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News

    The Evolution of Jetman Dubai

    Image by Max Haim There's been a ton of social media hype this week about the new Jetman Dubai video released by XDubai. The video, available in 4k quality, has already amassed over 2 million views on youtube within 48 hours of release. But what is the story behind Jetman and will this venture see an evolution to methods of human flight?
    Back in the mid-2000s, Yves Rossy of Switzerland set history by becoming the first person to fly with the use of a jet-propelled wing. A step that closed some of the gap between wingsuit flying and aircraft piloting. Before venturing into jet-propelled human flight, Rossy was both an air force and commercial pilot, serving in the Swiss Air Force before flying for both Swissair and Swiss International Airlines.
    Rossy first began skydiving, then looking to wingsuiting and skysurfing in order to maximize his flight time, but neither of these were able to satisfy what it is he was after. Rossy didn't want to be freefalling, but rather flying, with as little restrictions and as much freedom and agility as possible, while still ensuring the longest possible flight time. This is what then prompted him to begin his development on the original jet propelled wing.
    After developing an inflated wing design in order to achieve more flight time, Rossy then began to design the first jet propelled wing, which was flown in 2004. This first propulsion based wing was only a dual jet propultion system, which allowed him to maintain flight level. In 2006 he changed the design to use 4 jets instead of the original 2. This change allowed Rossy to go from merely being able to maintain flight level, to being able to ascend while in flight too.
    Since 2006, Yves Rossy, the Jetman has flown in several high profile flights and accomplished impressive achievements. Rossy is now primarily flying in Dubai, with Skydive Dubai seemingly being the sole sponsor of the venture at this point in time. Teaming up with Skydive Dubai has meant that Rossy has been able to get some crazy video footage of his latest flights, with Skydive Dubai being notorious for their video production quality.

    The Next Chapter
    In early May, Jetman Dubai began hinting at the announcement of a new development in the Jetman Dubai project and after a few social media teasers, a video was released on the 11th May which announced that Yves would no longer be flying solo. Instead, he would be joined in the air by Vince Reffet, a well known skydiver and BASE jumper. Vince was born into a family of skydivers and did his first jump at just 14 years old. Now just in his 30s, Vince already boasts an impressive tally of over 13 000 jumps.
    The French protege is specifically recognized for his freeflying skills, and is best known for his position on the Soul Flyers team.
    The training of Vince by Yves Rossy has opened up far more opportunities for the Jetman Dubai project, with the most noteable being that of formation in flight. According to the Jetman Dubai website, Yves began training Vince as early as in 2009.
    The visuals of these two individuals flying together are so outstanding that it has many calling fake on the videos. However the truth is that what you see is the result of some extremely skilled pilots, working together to create something majestic.
    The Jetman Wing
    The Jetman Dubai wings weigh in at a total of 55kg with a wing span of 2 meters, and contain 4 Jetcat P200 engines. Speeds on descent can reach 300km/h, while ascent speeds clock in at around 180km/h. The flight will typically last for between 6 and 13 minutes. Flight begins with an exit, most commonly by helicopter, and when the flight time is over, a parachute is deployed for landing.
    A question on a lot of people's minds seem to be whether or not this type of jet propulsion system could work its way into the public. Though it seems that those keen to do some jet flying of their own should not hold their breath, apart from a large budget, it's difficult to see any situation in the near future whereby the safety aspect associated with these wings will allow for public use. In the mean time however, we can sit back, watch and enjoy.
    Who knows what is next for the now Jetman Dubai duo, but we can't wait to see it...

    By admin, in News,

    Luke Aikins Planning No-Parachute Jump From 25 000ft

    Luke Aikins may not be a household name like Felix Baumgartner or Jeb Corliss, but he has been instrumental in the development of several high profile stunts and well known skydiving events. Born into the skydiving world, it was almost natural that Luke would go on to follow in his family's footsteps. Over the years he has amassed over 16 000 jumps, while also establishing himself as a skilled BASE jumper.
    He worked directly as a consultant with the Red Bull Stratos team, acting as a vital aspect in the highly publicized Baumgartner jump. Luke is also one of the safety and training advisers for the USPA, and helped in creating the Red Bull Aces wingsuit event.
    However Luke is now looking to emerge from the background and place himself at the center, by making a jump from 25 000ft, without the use of a parachute, in the project titled "Heaven Sent".
    The idea relies heavily on his skills as a precision flyer, requiring unbelievable accuracy in order to land in a 100x100 foot net, which will be suspended above the ground. In the first video teaser for the event (above), Luke goes on to mention that while the size of the net may seem large, from the point of exit, it would not even be visible.
    This would not be the first jump where a skydiver has exited the plane without a parachute, with motocross legend Travis Pastrana being one of those, who famously exited shirtless, drinking a can of Red Bull. However, the big difference here is that in other occasions of "parachuteless" exits, the skydiver was then grabbed in freefall and still landed under a canopy, or placed their rig on while in freefall. With Luke Aikins, there will be no one and nothing to catch him, except for the hundred foot net, and Luke will be exiting from more than twice the height.

