I Skydived The World’s Largest Indoor Wind Tunnel

Kate gets by in life as a music publicist but…

From zorbing to zip-lining, these days there’s a plethora of unusual activities for travellers to indulge in – one such experience is indoor skydiving.

IFly Singapore hosts the largest wind tunnel custom-built for this new craze, which stands at an impressive 17 meters high and five meters wide.

I’m far from brave. I was once forced to go skydiving in the Swiss Alps (I know, poor me) and I honestly hated it. As soon as I was in the air, the gut-wrenching free-fall felt so sickening that I wanted to turn around and crawl back up to the chopper. So for me, this was the appeal of Indoor Skydiving (or “Bodyflying”) – the thrill of skydiving minus that sickening free-fall.

Fitted with the standard goggles, earplugs and helmet, along with a stylin’ parachute suit, I edged slowly towards the wind tunnel door. I leant forward and fell smoothly onto a bed of air. Instantly, the wind powering through the wire floor kept me hovering in mid-air.

Cheeks flapping and teeth cold, I was screaming and laughing at the same time. Communicating through hand signals, the instructor helped me to become stable. The thrill and the adrenaline rush felt exactly like I was skydiving again – but this time, I was in control.

I could change my position, spin around in a circle, and alter my height within the tunnel. The slightest change in body position caused drastic movement, and the challenge was learning how to control myself. It was addictive, fun and bloody loud.

Afterwards, my legs were jelly and my hair was a mess. My throat was sore from screaming (equal parts from joy and fear). I wanted to fly again so I could see what more I could do.

For first timers, the IFly takes about one and a half hours. It’ll set you back $109SNG ($107AUD) for two 45 second “flights” – each will feel like the longest 45 seconds of your life. Be sure to book in advance too. You’ve got to try this.

(Images: author’s own)

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