Vertical Wind Tunnels Let Anyone Fly

Vertical Wind Tunnels Let Anyone Fly FARM HOME Miscellaneous Did you ever wish you could fly? The next best thing is time spent in a vertical wind tunnel an experience that s like sky-diving without the need to jump out of a plane     The first vertical wind tunnel was patented in 1982 but they ve only recently started to catch on as a tourist attraction     There are both permanent and portable facilities but all of them create a single high-volume stream of air that s strong enough to support one or more people     Some facilities are set up to lift flyers as high as 70 ft However beginners are kept in the 2 to 12-ft range     Inexperienced flyers move around a lot while those who have developed their body position skills have much more control and can maintain a fixed position if desired     There are at least five stationary vertical wind tunnels in the U S open to the public in Tennessee Nevada Florida California and North Carolina There are also at least four portable units in the U S Although there are currently none operating in Canada plans are underway for three of them     The facility located at Pigeon Forge Tennessee and called Flyaway Indoor Skydiving is an indoor/fixed operation that is open to the public     For $24 95 you get three minutes of flying time Customers wear flight suits that make flying easier by providing more lift An instructor stands or flies at the student s side and can provide assistance when needed so it is not difficult to stay up for the full three minutes according to supervisor Wes Evans     At the end of the three minutes the instructor helps the customer land safely on pads around the edges of the air column like a big donut by guiding them when they fall off the windstream     The Pigeon Forge facility produces an approximate airspeed average of 105 m p h and offers a flight area of approximately 8 1/2 ft diameter by 21 ft tall     A website at www bodyflight net serves as a network of information on the various aspects of the vertical wind tunnel business     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Bodyflight Concepts Dawn and John Suiter 522 West Fern Drive Orange City Fla 32763 ph 386 775-7065; email: ceo@bodyflight net; website: www bodyflight net

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