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check some here...... http://www.airkix.com/photo_gallery/staff-party/ our new Manchester site.

Just to let you know that Airkix will open its second UK tunnel next week. It is based in Manchester close to Manchester and Liverpool airports. Postcode is M41 7JA and it's off Junction 10 of the M60 Motorway next to Chill Factore indoor skiing and the huge Trafford Centre It's a 14ft, 1600HP SkyVenture tunnel, very smooth and fast and will have its own cafe/bar area as part of the viewing gallery. There's a conference room, classroom and 3 training rooms plus a 14ft creeper area. We broke ground in the first week of June this year and have been flying skydivers a few days before we truly open on the 22nd December. This makes it the fastest tunnel build by quite a way. We look forward to seeing you. Happy Christmas and here's to a 'windy' 2010. see us at www.airkix.com

17.30, the first class is about to go into tunnel. Everyone worked really hard with a minimum of fuss to get people flying again quickly.

The roof is actually two separate skins and the top skin has indeed parted from the structure in high winds at about 4am. It must have lifted, turned 90 degrees and landed on the tarmac underneath missing lights, lamposts, trees etc. It was almost entirely intact as a single piece. Builders are on-site and the debris is being cleared and anything loose is being secured. As soon as that is completed, hopefully later today, we expect to be operational. Standby for additional information.

Happy Christmas to all tunnel flyers from all of us at Airkix and congratulations to all the new arrivals in 2006 including Colorado, New Hampshire, Spanish Military, Netherlands and the Bodyflight twins of Paul & Nicole's. Have a good one and we hope to see you in 2007. The Airkix Aircrew

Just to let all budding tunnel instructors and customer service people that we are hiring. Customer service staff are required straight away and in particular we are looking for someone who can help with the skydiver customers. Instructors, we will be looking to train the next course in March. To apply, goto http://www.airkix.com/misc_pages/join_the_aircrew/join_the_aircrew.asp?css=1 and download the application form. Must have UK work permission and speak fluent English. it's a minimum 2 year contract as well.

WE HAVE SPACE! Booked til Feb - Great thought but quite untrue. Plenty of bookings coming in but lots of space. Skydivers; please use 01908 247770 or email us at [email protected] We are experiencing huge phone traffic over the festive period as people buy and redeem their vouchers. Happy Christmas to you all!

Airkix will be open every day apart from Christmas day and make judgements on actual opening and closing times nearer the time dependent on bookings. You never know, we might be tempted to circulate the air on Christmas day too! Happy festive season to you all....

Just the one place available on the camp dated 23/24 November. Give the office a call if you want to take the space; 0845 331 6549 Jason, your camp is full with six of you. Enjoy! http://www.airkix.com/skydivers/freefly.asp

The media has been pretty good for bodyflying (and skydiving) on the back of the launch of the two tunnels. It's probably fair to say that neither Paul (Meyer) or I view our media campaigns as a scoop over each other, more promotion for the two businesses with the winner being the sport in general. You can expect to see Airkix on BBC1 Newsround this Saturday at 11.45am and a few other places besides. We have just finished our first tunnel camp with the second just started. If you want to join one or come for some one on one coaching or two on two 4-way over the next few days and this weekend with Arizona Airspeed members Gary Beyer and Mark Kirkby, let us know NOW 0845 331 6549.

Happy to say that bookings for the tunnel camps with Gary Beyer and Mark Kirkby of Arizona Airspeed are going very well but we can get a couple more in so do get in touch ASAP +44 1908 247770 or 0845 331 6549 local rate. Don't forget the evening sessions of 15mins and the weekend where it's 2 on 2 - you and another with Mark and Gary for the best 4 way of your life and all fully coached and recorded. Gary and Mark arrive next week and will be here for about 10 days. Visitors also welcome to view. The tunnel has been going just over a week now and performing brilliantly so far. It's unbelievably efficient and air is fantastic. Top speed is probably impossible to fly as we limit the whole system to 80% of the maximum. Rusty and Joe have both flown to that level (just) and it's well off the mph meter!! We've also flown a tandem, with kit and NO drogue.

The only Jetstream we have an interest in is the vertical one. We are flying as we speak so come on down! We'll be operating all weekend in a test programme mode as there is still outer building works and final systems tests going on. Anyone can join us within this test phase and normal rates prevail. Look forward to seeing you and Rusty and Joe are here from SVO.

Just to let you know that we fired up the Airkix tunnel in Milton Keynes today. Although we ran it a few days back direct from the VFD units, this was the first test through the control systems. Today we were on the manual system and tomorrow we intend to test the PC based systems. Temperature was great without using the cooling doors and we flew for well over an hour. The air can be as fast as you like and it's super-smooth at all levels and all across the tunnel. SkyVenture say it's as good as anything they have done. Quite a bit of building work on the outside but we should be flying from the weekend and the Tunnel Camps and coaching sessions with Gary Beyer and Mark Kirkby are going well. give us a call if you want to join the fun and get some serious coaching from Arizona Airspeed members! www.airkix.com or +44 1908 247770.

Rumours eh!!! well, it may just have been true about Airkix, there may have been some motors running and some people may just have, sort of, flown a bit..... but of course that would just be rumour. I bet the same rumour might have said what a great, smooth, fast airflow it would have been as well - if the rumour had been true of course.... New Hampshire, Colorado and Moscow will all have similar tunnels to Airkix - and that's a fact!

Interesting to see the topic and quality of debate re SkyVenture UK. You may have noticed that we rarely post on websites as we are busy building a quality product in a fantastic location for our customers to enjoy. Right now we are in the construction stage and our website reflects this and we often update it with new photos. On the site we have given information about the Early Bird gift certificate, which is primarily aimed at the general market. If Gavin was correct, £50 for 2 minutes would indeed be hugely expensive and if he had read all the page he would have seen that there is at least one and probably two extra flights (I can confirm, we will be generous)! We know that some may not want a T-shirt or hat but many will and I'm sure that they will appreciate the video (DVD) or picture package. So, on the bright side you could reasonably expect 4 mins of flight, DVD and a T-shirt for £50 inc VAT. That makes the actual flight time well under £9 a minute compared to Paris at nearer £13. There will be a number of developments in SkyVenture UK over the next few weeks and we look forward to telling you more as they happen. In the meantime, feel free to email me with any question at [email protected] and then you can be sure that it is not rumour, speculation, gossip or hearsay. Our first instructors are just off for training and will come back with 3 months experience in the World's busiest tunnel before they fly a single person in our facility. And, we plan to open in October of this year. Keep up to date at www.skyventure.co.uk and if you want to see where we are, check http://www.xscape.co.uk/miltonkeynes/Default.asp?f=1& when we think how hard it is to get time away from families to go freefalling, this location will make it a whole lot easier! Thanks for all the interest. Simon Ward