My INDOOR SKYDIVING Experience at iFly King of Prussia - An AWESOME Birthday Present!steemCreated with Sketch.

in #powerhousecreatives4 years ago (edited)

IMG_5425.PNG

Below is a 2 minute video of my flight experience .. Check it out if you dare! :-D

This Was An Awesome Birthday Present! ..

From my wife who knows that me jumping out of a plane will NOT be happening this late in my life. This is a tame controlled environment with a far lesser amount of risk involved. If you haven't already, watch the video I posted at the top. It's about 2:00 minutes long and will not fault you for skipping through most of it. This was my first time doing this type of thing, so you won't be seeing any tricks out of me. I thought I did fairly well, that is until the instructor dazzled us with his extreme talents at the end of the sessions. I then felt about as armature as an indoor skydiver can get. Before I get to all the good bad pictures of me, my brother and sister-in-law, in our SUPER COOL flight suits, why don't I back up for a minute.

text16.png

The Day Started Off at the Grand Lux Cafe ..

With my wife and I meeting up with my brother and his wife. We wanted to get something filling but not too heavy. Not knowing what to expect from this flying experience, challenged me to not over do it, as I am occasionally known to do during breakfast outings. We made a plan to eat brunch at the Grand Lux Cafe, in King Of Prussia (Pennsylvania). None of us had eaten here before, and they had pretty decent reviews. The cafe was close by (5 minute drive) to where the iFly experience would take place, so it was a perfect location for brunch.

I really do have to remember to take pictures for my blog, but in the trance of my excitement, I did not yet again.. So thank you to these lovely folks for helping a forgetful old sole out :-) The cafe dining area is on the second floor of the building, allowing ample light to pour through the large ceiling to floor windows. Not a real great view, but I was only interested in two three things; the company I was with, the coffee and my breakfast. hehe

grand-lux-cafe_750xx1200-675-0-0.jpg
Source

Here is that dinning room I was talking about. Everything was super clean and well laid out. The bathrooms were clean an fresh, the tables beautifully decorated, and the staff was pleasant and accommodating. A+ for them and I would not hold back on recommending this establishment if you find yourself in the area of the mall. There is a fireplace about halfway down and is sort of hard to see in this picture.
307069_2399734361559_973809400_n.jpg
Source

No one in our group ordered french toast, but there were people around us that did. The dish looked as amazing as this photo taken right from their website. I ended up getting a bacon, onion and pepper omelet. Delish!!
1000x667-menu-brunch.jpg
Source

text16.png

Onward We Go to the iFly Facility ..

Our bellies were full and I had my share of coffee, so we loaded back into the car to head over to the iFly building. It took us a staggering five minutes to get there (haha). We were pulling into the parking lot and I remember thinking about how cool the building looked. It had a futuristic vibe to it (whatever that means) and definitely did not fit in with the surrounding buildings. I didn't care.. It looked neat to me.

Photo Source

Check In Was Next on the List ..

And after taking about 15 to 20 minutes to do that, we were escorted into the center of the facility to wait on an instructor's call for our group. We walked toward this area and immediately noticed the large, cylindrical, glass enclosure smack dab in the center of the room. Inside was an instructor and quite possibly a first time flyer, gently moving here and there as if suspended in mid air. I was also starting to get a bit nervous. After watching the people shuffle in and out of the air tube for a few minutes, I was calming down and feeling ready.

Photo Source

Inside The Building ..

These are the pictures I remembered to take of the interior part of the building. The air tube in the middle, seating all around, clothing on the right for purchase (if your into that kind of thing), they suit you up in the far middle, and lockers for purchase on the left. The bathrooms were pretty clean as well as most of the facility. They allow you to video and take your own photos, so bring a non-flyer with you to do just that. My wife wanted no parts of getting in a tube of rushing air, so she volunteered as official photographer/videographer.
IMG_5375.JPG
text16.png

IMG_5376.JPG

The Inside Of The Air Chamber ..

This is the best shot I could get looking down into the bottom of the tube. The middle section contained a wire mesh which had some flex to it. The fans, which I imagine were quite large, sat below and out of sight. surprisingly, it wasn't that loud in or out of the tube. I could talk comfortably in the waiting area just inside the tube. I couldn't hear a thing with thew air rushing by my ears, when I was in flight. Everything was communicated through hand signals while inside the air chamber. We learned these hand signals in a pre-flight training class (about 10 minutes).

