NeedToJump 0 #1 April 6, 2005 Paige and I were in Las Vegas last week and while we were there we got to fly at Flyaway Indoor Skydiving. HUGE thanks to Dawn (Bodyflight.NET) and Keith (the manager at Flyaway) for hooking us up! You rock Dawn! First off, Paige and I are huge SkyVenture Orlando tunnel rats, we're in there all the time. We've both heard all the bad things that skydivers say about Flyaway. We decided to go anyway and check it all out. Sunday night we flew in the Orlando tunnel. The next night we got to Flyaway LV and met the instructors there. We told them that we wanted to try flying in our Ouragan tunnel suits and they basically laughed at us but told us ok. We got into the chamber, the tunnel powered up and the instructor told me to jump in. Once I jumped in it was all I could do just to stay off the net! I was surprised at how little lift there was, even in my tunnel suit on my belly! For backflying I was basically a big X. Paige had similar experiences and we just laughed. We got out of the tunnel for a few minutes, did a few suits swaps and ended up with two of their baggiest / most powerful suits. At that point we were able to stay off the net on belly and back, but I still couldn't hold a static sitfly for very long off the net. Most of the flying I ended up doing was going up on my belly or back and then using that momentum to fly for a few seconds at a time. Paige had a little easier time sitflying, but still had difficulty flying off the net consistently although she was looking a lot better than me The tunnel ended up staying open late just for us and we were completely beat afterwards! Flyaway is a recirculating tunnel and it got super hot in there. The combination of extremely slow flying and that much heat just wore us out. We went back on Friday morning when the air was a lot cooler and the tunnel hadn't yet been run for the day. Again we tried out our Ouragan tunnel suits and had a much better time - belly flying felt fine and I was able to freefly a little bit, although I was still as big as I could get. Then we went and changed suits again back to the big baggy suits. At this point we actually felt like we were able to fly. The big suits and cool morning air made a huge difference. I was still unable to hold a static sit fly off the net for more than a few seconds, but Paige could. She was even able to do her splits in there! We were both able to fly much better. The air in there is like a cone with the bottom center being the most powerful and getting constantly weaker as you move away (both horizontally and vertically.) The airflow is not stable either - it is constantly changing throughout the entire tunnel. At one point I was on my belly and told Paige to jump in. When she did it felt like a "wave" was created which completely knocked me out of the airflow! There's also a circle outside of the airflow but before you get to the outside padding where you can get completely sucked in. Any time Paige or I ended up there we would have to crawl our way out or back in All in all we had a phenomenal time at Flyaway. Even though the tunnel air wasn't what we were used to and no where near as powerful or steady, the people there were super friendly and treated us great! I highly recommend going to Flyaway if you are going to be in Las Vegas - just don't expect a skydiving simulator. If you expect something more along the lines of a ride and are just looking to enjoy yourself and not "train" then you'll love it! Definitely try to go in the morning when the air is cooler. Again, HUGE thanks to Dawn for hooking us up and huge thanks to all the Flyaway staff for treating us so well. Wind Tunnel and Skydiving Coach http://www.ariperelman.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paige 0 #2 April 6, 2005 We got serviced at the tunnel before and after hours Those instructors were super accommodating, helpful, and skillful. I'm not sure if I could fly there all the time cause of the heat but its one hell of a good time. You'll have a hard time finding another place to take this good of care of you. Take into consideration I've only been to FlyAway 2 years ago and this year, then Orlando for my gobs of hours.Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate www.TunnelPinkMafia.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bodyflight.Net 0 #3 April 8, 2005 Hey you two! Stop with all the 'props', I can't stop blushing!!!! DID YOU FLY NAKED??!?!??!!!??!!!???!!! Anyway, I don't know what's up with the rumors you guys heard.. Vegas has always been pretty good, it's alot faster & wider than the PF version, so I'm glad you guys got some fun time in (especially when it's cool). Ya know, that's why we started the Boogie Nights thing cuz when we fly with our tunnel rat friends, it's like so relaxed and fun and everyone shares their time and NO ONE is counting minutes!!! We don't even use a clock!!! We're so used to the type of treatment your talkin about that we can't understand why anyone would have it any other way! Enjoying the non-competitive side of flying is like a whole other school of thought!!! Did you meet Brett or Tara?! They were here for a tunnel boogie a couple of weeks ago I asked them to keep an eye out for ya too! Keith Fields is a TOP NOTCH manager with a REAL love for bodyflying! He understands it's not about simulating freefall, it's about loving flying! Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Tunnels, Dawn Suiter Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #4 October 12, 2005 Well, I travel a lot for work... Vegas was always a "safe spot" as I don't gamble... So my money used to stay with me... But, that was before skydiving... A few years ago I actually ended up in the lobby of Flyaway LV, as a wuffo... But I was real sick, so I opted not to fly... Well, I am going next week to Vegas for work... I won't have a car on this trip, so skydiving is out of the question.. But, I will be walking distance to the tunnel... Looks like now that I am a skydiver, Vegas just got more expensive... I have 5 hours in Perris... Do you think there is enough wind to fly on your belly in a RW suit in Vegas??? For a 6'-3", 210 pound guy, I fall slow... My average RW jump is 110MPH... I can fly at 98, but that sucks... I prefer 110-120... Can this tunnel do that? Or should I just count on wearing one of the tunnel issued baggy suits.... Any other hints so I don't look like a fool to my wuffo friends.... I know I am going to miss my booties if I jump a baggy suit. All that previous tunnel time should buy me some "impress the friends" points... Perhaps I need to sneek in a day before I let my friends watch. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riddler 0 #5 October 12, 2005 QuoteDo you think there is enough wind to fly on your belly in a RW suit in Vegas??? For a 6'-3", 210 pound guy, I fall slow... My average RW jump is 110MPH. Borderline - I average about 110 on my belly, but I'm used to 120-130 when I'm flying with others. I have about 3 hours in the Vegas tunnel, and for one 6-minute ride I wore my slowest jumpsuit and it took pretty much everything I had just to stay airborne. I couldn't even turn because I would lose too much air and fall on the grate. But I don't have that much surface area either - 6 feet tall and 160 pounds. I went back to their balloon suits pretty quickly - I just wanted to try it once in my suit, and it was a little much for me.Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #6 October 12, 2005 So, how "natural" do those balloon suits feel??? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riddler 0 #7 October 12, 2005 Quote So, how "natural" do those balloon suits feel??? Not natural at all - they will push your arms and legs up and put "unnatural" strain on your shoulders and hip-flexors. There is undue force required to turn. I've never freeflown in the tunnel, so I can only comment about belly flying. My (probably worthless) opinion - since you have over 100 jumps, this tunnel probably won't help you improve your flying at all. It's fun to do, but the balloon suits and the burble of air pressure make the experience less than realistic. If you have less than 100 jumps in your discipline of choice, or are on AFF, it can really help with getting stable and basic center-point turns. I think it's a fine tunnel for students and jumpers just starting out in one area. So for you, go for entertainment - not to learn. Go to Skyventure to learn.Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #8 October 12, 2005 QuoteSo for you, go for entertainment - not to learn. Go to Skyventure to learn. Well, since I have a handful of hours of coached time in Skyventure Perris, I guess I will just use this time to play... All the skyventure stuff was 100% focused on the task at hand, with a 4way coach and more than one player in the tunnel at the same time... No time just to dick around... If I moved without Simon saying move, I would get a nasty look across the tunnel from my coach... Maybe this will be some great entertainment where I can stick my tongue out at say, "this is fun." I just am afraid with those balloon suits, when I try to fly mantis, the fabric will knock me out... I hope they have an AAD on those suits for when the fabric slaps me silly.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paige 0 #9 October 12, 2005 QuoteMy (probably worthless) opinion - since you have over 100 jumps, this tunnel probably won't help you improve your flying at all. That's quite a statement to make and I found just the opposite. Since starting the Tunnel Pink Mafia @ SVO I've been freeflying in winds less than 100mph (splits, sit flying, and back flying). Without the FlyAway Las Vegas experience and time, along with a new Ouragan suit, this would not be possible and I'd be stuck flying on my belly with most of these tiny girls. You may not see right away how the tunnel can help, but how does being in the air and flying not improve something? You are in the air stream flying your body, regardless of your comments on the suit (freeflying is much easier- I struggled a bit to control the suit on my belly). If you can't manage to fly in different environments, your skill is limited. Learning to fly all kinds of environments is not only fun but will improve your flying.Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate www.TunnelPinkMafia.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paige 0 #10 October 12, 2005 QuoteMaybe this will be some great entertainment where I can stick my tongue out at say, "this is fun." Don't worry about the suit. You'll have a blast when you fly there. It is a TOTALLY different vibe from a SkyVenture. Not that SkyVenture is bad, I love SVO and EVERYONE there! It's just a different feel, esp. being in Las Vegas. Keith (TunnelRat) is fantastic and will take care of you if you hit him up ahead of time. He'll have the BEST answers for your questions seeing as he owns the place and has a bogillion hours in thereTunnel Pink Mafia Delegate www.TunnelPinkMafia.