finding a windtunnel

[knic 0]

where is the best wind tunnel at in the usa?

-knic

- Knic

[NeedToJump 0]

ParacleteXP in Raeford, NC - http://www.paracletexp.com/

Wind Tunnel and Skydiving Coach http://www.ariperelman.com

[matthewcline 0]

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ParacleteXP in Raeford, NC - http://www.paracletexp.com/

+1

Matt

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[Jewels 0]

It depends on what you're looking for in a tunnel, I think. Asking which the "best" tunnel is will get you a lot of loyalty-driven answers (because *I* would have to say SVCO ), but maybe you should start by telling us more about what features are most important to you. Do you have preferences based on location for travel purposes, or do you care more about the overall cost to fly? Do you want a specific kind of coaching? Do you want a tunnel on a dropzone? Etc., etc., etc. The "best" tunnel for your purposes will be dictated by what kind of experience you want.

TPM Sister #102

[LloydDobbler 2]

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It depends on what you're looking for in a tunnel, I think. Asking which the "best" tunnel is will get you a lot of loyalty-driven answers (because *I* would have to say SVCO ), but maybe you should start by telling us more about what features are most important to you. Do you have preferences based on location for travel purposes, or do you care more about the overall cost to fly? Do you want a specific kind of coaching? Do you want a tunnel on a dropzone? Etc., etc., etc. The "best" tunnel for your purposes will be dictated by what kind of experience you want.

+1...for both the request for info *and* the SVCO rec.

Signatures are the new black.

[Jewels 0]

I like the way you think!

TPM Sister #102

[knic 0]

I'm looking for coaching and a realist feel. I'm looking to move from belly flying to freeflying but concerned about learning in the air. I've seen video of guys in the tunnel and it seems like a great place to expedite the learning of this new discipline. I have had a buddy tell me that he didn't like going to the tunnel because they didn't punch up the air. So I guess he was just flopping around on the net. I want to learn quickly in a realist environment. Travle isn't a problem for me.

- Knic

[Jewels 0]

Well, I've only been to a couple of tunnels so I'm not the best person to give an unbiased opinion or to compare tunnels across the board. However, a lot of the instructors at SVCO are skydivers and are well-equipped to help you get the "realistic" experience that you're looking for. The amount of air you get will depend on how you're doing in the tunnel and the level of control that you have. Those walls are hard! Too much wind and not enough control can add up to trouble. However, talking with your instructors in advance and letting them know of your goals will help move you in the right direction, both in terms of skills and, when you're ready for it, in the wind speed that they give you. The SVCO instructors are also more than able to coach you in free flying or belly flying, as the case may be.

TPM Sister #102

[johnboy 0]

If your jump numbers are accurate, then I would also like to encourage you to spend plenty of time getting comfortable on your belly first. Freeflying is cool beyond words and a very worthy goal, but if your aim is to become a better skydiver (also a worthy goal!), a solid foundation of belly flying is going to make you safer all the way around. The tunnel is awesome for learning both and definitely worth your time. Remember, this isn't a race! Take your time, have fun, and best wishes!

[knic 0]

Has anyone gotten any tunnel time at Appalachian Amusement Center? Me and a buddy are planning on heading out there this weekend. Wanted to know if anyone had any feedback. Thanks.

- Knic

[LloydDobbler 2]

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Has anyone gotten any tunnel time at Appalachian Amusement Center? Me and a buddy are planning on heading out there this weekend. Wanted to know if anyone had any feedback. Thanks.

The AAC is an interesting time. Some nice people work there, that's for sure.

I'll say this - you won't learn as much there as you would at a Skyventure tunnel. It's more of a ride than a training ground. Reason being, you'd be surprised how hard it is to stay in the middle of that column of air. You have to keep looking down at a dot on the net to stay lined up, which is not the best body position for belly flying. One leg goes out of the column, and you lose the drive from it. (And usually, since you're used to driving forward with your legs, out you go. Meet the net.)
Skyventure tunnels, OTOH, involve a completely enclosed column of air, so you can't get out of the airstream. Much more similar to skydiving.

Of course, it's been a while since I flew the L1, and last time I was there they were talking about adding an enclosure of sorts. Not sure if that ever happened.

But like I said, it's a fun time - I just don't think I got much out of it as a skydiver.

Signatures are the new black.

[freefalljenn 0]

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Has anyone gotten any tunnel time at Appalachian Amusement Center? Me and a buddy are planning on heading out there this weekend. Wanted to know if anyone had any feedback. Thanks.

AAC is a great tunnel. It is different than any other wind tunnel you will find anywhere in the world. Training there is different than training in a SkyVenture wind tunnel because it is not an enclosed column of air. Having said that, training there is entirely possible, just different than training at a SkyVenture tunnel. And, you can't beat the views!!!! I have about 5 hours of time there and go back as often as the $$$ allows.

jenn
Tunnel Junkie Since November 2005! ;o)~
TPM #46
Paraclete XP TPM Delegate

[Paige 0]

I agree with Jenn. It is a great tunnel to fly and explore. There is nothing like flying outdoors among the Smokey Mountains!

For drills, you may want to plan out what training will be most beneficial in that type of environemnt. Adjusting to the lack of walls can take a few minutes but if you're a capable flyer, training should not be an issue.

I'm not sure it would be as intense as an SV training session but that does not mean it will not be greatly beneficial to your progression!

The people there are top notch. John Suiter is amazing, kind, patient, and always willing to coach eager students. Be sure to see if he's around on your visit!

Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate
www.TunnelPinkMafia.com

[freefalljenn 0]

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The people there are top notch. John Suiter is amazing, kind, patient, and always willing to coach eager students. Be sure to see if he's around on your visit!

John and the other instructors there are some of the most versatile flyers you will find as well.....most of them started in FlyAway tunnels and many people find the FlyAway tunnels to be the most challenging to fly in.

jenn
Tunnel Junkie Since November 2005! ;o)~
TPM #46
Paraclete XP TPM Delegate

[knic 0]

I'm still new to this, but what is a flyaway tunnel? and outdoor tunnel or a tunnel that doesn't have a net or wall?

- Knic

[freefalljenn 0]

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I'm still new to this, but what is a flyaway tunnel? and outdoor tunnel or a tunnel that doesn't have a net or wall?

Flyaway is essentially the first generation of wind tunnels that was out there. It is an indoor tunnel but doesn't have walls per say as the air column is surrounded by air pads and the walls are behind the air pads. The tunnel at AAC is an outdoor tunnel with a net in the fly area to catch the flyer if/when they leave the air column. There are no walls at the AAC tunnel.

If you want to learn a bit about the history of tunnels and the industry, be sure to visit here http://www.bodyflight.net/history.html

There is a list and a narrative about all of the wind tunnels in the world located here http://www.bodyflight.net/wind_tunnels.html

I hope that helps. Have fun at the tunnel!

jenn
Tunnel Junkie Since November 2005! ;o)~
TPM #46
Paraclete XP TPM Delegate

[knic 0]

Yea my buddy ended up going to AAC and didn't really get too much from it. He wasn't able to stay in the column of air and just wound up frustrated and on the net. I had to calm him down, he was almost to the point where he didn't want to do the skydiving anymore. They gave him a VHS, so now we are going to hunt down a VCR so we can watch his performance, lol. He said that he was going to try SkyVenture in NC this weekend and if he couldn't find his balance in there then he was done. I don't want him to quit but i don't want him to be stuck on lvl 3 for the rest of his life either. Any advice to help save my jumping buddy?

- Knic

[LloydDobbler 2]

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Yea my buddy ended up going to AAC and didn't really get too much from it. He wasn't able to stay in the column of air and just wound up frustrated and on the net. I had to calm him down, he was almost to the point where he didn't want to do the skydiving anymore. They gave him a VHS, so now we are going to hunt down a VCR so we can watch his performance, lol. He said that he was going to try SkyVenture in NC this weekend and if he couldn't find his balance in there then he was done. I don't want him to quit but i don't want him to be stuck on lvl 3 for the rest of his life either. Any advice to help save my jumping buddy?

Sorry to hear that the trip ended in frustration. As I mentioned up-thread, I've been to AAC with a jumper who had as many jumps as you have in your profile (and ~10 mins tunnel time in SkyVenture tunnels), and we both had a tough time staying in the column (I had ~50 jumps at the time).

As common as backsliding and/or other lateral movement is in newer jumpers, it makes sense that the L1 tunnel is a little tougher for jumpers with less experience. I imagine I'd have a blast flying it now (with 12 hours of tunnel time and 250 jumps), but with less experience, I found it hard.

At SkyVenture (Paraclete, I assume?), it'll be a totally different beast. He likely won't have issues with things like 'balance' - in a SV tunnel, you don't have to fight to stay on top of the air. As long as he can relax and keep a good arch (remember: 'the wind is your friend'), he should be fine.

As I mentioned earlier, I find the SV tunnels much more akin to skydiving than the L1 - mainly because the airflow seems cleaner, and you can't slide out of the column at any given moment. For someone having issues with Level 3 (which was my girlfriend's issue), it'll make a world of difference. She had to repeat the release dive 3 times before getting 10 mins of tunnel time and passing it with no problem.

Just tell him to relax, have fun, and fly. He should do fine.

Let us know how it goes.

Signatures are the new black.

[hparrish 0]

Maybe he should concentrate more on having fun and enjoying himself than trying to master tunnel flying.

Neither Tunnel Flying or Skydiving are EASY. It takes time and effort for most to gain what are considered good skills.

It's kind of insulting in a way that he thinks he should be able to go in and be instantly good. Allot of folks spend alot of time and money to gain their skills, why should your buddy expect it will be any different.

Again if he isn't enjoying himself, which is what recreational activities are suppoesed to be about. Then perhaps he should quit, or Chill and learn to enjoy learning how to fly.

[sergant 0]

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Yea my buddy ended up going to AAC and didn't really get too much from it. He wasn't able to stay in the column of air and just wound up frustrated and on the net.
[...]
Any advice to help save my jumping buddy?

I've flown in SV (Orlando, Perris, Eloy) as well as in AAC and think that airflow quality in AAC is one of the best (only Eloy 16' tunnel is close). I have never felt any kind of turbulence there. And now AAC L1 is my favorite for solo belly flights
According to your buddy frustration, tell him it takes time to learn how fly. And nobody even with 1000+ jumps fights perfect in a tunnel at first time.

[knic 0]

Well the outdoor tunnel didn't work out too well for him. Not to say that the place was a bad tunnel just don't think it was for beginners. He spent more time on the net than in the air. They gave him a VHS, lol that he let me see. He just refuses to relax.

Since then he's been up to Sky Venture in NC and then he went to the Drop zone in Raeford. He did okay enough to pass to level 4 where he's at now. I think he like going to the indoor tunnels better than he like going skydiving. I think my buddy is tuning into what some jumps call a "tunnel rat."

I guess everything is working out for him. Thanks for all the advice.

- Knic