iFly Indoor Skydiving officially open

iFLY is officially open. The ribbon-cutting ceremony for iFLY El Paso, the indoor skydiving venue happened Monday at noon.

Last week ABC 7 showed you a sneak preview during their soft opening, today ABC 7’s Christina Aguayo experienced the flight of iFLY and learned more about the venue.

Eric Jackson, who is a professional skydiver, owner of El Paso Sky Dive and an iFLY instructor told ABC 7’s Christina Aguayo that although there are many similarities from iFLY to Skydiving, there are differences as well.

Jackson said, “For me, the difference in real skydiving and iFLY is that real skydiving is an inherently dangerous sport, of course, it always going to be a little more dangerous.”

But, according to Jackson, the same laws of physics apply to both, he explained “you are using molecules that you’re laying on to create a force that is lifting us in the tunnel. In the sky we’re not actually going up we continue to fall down, but we are still using those same molecules to make our body maneuver around the sky and to go where we want to go.”

iFLY tunnels have also sparked a worldwide competition called Body Flight. There are even talks of it becoming an Olympic Sport.

Jackson said, “They have everything from belly flying to dynamics to static to “vfs” vertical formational skydiving, all of it can be done in the tunnel.”

Freddy Silva, the General Manager for iFly El Paso said there is a large amount of training involved, “it starts with level one. It starts with belly flying, and as you progress you learn how to fly on your back, head down, standing up sitting down.” Silva said.

According to Silva, before anyone steps in the tunnel, they have to go through a safety brief – which will tell you “what to do and what not to do in the tunnel. You learn some hand signals because in the wind tunnel there is no speaking.”

Jackson assured ABC 7’s Christina Aguayo that safety is not an issue when flying in the tunnel saying, “Our number one job is to keep you and your children and your family safe, and we’re gonna stay with in an arms reach of you the entire time you fly.”

Silva said that the experience in unexplainable, “I have to invite you to come down and experience it yourself. I can tell you what it feels like or what you’re going to go through but you get that full experience if you just try it yourself.”

Instructors go through intensive training before getting in the tunnel with people, and some are professional outdoor skydivers as well.

Windspeeds in the tunnel range anywhere from 80 miles an hour to 120 miles an hour depending on your weight.

For more information visit iFLY El Paso