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davelee

Canadian Wind tunnels? Anything new?

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I am new to the sport, and want to get better faster. I plan on taking my PFF once the weather gets warmer. I was wondering if anyone has heard anything about tunnels being built in Canada? It is a long drive to the nearest US tunnel. I have watched the videos on youtube and really want to try it myself.

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Nothing that's going to be useful to you for PFF. I know of people talking about it, but I don't know of anybody who is both talking about it and actually has the money to make it happen. I wouldn't expect to see anything operational in Canada within the next two years.

The closest tunnel to Canada that I know of is in New Hampshire.

You'll be fine. Plenty of people have gotten through PFF without the need for coaching in the tunnel. DO your PFF in the summer, and then go to Arizona for the Canadian Invasion next January and play in the tunnel there. :)
Blues.

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This message was published on the CSPA chat email list recently. I have no additional real information. Speculation on the chat list suggests that this tunnel will be small (2 people) and be require baggy suits, however it may be OK for one-on-one training. There has been no communication from the center, other than the announcement of the "future" opening, to refute or confirm the speculation.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mon 1/22/2007

Hello

We at Niagara Freefall & Interactive Center are pleased to announce the future opening of our new Indoor Skydiving center in late May. This facility will be opening in Niagara Falls, Ontario. We are preparing to seek experienced skydivers (especially those with experience in windtunnel flying) who have interest in becoming employed as trainers/instructors at our facility. Those persons interested may contact us directly by e-mail at [email protected]

Please visit our web site for further updates on the development. We look forward to having you fly with us!!! Have a great day.

Andrew Cserpes
Niagara Freefall &
Interactive Center
http://www.niagarafreefall.com/freefall/index.htm
"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

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Except that none of the SVCO instructors are available because their public won't let them go. Welcome to the Hotel Colorado. . . . ;) (Don't go giving any of them ideas! :P)

Necessary disclosure over. that being said, Ontario would be awesome!
TPM Sister #102

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I visited Niagra two years ago, and they were saying it would open "soon" then. As far as I know, this is a Flyaway type of tunnel (ala Vegas/Pigeon Forge, not SkyVenture). But hey, if they get it going, I'll probably visit at some point - a tunnel's a tunnel :P
Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

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Check this month's CanPara, especially if you are in Quebec!

We have Canadian tunnel coaching now! By members of the Evolution RW team. Vincent has 50 hours time. I just went on a 4 hour roadtrip from Montreal to Skyventure NH (closest to Canada). One hour of tunnel time.

It is a good way to get better faster - if you have the money - $$$$ ... Not a total substitute for skydiving of course. But if you have the cash, tunnel time combined with skydives, will teach you in less time faster than skydiving alone. Actually may save money if you are bad at PFF (700 dollars of tunnel time is like making 60 jumps in just one weekend - in terms of "fly" time), but you gotta try to get at least half hour or full hour, not just 15 mins. (Definitely not all at once, just spread throughout a whole day or weekend). But don't overload a weekend. 15 mins just feels like learning to fly a tube, not skydive - an hour is more like it.

It only accelerates certain aspects. Not essential but it is a timesaver if you have money. Be careful of altitude awareness. The tunnel doesn't help with that!! Nor making a bad landing breaking a leg. Or other things that your skydiving instructor will teach you...

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During a recent meeting of CSPA's Coaching Committee, the member from Quebec (Mario?) reported on an experimental program.
A Quebec DZ (Farnham) invited ten PFF students to visit the tunnel in New Hampshire and another ten to visit the tunnel in Orlando.
After a mere ten minutes in the tunnel, PFF students learned tremendous amounts. Their performance was greatly improved during their first few jumps. They did the usual "nervous wiggle" right after exit, then calmed down in familiar air. They completed all the basic survival skills so early in the PFF program, that they were turning points on their last dive.
He also reported that tunnel time helped reduce anxiety at all levels, improving learning in all skills.
Over the next year, Mario plans to refine the program and write proficiency cards, so any Canadian DZ can send any student to a wind tunnel secure in the knowledge that they will return with the basics.

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Rigger Rob was not talking about Rob Laidlaw and Tunnel AFF. He was talking about a Canadian DZ that has approval from CSPA to run Tunnel-PFF for Canadian students. This is a pilot program for CSPA that could eventually become an approved CSPA training program.
Derek Orr
CSPA 6620
D-633
IA,IB,IPFF,C1,C2 & Master Course Facilitator

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Hopefully the new tunnel will be built along Highway 20, on the West End of Montreal Island. The closer to Dorval Airport, the better.
A tunnel that close would force/embarrass the Canadian Armed Forces (Parachute School in Trenton, Ontario) into replacing their 1960s-vintage freefall curriculum with a 1990s-vintage curriculum.
Hee!
Hee!

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along Highway 20, on the West End of Montreal Island



I doubt it... Not many good malls along the 20 west of downtown. Except maybe Angrinion, but the area is a bit of a dive.