IMG_5373.JPG

Now a shot of looking up to the top. Nothing special up there but more of the same. Looked like a big air filter up there.

IMG_5374.JPG

Behind the scenes, or rather right there next to the chamber, another staff member operates the wind speed and timing. This was done from a computer screen set up and small hand controller. They are very careful to watch the instructor for hand signals letting him know to kick up the fans or kick them back. This is another safety measure to control the flights and allow the instructors to comfortable stand without getting blown up into the tube. I need this guy on the ground to keep me from bouncing around the walls.

Photo Source

The Flight Suits ..

These were our flight suits, googles, and helmet. Under them you could were pants and a shirt. The asked you to wear sneakers and no jewelry of any kind.. If it falls off its gone forever! Or at least for quite a while. They did say something about having gloves available for those with rings that wouldn't come off. That's me on to the far right of the photo with my brother and his wife. We all had a good time doing this activity and spending some quality birthday time together. I look like a Wii character with those goggles on!
IMG_5405.JPG

The Flights ..

First, if you haven't already, take a look at the video of my flight, at the top of this post.

Depending on what package you purchase, this could differ quite a bit. We bought 2 flights, a 1 minute flight and then a 2 minute flight. Of course they have a lot of add on's and extras you can buy the day of, but we were fine with what we got. It was really quite long enough for me. It was amazing how much energy I spent performing this 'flying'. Most of it due to the fact I was nervous and tense..just like everyone else I spoke to in our group. I think if I would do it again, I would go into it with a different mind frame and be more relaxed (and a lot less sore in the arms and legs).

The goal for me, as well as most beginners in the group, was to be able to float on my own while remaining in control. The instructor guides you into place safely, then it is up to you to keep your legs slightly apart and knees bent, head up and arms out in front of you with hands level and in front of your face. The guide kept close eye on your hands and would give signals when they fell too low, spread apart too much or your legs became too bent or too strait. You can see his make a few of these gestures in the video. He was also trying to tell me to slightly turn my hands left or right in order to turn my body in a circle, thus gliding around inside the tube. This wasn't something they went over in the pre training class, so I look a little confused.. because I was! I eventually figured out what he was telling me and did fairly well. Just having more time to study others and watch what they were doing would have been beneficial. In the end, I did survive, found some control, and had a super good time :-D

Certificates Of Achievement!!! ..

Felt like I was back in school :-) After we took our "Flights", we all received certificates of achievement/completion. I was the BEST in my class!!! Not. The instructor said the more you return and the more time you log into flying, the more maneuvers you'll eventually learn. For me, this was enough. I was sore from what little I did do. He did tell me later on that if I would relax a bit more, then that wouldn't happen. I found it hard not to tense up. There are times when you feel out of control, but they are there keeping a close eye on you and helping steady us first timers.
IMG_5407.JPG

text16.png

The Best For Last ..

Of course no indoor skydiving experience is complete without a Birthday beer to top it all off. I let others in the group come along and keep me company at the bar.
IMG_5379.JPG

They did their best at trying to out do me with their FANCY cocktails, but nothing beats good old beer. Well not "old" beer, but you know what I mean. haha. Everyone was enjoying their refreshments, that was for certain.
IMG_7093.JPEG

The Experience Was Over ..

And we all have some good stories and memories of our time at iFly in King of Prussia. Thank You to my wife for a really neat birthday gift idea!!! I LOVED it and would highly recommend it to any of my friends without major back or neck issues. This wasn't on my bucket list, but it really should have been :-D

For More Information On This Experience ..

Go to: https://www.iflyworld.com/

One Last Thing ..

I wanted to include a video of our flight instructor, Cody. I guess he needed to show off a little. He did this at the end of our experience, before we left. I suppose he was trying to show us what is possible after 5,000 hours of flying experience. Although it was Very Cool, It also made me feel like my small achievement was actually very microscopic to this demonstration. Thanks again for stopping by and giving this post a read!!!

text16.png
text16.png

Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!

