Indoor skydiving: A flying start

Pauline M. Forte wanted to try skydiving but has a fear of flying. So what did she do? Well, she just headed to the new indoor facility in Abu Dhabi where she earned her wings without having to leave the ground

Like birds and planes, I flew last week. I was able to experience the thrill of free-falling without jumping out of an airplane at Spacewalk in Abu Dhabi, the first indoor skydiving facility in the UAE.

Spacewalk, a tower that looks like a spaceship, is a 10-metre high, four-metre wide, vertical wind tunnel that allows beginners and experienced flyers to fly on a column of air. This unique facility allows you to experience the sheer exhilaration of skydiving in a specially constructed wind tunnel, the likes of which are usually used to test the aerodynamics of F1 racing cars. The tunnel generates winds up to 150km/h. Head instructor Chris Gray, 28, said the wind tunnel will soon be upgraded to generate winds well over 200km/h.

Criteria

Children as young as three years and anyone (90kg weight limit) who hasn't suffered a severe shoulder dislocation or neck or back injuries can take part in the adventure. As a first-time flyer, I entered a classroom on the second floor of the skydiving tower where I watched a four-minute introduction video and learnt the four important hand signs denoting bend legs, straighten legs, chin up and relax. Verbal commuication is impossible because of the noise created by the air system. It was, therefore, important for me to understand these signs.

Once inside the air chamber, Gray shared some safety tips before handing me a jumpsuit, a pair of goggles, a helmet and earplugs. “Real skydiving is all about the adrenaline rush, but indoor skydiving is more fun. Here you can go up and down. The experience is limitless,'' said Gray, who started skydiving when he was 18 and has worked as an instructor at many indoor skydiving facilities in the US.

We walked to the area surrounding the air chamber when Gray gave a thumbs-up to his colleague in the control room. It was the signal to launch the wind in the tunnel. It was also the time to let go.

Airborne

As the giant fan picked up speed, I began to levitate. Floating on a thunderous wind stream, I drifted higher and higher. Within seconds, I was completely airborne, lifted like a leaf on a strong breeze. There was no sensation of falling or weightlessness – I was just bobbing about in mid-air, with Gray guiding me around in those gravity-defying moments.

I've often dreamt of taking off by just extending my arms. At Spacewalk, I came incredibly close to duplicating the experience. I have to admit I was nervous when I entered the wind tunnel, but now I was smiling.

The second flight was more comfortable. But I still respected Gray's sign commands out of fear of hitting the side walls or losing balance.

This time I flew even higher.

My flight into the bird kingdom lasted till the fan slowed down and I touched base.

Schedule

A first-time flyer ticket for Dh180 includes a training session, flight equipment, personal assistance from one of the eight instructors, and two one-minute flight sessions, during which you learn the basic free fall position.

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to experience skydiving but don't fancy throwing yourself out of an aeroplane, then this new facility may just be the thing you have been waiting for.