    By admin, in News,

    BlueManifest

    online software to manage all activities on your dropzone: http://www.bluemanifest.com/en/

    By mad, in News,

    Sunshine Superman - Press Release

    Synopsis


    A heart-racing documentary portrait of Carl Boenish, the father of the BASE jumping movement, whose early passion for skydiving led him to ever more spectacular –and dangerous– feats of foot-launched human flight. Experience his jaw-dropping journey in life and love, to the pinnacle of his achievements when he and wife Jean broke the BASE jumping Guinness World Record in 1984 on the Norwegian 'Troll Wall' mountain range. Incredibly, within days, triumph was followed by disaster. Told through a stunning mix of Carl's 16mm archive footage, well-crafted re-enactments and state-of-the-art aerial photography, Sunshine Superman will leave you breathless and inspired.




    About The Film


    Sunshine Superman is a non-fiction feature that lets the audience experience what it feels like to jump off a cliff and walk away alive. In the freewheeling 1970s, what is now considered an “extreme sport” was considered simply crazy. Jumping off a building or bridge with only a few moments to release your parachute was not only seemingly illegal, it was deemed suicidal, even by many seasoned skydivers. Yet this is not a film about death. It is about the essence of life—of what it feels like, if for only a moment, to truly fly.
    In that era of danger and excitement, a man named Carl Boenish helped coin the acronym “BASE”, which stands for Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth—the various objects from which Carl and his friends would jump. Carl was the catalyst behind modern fixed object jumping; an electrical engineer and filmmaker who believed in BASE-jumping as a spiritual practice through which mankind would overcome all of its self-imposed limitations. He religiously chronicled the early days of BASE in beautiful 16mm film, often with cameras mounted to the jumpers’ heads. Carl’s skills were perfectly married to his milieu and his moment, as he was able to capture on film the very birth of the activity of foot launched human flight.



    Jean and Carl Boenish in SUNSHINE SUPERMAN, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
    Carl’s story, and his visual chronicle of an era, could have easily been obscured in the era of YouTube, or at least remained hidden within BASE’s secretive culture. Several years ago, however, director Marah Strauch and producer Eric Bruggemann began research for what was originally to be a short film on early BASE-jumping. As Strauch interviewed the people who had witnessed the sport’s birth, and discovered more and more footage of ordinary men and women in fearless flight, she understood that BASE’s story was much larger, much wilder, and far more beautiful than she could have guessed.
    The Boenish archive, to which the filmmakers have been granted exclusive rights, is utilized extensively throughout Sunshine Superman, as are many other early films and videos documenting BASE’s eccentric characters, historic moments, and tragic losses. In the eight-year process of making Sunshine Superman, the filmmakers have archived and restored thousands of feet of original films and other historical material. And yet the film does far more than recover these lost documents. Strauch has traveled the globe to conduct personal interviews, revisit tragic settings, and above all to document the living, breathing continuation of the story Carl Boenish set in motion.




    A scene from SUNSHINE SUPERMAN, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. Director's Comments