Untitled.jpg

text16.png

All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.

text16.png

About Me ~ The Artist

My art work incorporates a wide variety of subject matter, including landscape, seascape, cityscape, and still life images. My works are the product of a continuing process of exploration through which I seek to portray personal and visionary interpretations of my surroundings. My paintings are impressions of places and events from everyday life, an interpretation of my imagination, and personal responses to what I see and feel on a daily basis. More recently I have invested generous amounts of time into my landscape painting. I am surrounded by natural and man made beauty, which inherently presents itself in the tri-state area, and almost demands that I paint it.

Not everything is art. Art is not everything, but it comes close. Art is everywhere and all the time. Art makes you experience the beauty of the world, the people in it, and the places we call home. Art itself is so influential that it can tell stories, show feelings, and express passion or fury. Art exists in addition to language; expression of sensations and thoughts, revealing a way of thinking too subtle and delicate for words.

For me art requires love, honesty and perseverance. In return, it reveals some personal, non-analyzable, and creative untamed passion. For the public, art with its magnificent beauty, improves mood and health and builds better human beings and communities. It engages the intellect, softens the heart, strengthens the soul and frees the spirit.

text16.png

If Your Interested In Purchasing Any Of My Work:

They can be found for sale in

My Facebook Shop

OR

My Etsy Store

If you don't see the piece in either shop, It may still be drying. Let me know and I can upload it as soon as possible to be available. Or you can always make me an offer (in SBD or STEEM) in the comments section of this post. If we agree on a price, I will then ship the painting to you. (shipping costs will be determined by your location).

text16.png

Power House Creatives Logos FINAL_float.png

PHC and C2 tag.png

text16.png
text16.png

22664_1339425414498_7525637_n.jpg

We've begun to long for the pitter-patter of little feet - so we bought a dog. Well, it's cheaper, and you get more feet. ~ Rita Rudner

Sort:  

What a special wife you have. Your day looked like a special one from start to finish. I've never been to an indoor facility as this. We have one where I live, but I'm not that adventurous to try it.

Glad you enjoyed your day.

She truly is a special find. I am blessed she is my partner in this crazy thing called life. You need to muster up the bravery and do it at least once.. maybe? hehe. It's not for everyone.

That's incredible buddy. Nobody even died or anything. Looks like a pretty special place to go and i want to eatz them desserts!

I know right! hahaha.. It was more fun than I was anticipating. Having everyone staring at you floating around in a glass tube was a bit weird. No death.. such a dissapointment for you I am sure :-/

:-P

have you ever been outdoor skydiving? I've done that a few times and it was awesome but obviously really expensive.

Nope, and my "want" has past. My wife won't let me either after a friend died when his parachute did not open. Happened not too far from my house.. so sad.. but no I have not. My sister-in-law came with us to do this indoor thing. She has gone a few times and said this is completely different and in some ways it was harder. She said she exerted much more energy doing the indoor maybe because you needed to control your flight as not to slam into the wall. haha. She said it was warmer and felt more like flying than falling.

wow the instructor's flight at the end is absolutely insane! That looks like so much fun. What a cool present. Great post, I have always wanted to try this out :) Cheers

@tipu curate

Thank You @carlgnash for the curation! Yeah he logged some 5,000 hours. I suppose it's his job, so that's easy to do. I logged 3 minutes.. hahaha.. Definitely give it a try. If nothing else, it's an experience.

Cheers!

Do you know if they turned up the air for his demo compared to how strong it was for you or was that all just skill as far as how high he could fly? Honestly what you did already looked really cool. I thought it was a great post and then holy cow that video at the end was a really amazing cherry on top!

Yea. There was another instructor that was operating a computer system with a joystick like apparatus on the side. I show a picture of it in the post but The one in the facility I was at was a little more high-tech. The instructors took turns, one would be inside the tube while the other was operating the computer. I think I counted roughly 6 people working.

They did turn up the air a lot, probably five times as much as when I was in their. The person operating the computer would keep an eye on the client as well as the instructor to figure out when to turn the air up or down depending on how the person was floating. Just before he began his acrobatic display, the fan turned way up and you could hear it. It was crazy what he was doing in there. It looked like a lot of fun but I could really appreciate the time it took to learn all that stuff after making my very small achievements.

Do they have one near you?

