The Beckhams hire-out Airkix for New Year's day

[cpoxon 0]

From The Sun (Britain's "leading" tabloid newspaper)

Quote

David Beckham dived, ref!

By JAMIE PYATT
January 03, 2007

DAVID Beckham and his family had a Happy BLEW Year — “indoor skydiving” in a 150mph wind tunnel.

The soccer ace and wife Posh paid £1,200 to privately hire out the Airkix centre on January 1.

Becks, 31, and Posh, 32 — along with sons Brooklyn, seven, and Romeo, four — put on flight suits and goggles, then spent 20 minutes lying face-down on tables learning freefall parachute manoeuvres.

Afterwards, all four were taken one at a time into a vertical wind tunnel, which blasts air upwards at speeds of up to 150mph.

It blows users off their feet and reproduces the sensation of freefall parachuting without the risk. The “skydivers” just hover in mid-air.

The only member of the Beckham clan to miss out was one-year-old son Cruz, who was looked after by an aide. An insider at the Xscape complex in Milton Keynes, Bucks, where Airkix is based, said: “David and Victoria looked very funny with their goggles on.

“All four went into an outer chamber in their flight suits and with their goggles and were then taken into the inner chamber one at a time.


“It’s 12ft across and once you enter the chamber, the airflow knocks your feet out from under you and you begin flying.

“The instructor was in there with David, Victoria, then Brooklyn and Romeo and basically got them into the freefall position. Then he took all four through movements they had been taught in the pre-flight briefing.

“David and Brooklyn were both really good and were going up and down and forward and back and turning like proper skydivers.

“Posh and Romeo had a great time but weren’t as good. It’s very exhilarating. They would have had four or five flights, each one between one and two minutes.”

Other celebs who have tried Airkix include jockey Frankie Dettori, cricketer Darren Gough, athlete Linford Christie and comic Rory McGrath.

The Beckhams stayed for 90 minutes. The insider added: “At the end David bought lots of photos of them doing it and a number of DVDs.

“They said it was great and that they’d be back.”

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See the great Photoshop effort from the Sun! And the outside shot is of the Xscape centre and not Airkix! D'oh!

Skydiving Fatalities - Cease not to learn 'til thou cease to live

[Spizzzarko 0]

That is the best picture I have seen... EVER!

[Yossarian 0]

i love how the sun always feels the need to photoshop, sometimes even when real photographs are available but just dont have that dramatic kick!

[orribolollie 0]

Hahahaha what is up with that picture???? Were they flying over a vat of burning oil???

Fair play to the brainy beckhams though...if I had their dough id be renting the tunnel on a daily basis to.