advice on taking the Family to the tunnel

[Treejumps 0]

Hello all,

Me and the misses are going to Orlando for a week with my entire family, M&D, siblings, and a gaggle of nieces & nephews age 4 to 14. I booked an hour at Skyventure on Thanksgiving afternoon and am looking forward to everyone getting to experience the fun of flying.

Anyone have any tips or advice that might make the experience better for the family?

Any advice for getting them to turn the speed up for freefly? I've only spent a few minutes in the tunnel and did some back flying, but I am going to need some more wind to freefly in there. I guess I'll take my slow suit and layer up.

Thanks.

[matttrudeau 0]

Get there early and let them watch for a while. They'll fly better if they can watch and learn from other people. If you're going to back fly in the tunnel, tell your instructor before going in the tunnel. That way, he or she will know what you're going to do before you do it and if they see you struggling to stay up, they turn the wind up without you having to ask. The family will have a great time on their first flight.

[seatac 0]

Advice for getting the wind tunnel speed up?

It's very easy - the instructor will turn the speed when he/she tells you that you are ready for more speed and are ready to freefly.

I was in the Perris tunnel and although I have hundreds of freefly jumps I wasn't allowed to freefly right off. They made me first fly on my belly and then do back. I only had ten minutes and spent the whole time on my back. It was quite difficult to get stable on my back and I found the amount of control required in the tunnel vs. the sky is crazy.

So don't expect to do much sitflying - but who knows if you have an hour you might be able to fly sit - depending on how much time you are going to fly yourself.

Don't forget to tip your tunnel coach as well - since it because of people like you that other people have to work on holidays. Of course the owners are glad to keep it open - but your instructor might be pissed and tipping him might somewhat make better the fact that he/she is at work on a holiday.

Of course you get have the entire family over for turkey and watch football and not go to gas stations, grocery stores, movies, and any other establishment where employees are forced to work on holidays.

No offense to you, but I used to work at a grocery store and I always hated the people who couldn't buy their crap the day before or after a holiday. I think it is a way for the general public to show respect to one another - I never go anywhere on the holidays for that reason. If an owner of a business wants to drag employees to work on the holidays - he'll or she'll be shelling out wages with nothing coming in. Then after realizing he/she isn't going to make anything on the holidays it will be more cost-effective for them to stay closed and LET THEIR EMPLOYEES HAVE THE DAY OFF!

But not everyone is conscious of the people around them - enjoy your tunnel time!

[matttrudeau 0]

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. Had to work in the tunnel last Thanksgiving and watch 4 way all day. Never again. I don't go anywhere on the Holidays as well. That's why it's a Holiday.

[Paige 0]

The instructor may also brief you on the ground about back flying and the freefly progression, they will also answer any questions you have. Plan on spending time on your back, back flying is fun and 1 of 2 bail positions (back and belly) when learning to sit fly (safety first ).

The instructors control the wind speeds so the flyer doesn't have to worry about that. Flying & learning new things is tough enough. When they see you flying and stable,you'll get more juice.

I wish I was going to be in town to induct all the females coming to fly. I'll be in NY. If you make a trip back down or out to Perris or AAC, hit up the Tunnel Pink Mafia

Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate
www.TunnelPinkMafia.com

[flyangel2 2]

Let's remember that the Orlando tunnel is located in a tourist town. Tourist don't take Thanksgiving off.

There are lots of people that don't get into the holidays. I'm one of them. It's just another day for me. I hate it when there are business closed just because it's a "holiday."

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[rehmwa 2]

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Let's remember that the Orlando tunnel is located in a tourist town. Tourist don't take Thanksgiving off.

There are lots of people that don't get into the holidays. I'm one of them. It's just another day for me. I hate it when there are business closed just because it's a "holiday."

how dare you try to go to an open establishment on a holiday!! at least you can tip everyone that chooses to work that day since as I understand it, they are forced into it by "the man".

I tried to tip the Orlando tunnel coach that helped my 10 year old daughter on her first tunnel time - he absolutely and totally refused it, it really surprised me.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Andy9o8 0]

I'm not unsympathetic, but....I worked at a supermarket as a teen, and yeah sometimes that meant on holidays. I've worked in government as "essential services" working in blizzards, on weekends, on night shifts. Now in my career, I sometimes work 70 hours a week. You do what you have to do.

When you work in a service industry, you're there for the customer's needs. When I'm having 20 guests over for Thanksgiving, damn right I want to be able to make last-minute purchases of supplies at the grocery store on Thursday morning, especially since when working 12 hour days, I often can't "buy all my crap the day before". Don't like people who need to grocery shop on a holiday? Don't work in a supermarket.

The bread-and-butter of vacation & recreational venues is catering to customers who often can only get away from work on weekends and holidays. Don't like it? Don't work in a service industry.