    “At its core Sunshine Superman is a love story. As a filmmaker I wanted to capture the essence of danger and the bitter sweetness of falling in love. I am interested in characters that pursue activities or goals that most people would think are waste of time and in this case a death wish. This film is about having your breath taken away, either by love, passion, or by dizzying heights. This film is on the surface about discovering a new extreme sport, in the 1980’s in California. On a deeper level the film explores themes of death, obsession, and living an authentic life despite the consequences.
    My uncle Mike Allen was a BASE jumper and aerial photographer and it is through him that I entered the world of BASE jumping. My uncle, who died in a 1991 auto accident, was a well-respected member of the BASE jumping community. He learned some of what he knew about aerial photography from watching the films of the Father of modern BASE jumping, Carl Boenish. Mike Allen left behind a pile of his BASE jumping videotapes and films and it is from these labels and titles that I found the fellow jumpers Mike had known. I also discovered the sport of BASE jumping; it struck me as an expression of freedom and a celebration of life. I was astonished and brought to tears by the beauty of the footage.
    Carl Boenish was considered the most prominent inventor and the “Pied Piper” of BASE jumping. I was enthralled by the story of individuals who push themselves to transcend human limitations. Carl did not believe in man-made limitations. He believed BASE jumping was an expression of the human spirit. He was a visionary. Carl Boenish was also a filmmaker. He pushed his own physical limits to make films. He was transcending the physical, to find the spiritual. He was flying. Carl wanted to share the joy of BASE jumping with the world.
    When finding the look of the film I gave Nico Poulsson and Vasco Nunes (the Norwegian and the US cinematographers) many references for the look of film from German/ European Romantic painters, to Andy Warhol’s portraits, to Scandinavian design catalogues from the 1980’s. We looked at sources that create a very stylized and cohesive film that will hopefully feel very familiar yet different due to the subject matter and milieu. We created a film that embellishes the patina of the 1980 in California and Scandinavia. At the same time showing the beauty and sublime Romanticism of nature and man in nature.




    Carl Boenish in SUNSHINE SUPERMAN, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
    I was interested in creating a film that pushes the boundaries between documentary and narrative. Sunshine Superman makes use of the largeness and the expansive nature of the story and scenery. We shot on location in Los Angeles, Texas, and Norway. We shot the film as if it were a large-scale narrative production. We attached cameras in places that can only be reached by highly talented rock climbers. We shot BASE jumpers flying from mountains with state of the art equipment. We shot a non-fiction film but I am fully intending Sunshine Superman to offer a visceral cinematic experience.


    Press Release by Magnolia Pictures

    By admin, in News,

    1st FAI World Cup of Wingsuit Performance Flying

    This year the stars aligned to bring the right people to the right place at the right time. The result was official FAI recognition of Wingsuit Competition for Performance and Acrobatics disciplines. Then without any loss of momentum, the announcement of the 1st FAI World Cup of Wingsuit Performance Flying to be held in the UK this year. This competition is now just a few weeks away. If this is the first you’ve heard of it and want to get in on the action then you need to act fast and continue reading.
    IPC Plenary in Bulgaria 2015
    Wingsuit competitions have been around for many years. In January this year, the IPC were presented the highly developed competition formats for both Performance and Acrobatics for consideration. The IPC delegates voted in favour of adopting both sets of rules and also unanimously accepting the bid for the UK to host the first Wingsuit World Cup. We now have an IPC Wingsuit Committee, can declare World Champions and set new World Records!
    The Event
    On the 25th May 2015 the Wingsuit World Cup will commence at the World’s longest continually operated airfield. This is located just a few miles from the historic site of Stonehenge on the outskirts of the small Wiltshire village, Netheravon, UK. It will be hosted by the Army Parachute Association, a not-for-profit skydiving club who have successfully run this competition with the same format for the last three years. Athletes from all over the World are currently making travel arrangements for their opportunity to represent their country on the world stage.
    As a recently recognised World Cup event the opportunities to set new world records are to be amongst the main attractions. Top of the billing however is a chance to be immortalised as the first FAI World Cup Champion of Wingsuit Performance Flying.
    The goal of this competition is to find the flyer with the best all-round performance flying capability using Time, Distance and Speed tasks. A fixed competition window of 3300ft (1000m) is used, measured using a Flysight GPS logger and evaluated using the Paralog software which provides real-time results on-line.
    In 2014 there were 20 competitions and over 300 participants worldwide. New to 2014 was a World Series incorporating four events held in the UK, Hungary, Germany and the USA. The World Series 2014 winner was declared following the USA competition in Lake Elsinore last October and is the organiser of this inaugural World Cup.
    The outline programme for the 2015 World Cup is as follows:


    Sat-Sun 23-24th May
    All Day
    DZ Open as normal for early registration and practice


    Mon 25th
    08:00

    All day

    17:00

    Judges’ Conference & Start of Judges’ Training Course

    Arrival of Delegations, Registration, Practice Jumps until 15:30

    Opening Ceremony



    Tue-Thu 26-27th May
    All Day
    Competition days. First call 07:00, competition continues until sunset.


