then free fall down.
The wind tunnel is simply something you want to experience. We tried it for 3 minutes and are already planning our next visit. Lest I forget, after flying I recommend you check out the photos taken during your flights at the reception. The photos are definitely worth it and can be purchased as a souvenir!"
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In conclusion, "Adrenaline can recharge my batteries, it's like a drug that keeps me positive. And the flight in the wind tunnel managed to give me a good dose of adrenaline, it was a blast!"
Everyone enjoyed the flying experience a little differently, but we all unanimously agreed that the wind tunnel is rightfully in the limelight. It's something you want to do over and over again and you never get tired of it.