That is so very cool, @bdmillergallery! It's great that you received a certificate of achievement. I agree that the instructor's maneuvers at the end were superb, but I bet it takes a LOT of practice to get there. You did great. Happy Birthday, and I'm glad you got to have an awesome time with relatives.

p.s. I did real skydiving once. I'm not sure I would do it again, but at the time I just wanted to get right back in that plane and go again! Maybe I'll get my video digitized so I can share it on Steem!

That sounds like a great idea! Would love to see it. I keep saying that I want to digitize our wedding videos and other important videos we have, just never get around to it.

Thank you for the words of encouragement. He definitely had a bunch more fly time than me. I was satisfied with my efforts. I like doing 'experience' activities with others rather than alone. Always nice to hear different points of view on them.

Have a superb day @jayna!

Yes I need to digitize my wedding video too! I’ve never looked into it to see if it’s expensive. But I’m going to! New Year’s resolution.

I know Walmart has a service.. or used to anyhow.

Howdy sir bdmillergallery! What a great time that had to be! Super cool, fun and exciting, well done! I get the feeling you may be back?

Hey @janton! Thanks!! Yes I think I may.. We were just out with friends last night and they mentioned about wanting to go possibly. Sooo.. I just may have the chance. We'll see if the muster up their adventurous sides or not :-)

Enjoy whats left of your weekend!

Oh that would be fun to get others who haven't experienced it, it would be another fun time out! Pretty soon you'll be doing some of the moves that instructor had! lol.

Hahaha In My dreams. Lol. I’m a one trick pony when it comes to indoor flying. Hehe. Maybe a Steemit meet up.. we can call it Makes steem fly’ or something catchy.

Haha, there ya go sir bdmillergallery, I vote for that!

That looks like so much fun! I'd try that, but like you there is no effing way I am ever jumping out of an airplane. The flight instructor's moves are spectacular! I had no idea this was even a thing until today.

Hahaha.. so we have something in common.. No Jumping Out Of Things High Above The Ground!! That guy was nuts.. but he has the time invested to know all the moves. I was content just hovering. Yeah, I don't think a lot of people know this is a thing. I didn't know that they have competitions doing this. There is a girl who has won the past several years. I saw her picture there at the place. She's young and her body not old and falling apart like mine. I'll stick to hovering around.. lol

Congratulations @bdmillergallery! This post will be featured in FRIDAYS Power House Creatives curation post!

You will find the community announcement on Discord tomorrow :) and it has also been shared on our FB Page and Twitter feed.

PHC-Footer-05.gif

Oh COOOOLLL!!!! A real big THANK YOU!! So Excited for everyone to see my nervous face or as my wife said.. "you looked very serious in there." haha..

This post was curated by @theluvbug
and has received an upvote and a resteem to hopefully generate some ❤ extra love ❤ for your post!
JOIN ME ON TWITTER

myluvbug.gif

In Proud Collaboration with The Power House Creatives
and their founder @jaynie

JOIN US HERE
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

Thank You @jaynie and @theluvbug :-D .. "Luv" the Support!!

Oh man! What a great birthday present!
You did well for a beginner my friend and 20 more birthdays spent like this, you will give the instructor a go hahaha.
Happy belated birthday wishes my friend!

Thanks, it was a blast. Wow. You may or may not be right. Guess I’ll have to go for the next 20 years. Hahahaha

Will also be easy on your wife as she wouldn't have to worry about what to get you for your birthdays any more. She could simply buy you a membership of the ski-fi for life hahahah
I think that I must become a psychiatrist Lol.
They can call me Mr. Fix All Lol.
Blessings!

How about it, you definitely should.. and my wife thanks you profusely!

Some Peanuts for ya!!
peanuts-sit-down-psychiatric-please-help-54-the-doctor-is-18783393.pngsource

Hahaha, And I will charge 5c for my services as well.
An apt reply my friend.
Blessings!

This is a great birthday gift indeed! A few years back I got a package at Sky Venture Montreal (indoor skydiving) for my best friend. He loved it! I am thinking now to take my son there. ;0)

Sweet! Definitely do it 😁 I want to see a post about it if you do!! Thanks for the support @lymepoet!!

Coin Marketplace

STEEM 0.35
TRX 0.12
JST 0.040
BTC 71539.00
ETH 3603.23
USDT 1.00
SBD 4.75