    Fri 29th May
    07:00

    All day

    18:00

    20:00

    Last Competition jump take-off at 14:30

    End of Judges’ Training Course at 16:00

    Closing Ceremony

    Banquet and Evening Celebration at The Stones Hotel


    How to get involved
    Competitors should read the official Bulletin by following the links below and then contact their country’s national governing body to apply to enter. The deadline for preliminary registrations is 25th March but there is still some time as final registration is not due until 25th April 2015.
    All other enquiries about participating or exhibiting at the event should be made directly to the organiser whose contact details are also listed below.
    Thank you
    This article isn’t long enough to credit all the people who have made this happen. You know who you are, you’ve made history, now let’s fly!
    Links
    FAI Website: http://www.fai.org/ipc-news/39178-wingsuit-performance-flying

    Organiser Webpage: www.netheravon.com/wswc2015 (Registration, Bulletin and Rules)

    Competition Rules: http://www.fai.org/fai-documents (Sporting Code Section 5)

    Organiser contact details: Jackie Harper can be reach via email at: [email protected]

    By admin, in News,

    Skydiver Suffers Seizure During AFF Jump

    Christopher Jones, a 22 year old from Perth, Australia - has found himself in the spotlight of news agencies over the past 24 hours. On 1 March 2015, Christopher uploaded a video to Youtube of him suffering a seizure during his 5th level of AFF training at WA Skydiving Academy. According to him, the video was originally recorded about 3 months ago but due to travelling, he only got around to uploading it now. Within 24 hours of uploading the video had received over 2.5 Million views and been picked up by news centers around the world.
    In the video, you can see Christopher Jones being assisted by his instructor, Sheldon McFarlane - as he gets his foot placing in the right position for his exit. After exiting the aircraft, he is seen establishing his body position and things seem to be going well, but soon Mr Jones, who was described by the Dropzone Chief Instructor as "The perfect student" up until this point, begins to lose control of his body position.
    Instructor Heroics Gets Main Deployed at 4000 feet
    McFarlane, who while unaware of the fact that the problem was a siezure, could see that Mr Jones was in trouble, and began an attempt to get close enough to him so that he could help in the release of his parachute. After a failed first attempt, Mr Jones is seen gaining speed, plummeting towards earth. Despite the difficulty in catching up with the student's speed, McFarlane then managed to grab a hold of him and release his [parachute, at around 4000 feet.
    When interviewed about the incident, McFarlane stated that even though he knew that the AAD would deploy, he wanted to ensure that the student had as much time under parachute as possible. This proved to be a wise choice and Mr Jones regained consciousness at 3000 feet, allowing for him to gain control and in turn safely land his canopy.
    While AADs deploy vast majority of the time, there have been incidents where the AAD has failed, and getting the chute deployed manually will almost always take preference over relying on the automatic activation device.
    Questionable Medical Clearance
    Mr Jones has had a history of seizures in the past. Originally wanting to become a pilot, Jones had to put that dream aside due to his epilepsy.
    A doctor-issued medical statement is required before one is able to begin AFF training. Mr Jones' specialist gave him the all clear for his training, with Jones not having suffered any seizures for four years prior to this incident, a subject that has caused some debate of its own, with many doctors feeling as though skydiving would be an activity that no epilepsy sufferer should partake in, due to the risks.
    Unfortunately with the occurrence of this incident, he will no longer be able to continue his skydiving career, for obvious reasons.
    While seizures can be unpredictable and occur at any time, stress is thought to play a role in many cases. Naturally undergoing a skydiving program where not only are you aware of the safety risks, but also have the added pressure of passing or failing your level progression, stress will almost always be heightened.

    By admin, in News,

    Inches From Death - Near Plane Collision

    Despite having occurred late last year, a recently uploaded Youtube video showing an extremely close encounter between a tandem instructor, passenger and the jumpship they just exited from, has gone viral. The 4 minute long video (including editing) was shot in October 2014 and shows a tandem instructor, from what has been determined as a Thailand based skydiving operation at an estimated 13 000 feet (a typical exit altitude for tandem jumps).
    Twelve seconds after the TI and passenger exit the plane, the plane comes into view of the camera and can be seen diving quickly in their direction. The camera speed is then slowed down and shows the plane moving closer, with one frame showing the bridle and drogue of the TI wrapped around the wing of the plane.
    It appears as though the drogue bridle was cut when it wrapped over the wing and can be seen waving behind the TI in some of the frames. He then deploys the reserve shortly afterwards.
    The passenger appears for the most part, unaware of exactly how close the pair came to death during the incident, with the video later cutting to text on screen suggesting that the TI had just explained what had happened, while they were under canopy.
    There has been quite a bit of conversation around just how this happened, whether it was purely pilot negligence - or whether perhaps a close fly-by is something that is pre-arranged with the TI and pilot, in order to give the passengers a more thrilling experience. While there is no clear evidence to lead one to make such a damning assumption, several individuals have noted the TI's apparent eagerness to get the passenger to look in the direction of the descending aircraft, even before it has entered the frame of the video. Others are calling the TI a hero for the professional way in which he handled the incident, staying calm and getting both himself and the tandem passenger safely on the ground.
    Regardless of the details behind the incident, it's clear that those involved are lucky to still be alive.
    A discussion about the event is currently taking place in the forums in an incidents thread.

