My best childhood friend and I called it our "quarter-life crisis" and jumped out of an airplane outside Denton, TX, tandem with experienced skydivers for the thrill.
It was incredible.
Not something I'm dying to do again, mind you, but something that I'll be forever glad I checked off my bucket list!
So when Pearachute, my favorite class-pass for kiddos in DFW, added IFly Indoor Skydiving to it's list of offerings, I couldn't wait for my girls to try it out!
After receiving our vouchers via email from Pearachute, I went to iflyworld.com to book their flights. IFly has two DFW locations- Frisco and Hurst (or Dallas and Fort Worth, as they are classified on the Website), so we chose the Fort Worth location because it is only about 12 miles from our south Arlington residence, just up 820 and across the highway from North East Mall.
We arrived to check in today at 2:20. Our flight time check-in was 2:30, and the girls were called back to the "flight deck" at 2:55. After signing all the waivers and filling out all the required paperwork, the girls and I went back to "flight class" to learn about hand signals and proper form while in the flight tunnel. (You wear ear plugs while in the wind tunnel, and then have a helmet over your ears. Combined with the excessive noise of the wind tunnel itself, these things make it nearly impossible to communicate without hand signals inside the wind tunnel!) They practiced proper flight technique and were trained by their instructor so as to be prepared for the experience! This part of the experience took about 10-15 minutes.
After reviewing all the proper hand signals and procedures, it was time to suit up! Please note- I neglected to read the fine print on the email I received from iFly and had my girls dressed improperly. Flyers should come in pants or shorts (not dresses, for comfort's sake) and need to wear lace-up, secure sneakers (not flip flops like my oldest. Luckily they do keep sneakers behind the counter for poor souls like us!). The girls put on flight suits, sneakers, ear plugs, goggles and helmets. The certainly looked like proper skydivers once they were in full gear!
We had the unfortunate luck of booking right after a birthday party that ran long. The girls had a hard time waiting- and there was lots of waiting today. They finally got called to their seats within the wind tunnel area about 4:10 pm, which was, admittedly, a lot later than I thought it would be.
Their group was full- 10 flyers. Each flyer gets two flights, each for a total of one minute. The first flight is merely to give you a taste. The girls got to experience weightlessness and feel what it's like in a wind tunnel. They were in the tunnel with a flight instructor who was able to properly guide them and signal them as necessary.
After the flight, the girls each got a completion certificate and a chance to view photos and videos of themselves in flight.
The cost of the flight package is $70 per person. IFly also does birthday parties, events, Scout outings, field trips and executive events. How cool would this place be for a birthday party?!
The girls loved the experience! While it took significantly longer than I anticipated it would, I loved seeing their smiles after their flights. This would be such a great treat for a birthday kiddo, or as a reward for a job well done. What's even better is that it's awesome for all ages! Kids as young as 3 can take flight here!
A few extra bits to know:
- It's fun to watch! Not only can you watch the other flyers, but instructors often do stunts and tricks after they help their groups go. Some are very flashy while some are very funny. The girls loved watching them all!
- There are lockers for your personal belongings while you are "in flight."
- There is a gift shop with swag and vending machines with chips, candy and pop.
- Parking is free.
Feel free to ask any questions you want! (Oh- and check out Pearachutekids.com for this and so many more amazing opportunities for your kiddos all over DFW!)
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