Indoor Flight In A Skydiving Wind Tunnel

The first skydiving wind tunnel, capable of sustaining human flight, was erected at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in 1943. However, officials were unaware that it was capable of sustaining human flight until 1964. This was originally used to train paratroopers in the Army. Later, the Golden Knights, the Department of Defense’s demonstration team also began using the tunnel to train new members.

Flyaway Indoor Skydiving constructed the first skydiving wind tunnel for civilian use in 1982. Two tunnels were erected, one in Las Vegas, Nevada, and one in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. These indoor skydiving wind tunnels are still in use today, and many more locations across the country have opened so as to offer the thrill of human flight to thousands nationwide.

How It Works

A skydiving wind tunnel propels the body of the “skydiver” vertically through the shaft, with the use of wind generated by powerful fans that can produce winds of up to 120 miles per hour. Using their arms and legs as rudders to control their position in the tunnel, indoor skydivers are able to experience the thrill of human flight with little, or even no, experience.

A skydiving wind tunnel, otherwise known as an indoor skydiving tunnel, can be used safely by anyone who weighs more than 40 pounds. Many facilities place weight and height restrictions so as to further ensure the safety of their customers.

History

Francis Herbert Wenham, a Council Member of the Aeronautical Society of Great Britain, invented the first enclosed vertical wind tunnel in 1871. Although not capable of sustaining human flight like our current skydiving wind tunnel, Wenham’s invention served as the basis for modern technology.

Prior to the use of the vertical wind tunnel at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio as a skydiving wind tunnel, it was used to test parachutes and spin test model airplanes. In 1964 Jack Tiffany, a skydiver and parachute tester for the Pioneer Parachute Company, decided to see if the tunnel would sustain a human being. It did, and the sport of indoor skydiving was born. It would be another 18 years before the first skydiving wind tunnel was constructed for civilian use; but the tunnel at Wright Patterson began being used immediately to train paratroopers in the United States Army.

Whether you’re new to skydiving, or you’ve got a thousand jumps under your belt, an indoor skydiving wind tunnel is a safe way for you and your whole family to experience the thrill of flying.