    By admin, in News,

    Niklas Hemlin - Breaking Boundaries

    Image by Ben Nelson Niklas Hemlin of Arizona Airspeed ventured out with a goal in mind and captured his first World Record - but not in belly flying, in the new category, Head Up. Not many long-term and committed belly flyers transition over to freeflying later in their skydiving careers. Especially one that has invested most of their lives into belly flying. It's refreshing to see that the boundaries of belly flying and freeflying are starting to blend.

    Name: Niklas Hemlin

    Jumps: 15,500+ (just below 16,000)

    RW Jumps: 13,000+

    Freefly Jumps: 100
    ML: How many competitions have you been to?
    Niklas Hemlin: I have attended 35 national and international recognized competitions. You couple probably double that number if you were to include local and none recognized events.
    ML: How many medals have you won?
    Niklas Hemlin: More than 35.
    ML: Do you have any previous world records, if so, which ones?
    Niklas Hemlin: I do not have any belly big formation world records J This would be my first big-way world record. I have an un-official world record with Airspeed for the highest 4-way average from when we won the World meet in Dubai 2012 at 27.9 average points.
    ML: What motivated you as a young jumper and how did you get the idea to tryout to be on Airspeed?
    Niklas Hemlin: What motivated me as a young jumper was the next jump. I was head-over-heels in love with our sport and the whole nature of it…jumping out of a plane, plunging towards the ground in freefall, pulling your parachute, and safely land to do it all over again. Since then, my love is all the same and more intense than ever. I seem to effortlessly find new ways to keep my passion and intensity for our sport. It has so much to offer me and it is literally limitless. To me, it’s a lifestyle and way of life.
    ML: What is your new position on Airspeed?
    Niklas Hemlin: I used to be the inside center and now moved to the point position on Airspeed. Each position on a 4-way team comes with its own style and characteristics. Throughout my 4-way career, I have been floating around all the different slots and found that each offer its own challenges and satisfactions. It is always fun to be put in a situation to learn and refine a new style and to push yourself. To me, it keeps it all fresh and motivating. Performing any slot on a world-class level requires absolute dedication and focus.
    ML: You're more known in the community to be an RW skydiver, when did you start freeflying?
    Niklas Hemlin: I seriously started to freefly January 2014. I did do some freeflying back in 1997 here at Skydive Arizona after spending three months in Florida training with my Swedish 4-way team. Since then, I haven’t done any freeflying until I started up in the tunnel this year. I have managed to accumulate about 50 hours in the tunnel YTD and around 100 freefly jumps. I hope to meet my goal of 52 hours of tunnel for this year and 150 jumps.
    I’m a very goal oriented person and find it hard to keep my competitive spirit at bay. I had a goal of getting to a level in my freeflying that I could go and fly in the tunnel and in the air for fun and hold my own. I remember very vividly seeing people fly in the tunnel and in the air and wanted nothing more than to fly like them, effortlessly float through the air on all angles and on all their body’s flying surfaces. I looked so appealing and fun to me.
    Airspeed is my heart and soul and takes up a lot of time and dedication. It takes all you time and devotion to become a world champion or a world class flier in any discipline. That being the case, I felt I had to spend the 2014 season to learn freeflying before I transitioned back onto the team as an active member from being an alternate for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
    ML: What motivated you to participate in the upright world record?
    Niklas Hemlin: To put myself in a situation where I HAD to perform. I remember seeing and hearing about the upright record and the headdown big-way scheduled for the fall at Skydive Arizona. I used it as a goal to progress enough to where I could at least participate in the upright warm up weekend. That was enough motivation for me to keep my focus and training. The warm-up weekend went well enough that I was asked to participate in the record attempt.
    To be honest, I was, and in my opinion still am, not very good on my headup. It is a challenge for me because I really struggle with getting the hang of it and become as comfort and fly as effortlessly as I see others fly.
    Image by Ben Nelson ML: Can you tell me what kind of struggles you had on the record jumps and how you overcame them?
    Niklas Hemlin: The most overwhelming part of the headup warm-up and record was my visuals. What is left and right headup is right and left headdown. Wow, flying headdown to the formation from exiting head up and then get there to transition back into headup. Oh boy, that was a mind f*#ker (teaser). To be honest, I did not figure than one out until the second day of the record. The second biggest challenge for me was to keep my mind at bay. I was filled with excitement and anxiety and had to calm myself and focus on my basics. Freeflying is not all instinctive and I have to think about what I’m doing and what I need to do. So, if I don’t keep calm and anticipate my flying, it all goes to shit.
    ML: How much of the Upright World Record principles were like belly fly big ways?
    Niklas Hemlin: I would say a good 99.9%. That was a huge advantage for me having so much experience with big-ways. That was the easy part. At least I didn’t have to stress out about that.
    ML: What would be your advice to other belly flyers about getting into freeflying?
    Niklas Hemlin: Lower your expectations and embrace the whole process of sucking. Do it for fun and understand it is nothing like belly flying, but at the same time, it is just like belly flying. For me, it was very healthy and humbling to “suck” at something again. It was very refreshing to be a student again and having to learn and unlearn. Being the guy in the room with the least amount of experience and, literally, being a safety hazard was a lot of fun for me. Just something about being in the early stages of something new and falling in love with it and not being able to get it out of your head. Oh yea, and it will improve your belly flying tremendously!