Tipping the employees? Absolutely. You're the customer, but working on a holiday's still a bummer.

[Paige 0]

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I tried to tip the Orlando tunnel coach that helped my 10 year old daughter on her first tunnel time - he absolutely and totally refused it, it really surprised me.

They haven't always been able to accept tips. This is a (relatively) recent change that was brought on by an employee who showed a little gumption, wrote a nice letter to mgmt. on why they should be able to accept tips, and they now can
Def. take care of the instructors and people working on the holidays. I know they would enjoy the time off just as much as I would (not saying you wouldn't rehmwa- just a note to the original poster).

Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate
www.TunnelPinkMafia.com

[rehmwa 2]

Quote

Quote

I tried to tip the Orlando tunnel coach that helped my 10 year old daughter on her first tunnel time - he absolutely and totally refused it, it really surprised me.

They haven't always been able to accept tips. This is a (relatively) recent change that was brought on by an employee who showed a little gumption, wrote a nice letter to mgmt. on why they should be able to accept tips, and they now can

It was recent, he was allowed to accept and chose not to for whatever reason - they were getting a real kick out whatching our reaction to our daughter flying, maybe that had a part of it, I don't know. I'll tip a good job always and well in the appropriate industries, but not just because someone showed up to work - especially if they are grumpy about having a job on a holiday - and never if it's treated like an entitlement by the employee. Been there, done that and have worked for tips, we would never even have thought to post something like that first seatac e-mail a long time ago, now it's typical. Like having a "TIP" pitcher sitting on a counter somewhere. (I might start a thread on SC about work attitudes and what they are like today - it's pretty scary really and not about tips - do you know some places give bonus pay for just showing up on time for work????!!! - but it's not for here. General concept of tipping? lots of posts already in the Bonfire)

edit: Tipping at the tunnel. Advice to Treejumps - tip if the instructors do a good job with your kids. tip well if they go out of the way to make them comfortable and have fun. don't just tip because someone showed up and are pissed because it's thanksgiving. I've been around the Orlando SV crowd a "little" these are great people that love their job and I think they do try to make it special for the customers, you will be pleasantly surprised. Any pissy 'attitudes' you encounter would be the exception, not the rule. I doubt you will encounter any for that matter.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Paige 0]

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It was recent, he was allowed to accept and chose not to for whatever reason - they were getting a real kick out whatching our reaction to our daughter flying, maybe that had a part of it, I don't know. I'll tip a good job always and well in the appropriate industries, but not just because someone showed up to work - especially if they are grumpy about having a job on a holiday - and never if it's treated like an entitlement by the employee. Been there, done that and have worked for tips, we would never even have thought to post something like that first seatac e-mail a long time ago, now it's typical. Like having a "TIP" pitcher sitting on a counter somewhere. (I might start a thread on SC about work attitudes and what they are like today - it's pretty scary really and not about tips - do you know some places give bonus pay for just showing up on time for work????!!! - but it's not for here. General concept of tipping? lots of posts already in the Bonfire)

edit: Tipping at the tunnel. Advice to Treejumps - tip if the instructors do a good job with your kids. tip well if they go out of the way to make them comfortable and have fun. don't just tip because someone showed up and are pissed because it's thanksgiving. I've been around the Orlando SV crowd a "little" these are great people that love their job and I think they do try to make it special for the customers, you will be pleasantly surprised. Any pissy 'attitudes' you encounter would be the exception, not the rule. I doubt you will encounter any for that matter.

That's a small part of why I like the Orlando staff so much; not that they don't take tips (they deserve them) but the principle behind it. They are always willing to help if you ask, even if they aren't having the best day. They go out of their way esp. if they are having a good time too, and I know they all love to see the little ones do well! I'm so glad to hear you and your daughter had a kick ass flight.

Off topic and forum: I think that would be a great idea for a SC post. I can't belive places give bonuses for showing up on time

Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate
www.TunnelPinkMafia.com

[Treejumps 0]

Thanks for the tips. I'll get everyone there early to watch, and I'll just go straight to back flying.

Cya.

[Paige 0]

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Thanks for the tips. I'll get everyone there early to watch, and I'll just go straight to back flying.

Cya.

Please let us know how it goes and what your experiences were. Ohhhh, pictures are a must also The little ones are soooooo cute in their suits, helmets, and goggles.

Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate
www.TunnelPinkMafia.com

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

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Let's remember that the Orlando tunnel is located in a tourist town. Tourist don't take Thanksgiving off.

There are lots of people that don't get into the holidays. I'm one of them. It's just another day for me. I hate it when there are business closed just because it's a "holiday."

I totally agree, Mary. I can promise you that the guys that volunteer to work on Holidays don't mind racking up the tunnel time. I can promise you that there isn't anyone working at any windtunnel in an operator or tunnel rat capacity that is doing so for the salary.

Chuck