Have you always dreamed of flying? IFLY is where those dreams can come true. And the best part is that anyone at least 3 years old can enjoy the family-friendly thrill. Ready for an incredible experience? You need to know this to make your flying dreams a reality.
What is iFLY? Founded in 1998, the business, headquartered in Austin, Texas, uses patented vertical wind tunnel technology to mimic the feeling of a traditional free fall. It's an electrifying experience that almost everyone can enjoy. The company is dedicated to making the dream of flight accessible to people with disabilities and medical conditions.
In the past six months, the enterprise entertained numerous centenarians, wheelchair-using students, and members of the Wounded Warrior Project. This nonprofit service organization offers events, programs, and services for wounded veterans of the United States military. As the iFLY retail division president, Chris Barrett, said the magic happens "in every tunnel. The instructors are passionate about helping people fly that never thought they would walk again." While the exhilarating business's core customers are families, it can deliver the dream of flight to anyone "from age 3 to 103," said CEO Matt Ryan. "And that is why we are quite fortunate."
Fostering inclusivity during the past 25 years has aided the vertical wind tunnel business's popularity and helped it expand to 100 locations worldwide. "We own and operate 50 of those, and the rest are franchisees and licensed," explained Ryan. There are vertical wind tunnels on five Royal Caribbean cruise line ships. "That is an experience," the CEO said. "You are sailing across the ocean and you're flying inside a glass tube which is completely exposed to the elements. You can see all around you. That is just one of the cool things we've done with the vertical wind tunnels."
Ryan continued, "IFLY transcends culture, class, and ethnicity. If you are in there, you're flying. Often the business delivers an experience for an individual who may have a physical or mental disability that typically can't participate with other family members or friends. Even people with cerebral palsy can fly because the instructor is holding onto them, and they can make the necessary adjustments and manage the wind speed. That makes it a great experience."
Experience the Excitement: Everybody Can Soar
Bennett said, "People love the experience; they're enthusiastic." One such person is Joyce Schanck, a 93-year-old from near Charlotte, North Carolina. She was among a dozen Atria senior living facility residents who took a trip to the vertical wind tunnel in nearby Concord. At first, Schanck was apprehensive about flying. "But after she saw how much fun others were having, she decided to give it a try," explained Shelley Burns, the Engage Life instructor at Atria.
What made Burns choose iFLY? "We wanted to do something residents have never tried before and help them to embrace new experiences and enjoy life every chance they get," said Burns. She hoped that seeing Schanck soar would inspire others. "No matter how old you are, it's never too late to try something new and innovating," Burns added.
Glen Mills is a grandmother with multiple sclerosis from Derbyshire, England. She began soaring in the vertical wind tunnel at age 82 and has since become a regular flyer at the Manchester location because the gift of flight eases the pain she experiences. "Once I get into the wind, the pain sort of seems to dissolve," Mills said. "Either that or it is the euphoria that comes to me that makes me forget the pain totally."
Mills uses a wheelchair when she isn't flying in the vertical wind tunnel. "Not only does it ease muscle tension caused by MS, but the sensation of flying has given me a whole new lease on life," she shared.
In recognition of her weekly sessions hovering in the 110 mph winds inside the vertical wind tunnel, Mills became the UK's first inclusivity ambassador. "For the past 50 years, I have lived with multiple sclerosis, but it has never stopped me from doing what I want to do, and I'm crazy about iFLY."
A spokesperson for the business in the U.K. said, "She is what iFLY is all about. By appointing inclusivity ambassadors like Mills, we hope to dispel the myth that vertical wind tunnels are only for extreme sports enthusiasts and to highlight the accessibility of this amazing experience."
Why You Should Consider iFLY for Your Next Adventure
IFLY is a family-friendly activity and an excellent choice for kids' birthday parties, STEM field trips for schools, team building, and corporate events. Bennett said, "Socioeconomic demographics are really across the board." He explained that the vertical wind tunnel businesses are successful in areas with $35,000 household incomes as well as regions with $125,000 household incomes.
The company has "historically focused on high-visibility locations," stated Ryan. "Our buildings are unique, and the name tends to drive people online to figure out what it is." He explained that the business works closely with local family groups with children with disabilities. In addition, it organizes special events and builds custom equipment, including harnesses, to accommodate every flyer.
That's important since doing things that overcome fear can improve confidence and resilience. "Once you feel like you're a superhero, it always builds in that confidence, especially for the all-abilities groups," the company's general manager stated. "They always talk about flying or being a superhero, and when we step inside that chamber, it gives them that sensation, and they're pumped. It's magical."
Ryan said, "As long as families continue to grow and babies are born, the business is here to deliver what they can't find anywhere else except by jumping out of a plane. You can't do that as a family - that is why iFLY is so impactful."