    By admin, in News,

    12 Skydivers and Pilot Survive Plane Crash

    A group of tandem skydivers, as well as a pilot managed to come out alive after a near disaster over Lake Taupo in New Zealand this week. Media sources reported on Wednesday that a group of 6 tandem instructors along with 6 clients were looking to perform jumps at Skydive Taupo, when the aircraft that they were traveling in began to experience problems, forcing them to evacuate. All thirteen individuals, which included the pilot had to leave the aircraft mid-flight while the recognizably pink PAC750 aircraft crashed into Lake Taupo.
    The plane was reportedly flying at just over 4000 feet at the time of the incident, which is said to have been engine troubles. While 4000 feet is well below the general altitude for a tandem skydive, it was enough altitude to ensure that all the passengers, including the pilot landed safely and that everyone escaped serious injury. A loud noise was heard coming from the engine just seconds after it was evacuated by the pilot, the plane then crashed in the lake below - managing to miss boats and individuals swimming in the lake.
    Skydive Taupo is a tandem focused dropzone which opened in 2003 and offers customers tandem jumps at 12 000ft or 15 000ft. The pilot who ordered the evacuation of the plane prior to the incident had only recently started working with the company, but is an experienced pilot.
    Skydive Taupo has since posted a message on Facebook giving thanking people for support and giving props to those involved on their handling of the situation.

    Post by Skydive Taupo.

    By admin, in News,

    iFly Announces San Diego Wind Tunnel

    iFly have announced that they will be adding another indoor skydiving facility to their rapidly growing portfolio, which now consists of 35 wind tunnels that span across 12 countries. The company currently has 14 tunnels under construction with another 12 planned for 2015. The new wind tunnel will be located in San Diego, California; on the corner of Camino Del Rio North and Qualcomm Way. The three acre site will be part of the $45 million Discovery Place development, with $10 million being spent on the wind tunnel facilities. Development on the new tunnel has already begun and is expected to be open some time next year.
    While there haven't been any specifications on the power output that the tunnel will have, the tunnel will have a height of 48 feet and a diameter of 14 feet. It will be capable of handling 12 people every 30 minutes. The tunnel will be catered towards both serious skydivers looking to improve their freeflying, and the casual non-jumpers who are looking to experience human flight in a safer environment. The venue will have an observation deck, conference rooms, as well as a party room for group events and birthdays.
    From the early information released, it would seem that the basic training packages will be offered from $70, which will include two minutes of flying. Early estimates on operating hours suggest that the tunnel will be open from 10am to 10pm during week days and from 8am until as late as midnight on the weekends.
    The location of the new tunnel, puts it at almost mid way between the current iFly Hollywood as well as the popular Skydive Perris indoor skydiving center, one of the few North American wind tunnels to not be run by iFly, despite originally being built by the company.
    While indoor skydiving has become an important part of competitive freefly training for skydivers, the prices involved are still not affordable for many people. It is a shared hope amongst many, that the rapid expansion of wind tunnels in both the United States and abroad, will result in a lowering of the pricing over time. It will also be interesting to see how the new wave of younger tunnel enthusiasts will change the dynamic of competitive skydiving over the years to come.

    By admin, in News,

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