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NeedToJump 0 #11 October 12, 2005 QuoteI have 5 hours in Perris... Do you think there is enough wind to fly on your belly in a RW suit in Vegas??? For a 6'-3", 210 pound guy, I fall slow... My average RW jump is 110MPH... I can fly at 98, but that sucks... I prefer 110-120... Can this tunnel do that? Or should I just count on wearing one of the tunnel issued baggy suits.... Any other hints so I don't look like a fool to my wuffo friends.... I know I am going to miss my booties if I jump a baggy suit. All that previous tunnel time should buy me some "impress the friends" points... Perhaps I need to sneek in a day before I let my friends watch. My suggestion would be to bring your RW suit with you, get to the tunnel early and talk to the staff there about it. Keith and the others are great people who will help you out with whatever you're looking to do. Since you're going to a tunnel where the "standard" is to fly the big baggy balloon suits, I'd say plan on flying a big baggy balloon suit (at least at some point ) Go in with an open mind and don't expect it to be like your Perris tunnel experience and don't expect it to be like the sky. Expect to go in and have a good time and you will learn. Flying in slow air isn't any "harder" than flying in fast air - it's just different. There are a lot of people who are much more used to flying in slow air than fast air and find SkyVenture tunnels much "harder" to fly in than a Flyaway tunnel. As far as this goes: QuoteMy (probably worthless) opinion - since you have over 100 jumps, this tunnel probably won't help you improve your flying at all. yeah.... I'm going to have to disagree with this one... IMO Whether you learn from your experience in the tunnel or not is more a reflection of you than the tunnel. If you're open to learning then you'll learn. I think Paige summed it up perfectly: QuoteLearning to fly all kinds of environments is not only fun but will improve your flying.Wind Tunnel and Skydiving Coach http://www.ariperelman.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bodyflight.Net 0 #12 October 12, 2005 Travis, If you can't fly your regular suit at Flyaway.. I suggest you keep tryingI chose this photo because it's my guess that you are similarly sized to Keith here.. he and I are flying in regular old sweatshirts & sweatpants.. you can see that his are not that large and we are several feet off the net.. You can also see that neither of us are even CLOSE to maximizing our lift potential as we are both still very drawn in and boxy (myself more than Keith). This should illustrate to you that you have plenty of available air for belly flying! And if you don't feel like you do, then I would ask the instructors for tips and pointers. It's a different situation completely than SVP and will be much more relaxed and like hanging out with friends! The mantis position isn't the right tool for the job here. You'll take away from your surface area and instead of learning to fly with a big ol suit, you could learn to fly a flat position and maximize your natural god given surface area! You'll have a GREAT time, just go in with an open mind and remember, lots of us do it.. you can too! It's a new & fun challenge! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #13 October 12, 2005 I think I am going to have a great time in the tunnel.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #14 October 12, 2005 After seeing your photo.... I have limited suitcase room so I think I am going to leave my tight fitting RW suit at home, but going to bring some clothes I use for freeflying (somewhat baggy)... I will also try those baggy suits too, just to learn what it feels like... I never have jumped with anything more baggy than a sweatshirt, so I will learn a lot. That photo proves there is plenty of air.... I am going to have to see if Keith can hook me up with some tips and tricks... All my tunnel coaching so far has been designed to translate directly to skydiving and 4way... I bet Keith has fun games and tricks that are tunnel specific... I now have that "shit I can't go to work and concentrate" problem... Thanks peps... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riddler 0 #15 October 12, 2005 QuoteI've been freeflying in winds less than 100mph It wasn't the slow wind that I thought was a big deal - it's easy enough to fly in if you've got enough surface area. It really was the suit and the burble of air that made it unrealistic. Way too easy to slide off the "edge" in the Vegas tunnel (although it DID help me learn to control my position ). And for belly flying, the big suit doesn't allow you to get a good mantis position - the extra surface area on your arms and legs really blow those parts of your body upwards. Now FF is a completely different area - I've never freeflown in any tunnel, so I can't testify which tunnels are good/bad for that.Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paige 0 #16 October 12, 2005 QuoteAnd for belly flying, the big suit doesn't allow you to get a good mantis position - the extra surface area on your arms and legs really blow those parts of your body upwards. Yup! That even happens with my new tunnel suit in Orlando if the winds are up a bit and I'm on my belly. There is so much drag on my arms they just fly right away from the rest of my body . I'm sure its also due to my lack of hard core belly skillz. You should have seen the video of my FA LV flight. The suit was flying me on my belly. Right in then right out of the air stream lol! There are no bad tunnels, just people who can't fly them Me included, if you can fly every tunnel extremely well you have something to brag about and a shit ton of time and/or a really fantastic coach!Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate www.TunnelPinkMafia.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
