Indoor Skydiving with iFly at Milton Keynes and Red Letter Days

Being a Red Letter Days Ambassador is a varied role, first I did Cake Decorating with Eric Lanlard, my next assignment – Indoor Skydiving! I did a proper skydive a few years ago, and it was an incredible experience. I was keen to see how it would compare to the real thing. Miss A joined me and fellow Red Letter Days Blogger Ambassador Jasmin with a bevvy of UK Bloggers at iFly Indoor Skydiving in Milton Keynes.

iFly Milton Keynes has offered Indoor Skydiving at Milton Keynes since 2005, and has had over half a million flyers through the doors. The wind tunnel can create wind speeds of up to 120mph to allow an authentic free fall experience. The fully trained instructors guide you every step of the way, and children as young as 4 are able to do it. Before we kitted up and took to the tunnel, myself and Jasmin sat down with iFly Milton Keynes General Manager and Instructor Andy for a chat about indoor skydiving –

Assume the position

Then, it was time to start our experience. We met our instructor, and indoor skydiving champion Ted. We sat and watched a safety video to give us a taster of what was to come. Ted then came back and gave us some pointers on the the ideal position for flight. The air tunnel is LOUD, so ‘talking’ is done via hand signals. Ted walked us through the signals for ‘straighten your legs’ ‘bend your legs’ and ‘relax’. You get two 1 minute flights, it doesn’t sound very long, but it’s actually longer than a standard skydive free fall! There’s a lot of information to take onboard, however Ted made it as easy to understand as possible.

Time for the Kit

You have to remove loose jewellery, watches, etc, lockers are provided to keep items safe. It’s also recommended to tie your hair back, and tight fitting trainers are a must. All the gear is provided – you can wear glasses as the goggles fit on top of these. Once you’re all kitted up, it was time to walk up to the wind tunnel and take flight.

Miss A went third in our group, and she seemed to be a natural. Women are apparently better at Indoor Skydiving, and she certainly was fantastic. Ted seemed happy to let her go very quickly. Considering she was a last minute addition to the group, she wasn’t phased at all.

Then… it was my turn. I ‘fell’ into the tunnel as instructed and Ted guided me into the correct position. It’s really hard to remember everything, however with the hand signals and motions from Ted, I kinda got it. Top tip, take a big gulp before you go in. Your mouth will naturally gape open and you’ll probably end up with spital around your face. Not the best of looks! It’s amazing fun, and I enjoyed it more than the real thing. I found myself struggling to catch my breath, not so with Indoor Skydiving. Ted let me fly on my own for a few moments, I wasn’t as good as Miss A.

Second Flight

If there’s time, and your instructor is suitably trained, you can opt for a ‘High Fly’ on your second flight at a small additional cost. This is completely optional, and not for the feint of heart. We did have time, so Ted would take all of those who wanted to the top of the wind tunnel. It was amazing to watch, and, when I went in for my second go (with a big ol’ swallow beforehand) – it really is as fun as it looks. Ted gets you in the position, and then, starts spinning you around, as he gets in a flight position. Within the blink of the eye, you’re at the top of the tunnel. The rush is INSANE. You’re back down almost as quickly, then, WHOOOSH – up again.

You can see both of my flights in the video below –

Final thoughts

I was gutted when it over, it’s one of those things you could easily get addicted to. It’s incredible fun – when you’ve finished at take off your gear you get a certificate showing what you did. You can return with the certificate and practice more moves, and it all counts towards an Indoor Skydiving qualification! You’re able to purchase photos and videos of your ‘flight’ at the end. You can also book additional flights when you’re there for a reduced rate too. I’d love to go back with the kids, I think they’d both love it!

It’s a lot of fun, and although the flight time sounds short, the whole experience lasts around an hour and a half. Those who aren’t taking part can spectate for free. If you want to book – it’s a bit of a bargain £100 for two with Red Letter Days.

All that was left to do was to say a big thank you to Ted, and the Red Letter Days team for another brilliant event!

This event was organised by Red Letter Days, as part of their Blogger Ambassador scheme – all opinions on the experience are my own.