The PrivateFly team go flying – at Bodyflight Bedford
While private aviation is our specialism, at PrivateFly we love flying of all kinds. Several of us in the team are qualified pilots, others have aerospace degrees – and the rest are all more than a little aviation-obsessed.
So while no real life aircraft were involved, we were very happy to try out a different kind of flying: The fantastic facilities for indoor skydiving at Bodyflight Bedford – just an hour’s drive from our UK head office.
There’s a viewing area for those who are more spectator than flyer. So on arrival we were able to watch others taking flight, giving us a taste of what was to come. Then we were kitted out in our jumpsuits (bringing back memories of my RAF days) and given a full safety briefing – before it was our turn in the tunnel.
For those unfamilar with indoor skydiving, you step into a vertical wind tunnel which simulates the environment of freefall skydiving from a plane. Inside the tunnel is a powerful fan, creating a stream of air moving upwards at 180 mph – so fast that it can support your entire weight, lifting you off the ground and allowing you to fly. The experience can be enjoyed by novices (adults and children alike) looking for an adrenaline rush, but Bodyflight is also used as a training centre by leading formation skydiving teams and those working towards their AFF qualification – as it gives an accessible and safe way to experience freefall.
When it was time to take flight, we each had a minute in the tunnel with the instructor, before stepping out for a rest and our next turn. A minute can feel quite a long time when the air is rushing up at you at such speed! It’s very noisy too, but we had been given instructions on how to communicate with the instructors. So before too long each of us was getting the hang of it – some more quickly than others (naming no names) and were able to fly in pairs, with our instructors keeping us in check. It was great fun and quite an experience for aviation and adrenaline junkies alike.
A big thanks to the team at Bodyflight Bedford (www.bodyflight.co.uk). The facilities also include indoor surfing; race track simulator; outdoor power fan base jump; and a climbing wall. So we’re looking forward to our next visit.
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