We spent Thanksgiving in Florida with Z’s grandparents, and she had a blast. She did arts and crafts with her Grandma, swam and scootered with her Grandpa, and basically lived her best life catching lizards and tiny frogs in the sunshine every day.
Since we always try to spend one day of our family visits doing something extra special and fun, the particular highlight of this trip was her first time indoor skydiving at iFly Orlando.
I say her first time because after seeing her experience this new sport, I am pretty sure there’s a road trip to Cincinnati in our future to do it again soon!
Z has always enjoyed doing physical things and mastering new skills, so learning the techniques of body flight was a thrill for her. Indoor skydiving is not just a fun and exciting experience – it’s a sport you can master over time. She got to fly three times during her visit, and each time she got better at the body positioning that allows the instructor to let go and allow you to free-fly.
Our instructor at iFly Orlando was Eric, and he was incredible. He did a great job training Z before her flight and helping her get geared up in a flight suit, helmet, lace-up shoes and both ear and eye protection. Then, he was also terrific at supporting and coaching her during her flights so that she could continue to fine-tune her form and maximize her experience.
Seeing the beaming grin and bubbly laughter she exuded during her entire iFly experience was enough to make me want to take her again. She said it was one of the most fun and exciting things she’s ever done – and at 9 and 3/4 years old, this kid has already done quite a lot.
Knowing what a thrillseeker Z is, we added on an extra bonus at the end of her flights – the opportunity for a tandem flight way up to the top of the tunnel and back down again. She got to do that with her instructor three times, and she said that was the most thrilling part. She absolutely loved it!
If you’re new to iFly, just know that you most likely want to buy at least 4 flights per person. A flight is only about a minute long, and although it goes fast and they need time in between each one to catch their breath and regroup, trust me when I say they will want to go more than a couple of times!
We bought the 4-flight package for her first time and it was great, but for next time I would likely go big and get the 10-flight package, and maybe share it between her Dad and I as well so we can experience the thrill. Indoor skydiving is fun for all ages and ability levels – we saw both younger kids and older adults enjoying themselves on the morning we went.
I love thrills and new experiences, but I hate heights, so I feel like indoor skydiving at iFly is the perfect adventure for me. Both E and I admitted we’d like to try it as we were watching Z, so I am excited to do this as a family outing sometime in 2020!
Have you ever tried indoor skydiving, and did you have a great experiences too? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below or over on Facebook.