The article mentions a mall in the Greater Montreal. My bets are, in order:
- Laval, close to the Carefour Laval mall area there.
- Around the Fairview Mall along the 40
- In St Bruno, at the mall complex there.
Remster

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I still think that the new tunnel should be near Montreal - and near a major highway.
Remember that many Canadian skydivers have criminal records that prevent them from visiting tunnels in other countries.
This problem will only get worse when Transport Canada starts enforcing the latest version of the no-fly-list.

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Remember that many Canadian skydivers have criminal records that prevent them from visiting tunnels in other countries.
This problem will only get worse when Transport Canada starts enforcing the latest version of the no-fly-list.



Well, by golly, perhaps they shouldn't try to smuggle hockey bags full of weed across the border, or make hash in their basement!

Just a thought.....;)

Sorry Rob, couldn't resist.

Disclaimer: This post has nothing to do with Rob. But I'm sure he knows several jumpers that fit the bill.:ph34r:

------------------------------

Controlled and Deliberate.....

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Tunnel time before PFF is now always proposed at Nouvel Air and I got to see why! This spring Nouvel Air organised a jumping week for students at Z-hills as they usually do. I went there to do my RW course and got my friend to do his PFF. So he went to New Hamshire to do some Tunnel time 1 week before the trip. The first jumps he did resembled any other student without tunnel time because of anxiety, but dammit, when he got to his last jump, the video one, he flew in the air like someone with 30-40 jumps. Perfect position, very stable, made tons of flips, 360's, and always recovered perfectly, and it was the same thing with the other students who did tunnel time. After that, I got shy showing my PFF vid after his in family events :$


As for the Tunnel in Quebec, it's not going to be in Montreal, but close enought ;). It will be in Laval, less than 1km away from the Carrefour laval. So this means about 10 mins from the airports of Dorval in perfect driving conditions, which means NO TRAFFIC!

Edit to add: It's supposed to be ready for spring 2008



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Tunnel time before PFF is now always proposed at Nouvel Air and I got to see why!



We just graduated a friend who we took the last couple years for a little tunnel time (~40 minutes total - mantis focus on the last trip)

She graduated straight through. On jump 8, we took her for a 4 way and turned 20 points.

Tunnel prep is great for learning. She could focus on altitude awareness and canopy work, and gear better.

However, I have a feeling, she'd have been a very heads up student anyway.....

Poor thing, now she has to step back, slightly, and get those license requirement and experience jumps going. Not everything is at this stage is 4-way and a lot of points. (she has solo skills to demonstrate, hop and pop, etc etc etc).

...
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

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As for the Tunnel in Quebec, it's not going to be in Montreal, but close enought ;). It will be in Laval, less than 1km away from the Carrefour laval. So this means about 10 mins from the airports of Dorval in perfect driving conditions, which means NO TRAFFIC!

Edit to add: It's supposed to be ready for spring 2008



I said:
Quote

The article mentions a mall in the Greater Montreal. My bets are, in order:
- Laval, close to the Carefour Laval mall area there



I'M A WINNER!!! :D:ph34r:
Remster

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Hi, all
This is not official, but I just called Niagara freefall and spoke to a staff member. He said they may very well be opening this weekend, that they were just waiting for a license. He did say that this was a recirculating wind tunnel, but from what I heard it's small and big enough for 1 on 1 training. He said the price is $70 per 3 minute session, and was rather confused when I asked him about the price per minute and per hour, so I wonder if they are even interested on catering for skydivers as much as for whuffos. Nonetheless, I would check it out next weekend and bring you more unofficial updates.
Freakfly.ca coming soon

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Hello,

It will be open any day now. Just need that last piece of paperwork to come in. Those of us that are training for instructors are skydivers for the most part, and it sounds like there will be experienced skydiver packages at a discounted rate.

Hope to see you all at the tunnel soon!

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Quote


As for the Tunnel in Quebec, it's not going to be in Montreal, but close enought ;). It will be in Laval, less than 1km away from the Carrefour laval. So this means about 10 mins from the airports of Dorval in perfect driving conditions, which means NO TRAFFIC!

Edit to add: It's supposed to be ready for spring 2008



I said:
Quote

The article mentions a mall in the Greater Montreal. My bets are, in order:
- Laval, close to the Carefour Laval mall area there



I'M A WINNER!!! :D:ph34r:


I'm still a winner! ;) But the latest I heard from one of the principal investor in the MOntreal tunnel is December 2008. It will be a 14 foot recirculating (same chamber size as Eloy, but with recirculation).
Remster

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hi, I know the 5 major owners of the Montreal SkyVenture tunnel.

1-Officially It will be located in Laval, on highway 15 near the space center.

2-All the finance has been secured, and the start of the construction is scheduled on beginning of April 08. The official opening is scheduled on december 08.

hope this helps.

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Is it just me or does this sound like we are talking about 2 wind tunnels:

1 - one almost open today that we can't get any details on and:

2 - Another Skyventure that won't start construction until April that we can't get any more details on


I'll assume the first one is the small one and the 14 footer is the skyventure project

Edit: whoops, I guess we are. one in Niagara and one in Montreal

...
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

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