We had heard so much about iFLY Austin, the indoor skydiving facility, that we were really eager to test it out for ourselves. The iFLY experience creates true free-fall conditions with a vertical wind tunnel that feels just like skydiving, without having to jump out of an airplane. And there is no experience required. In fact, kids as young as age 3 can fly. Read all about our experience below (spoiler alert — it was awesome!).

From our Do512 Family Editor, Heidi:

When we first planned our iFLY party, I was really excited! I am not someone who’s a “thrill-seeker” or “adrenaline junky” by any means (I mean, I am kind of a whimp about these things), but the idea of indoor skydiving in a safe, secure environment with a trained instructor, sounded pretty cool. My husband and oldest son, age 8, were also really pumped to give this a try.

When we arrived last Monday, we signed in at the front desk about an hour before our scheduled flight time. We signed the waivers noting that we didn’t have any back, neck or shoulder injuries. Then we met our instructor for the pre-flight class. While waiting for our whole group to arrive, we able to watch the party scheduled before ours give it a go. It was really fun to see how it all worked before we suited up for our own flight. And the smiles on the flyers’ faces gave me a boost of confidence that this wasn’t anything to fear.

Our group then met for our pre-flight class with our instructors, Kirk and Josh. We watched a short video that demonstrated proper flight form, and we also learned hand signals that the instructors use when you’re in flight (because you surely can’t hear a thing in the wind tunnel). We then put on our flight suits, earplugs, goggles, and helmets. (Note that it’s best to wear sneakers or lace-up shoes and remove your jewelry before you go.)

Then it was time to fly! Our group entered the flying chamber together, but each of us flew one-on-one with the instructor. Flyers are given two one-minute flights. In the first flight, the instructors coach you as you get used to the sensation of flying. In the second one-minute flight, instructors take you all the way up the chamber for a really exciting flight. The instructors are wonderful at helping you relax and have the most fun with this experience!

iFLY was such a blast for our whole group! All of the kids and parents had a really terrific time. iFLY offers tons of packages ranging from individuals to birthday parties, field trips, corporate groups and team-building events. Prices for first time flyers start at $59.95. A family package offers savings for a family of up to 5 people, and we’ve got one to give away to a lucky Do512 Family reader!