Indoor Skydiving Facility Set To Open In Montgomery County

GAITHERSBURG, MD — If you love the idea of flying like Superman or the great American eagle, we've got good news for you. An indoor skydiving facility called iFly is set to open in Gaithersburg in mid-May.

Everyone from novices to veteran thrill seekers can experience the free-fall sensation of body flight in a safe environment indoors.

The new facility is slated to open mid-May at 9318 Gaither Rd, Gaithersburg.

"Every iFLY indoor skydiving facility is a marvel of engineering that creates conditions that allow people to lean in and float on a smooth cushion of air," a press release states. "With the help of iFLY certified flight instructors, customers learn to fly, control their bodies in the air and experience true human flight."

All abilities are welcome, but no experience is needed. You’ll be trained on-site and provided with the equipment you need.

To prepare for their flight experience, customers complete a training class guided by one of iFLY’s flight and safety instructors. They are then equipped with flight gear, including goggles, helmet and flight suit, and enter the flight chamber by leaning forward into a smooth cushion of air, with a flight instructor at their side.

SEE ALSO: Indoor Skydiving Facility Proposed for Gaithersburg

A vertical wind tunnel has fans at the top to draw air through the flight chamber and then push it back down the sides through Return Air Towers. That leads to an inlet contractor that compresses and speeds up the air before it reenters the flight chamber. The result: a smooth column of air that enables you to fly.

Here are some fun and safety facts relating to the iFLY experience:

• Flyers do not jump or fall, but simply lean into the wind tunnel and float on the column of air while learning basic flying skills.

• All iFLY flight packages include training, flight gear, and flight time with an International Bodyflight Association (IBA) certified instructor.

• All iFLY instructors meet or exceed IBA standards.

• With additional training, Flyers can progress to group flying and advanced aerial maneuvers to further enjoy the sport of indoor skydiving.

• iFLY offers Flight School for kids ages 4-16 and various adult league nights and coaching programs.

• iFLY programs include an “All Abilities Night,” which is a unique event that makes the dream of flight a reality for those in the special needs community and, when booked in advance, people with disabilities and their families can fly at a discounted rate anytime.

• iFLY provides a well-established training program for the military that includes basic, sustainment, and advanced military freefall training in a simulated environment.

• iFLY also offers an accredited STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education program that teaches grades 2 through 12 in a fun and interactive environment utilizing the flight experience to help students understand gravity, drag and other principles of physics and flight.
• iFLY specializes in custom events for groups of any size, with exciting flight enhancements, catering options, and unique event spaces to take your next event -- whether a birthday party, a bar/bat mitzvah, a bachelor/bachelorette party, a corporate event, a team building event, a fundraising event, or a Holiday Party -- to new heights!

Photo via iFly Youtube Video