iBelieve iCan iFly - Indoor Skydiving

Where: Siloso Beachwalk, Sentosa, Singapore
Website: http://www.iflysingapore.com/main.html
When: August 31, 2014

My two minutes of weightlessness... weeeee!

(1) Dealing with a hotel and a flight booking misunderstanding, (2) taking the long train route by mistake, and (3) running ala-Amazing Race (there was a loong line for Sentosa Express) from Vivo City Mall to Sentosa Island to meet my flight slot, all contributed to an exhilarating adventure day. They said bad things come in threes so I was just convinced that there was no where else to go but up.

So up I went for my first Singapore iFly experience! iFly Singapore is the world's first and largest themed indoor skydiving facility. The website promises flyers, "Experience the thrill of a lifetime without any danger... no jumping, no plunging, no bad weather, and no airplanes - just sheer exhilaration and an adrenalin rush like no other." 

I've been curious about iFly since I first visited Sentosa about 3 years ago. You can watch the flight instructors make stunts from outside the wind tunnel. This year, I decided to try it. (DON'T expect to do the somersaults on your first flight!) 


The iFly concept is pretty simple. There is a huge wind tunnel, simulating wind speed, climate, and mimics a person's "freefall" from 12,000 feet to 3,000 feet. Each basic package with iFly buys two chances of flying through the wind tunnel. Each "flight" lasts around a minute each.

At SGD 99 (around PHP 3,500) every two flights, flying IS a bit pricey. For the cost of a 2 minute-adrenaline rush, you could've gone to Universal Studios and enjoyed for one whole day (SGD 68.00 day pass!), with some cash left over for a good snack. Well... I guess, flying intrigued me more. I was able to get a Groupon deal for iFly tickets at PHP 3,000 with a free DVD of your flight. Doing all that math, I effectively got around Php 1,000.00 discount. (Lol, not much, specially since I missed our 10am iFly flight time, I had to pay an additional SGD 20.00!)

Flyers can either book on line or book on-site. They recommend booking online because I think it is cheaper, plus I think it is more convenient so you can plan your visit around a longer day in Sentosa. Flyers are requested to check in at least 30 minutes before the scheduled flight (emphasizing this! they are strict about it so don't get charged an additional 20 bucks to move your flight!) .
 

With our flight instructor,  Fabian.

At 10 minutes before, flyers are given an orientation by batch. There's an introduction video, and then a flight instructor comes to show you the proper flight posture and the hand signals. These are really important so you can make the most out of your simulated free fall! The wind tunnel is pretty loud so flyers have to rely on the hand signals to correct their posture.

After our orientation, it was time to gear up! I thought it was pretty cool. You get to wear a flight suit, a helmet, goggles, and ear plugs. The photo-op in uniform is part of what you pay for, I guess. Lockers are available for personal items (another 2 SGD expense!) because you cannot bring anything with you in the wind tunnel.

As promised, the flight experience was fun. My first try was a bit "floppy" , and my 2nd was a bit better. I was worried that I will get super "bitin" with the short flight times, but I think they were just right. However, after your flights - you will definitely feel the urge to try again (since you will be more familiar with the posture and hand signals already!). And iFly takes advantage of this urge by offering additional turns in the wind tunnel for extra SGD 30! With a better posture, your instructor can also bring you all the way up to the top of the wind tunnel!

Four people in our group of 7 did this, and I had to exercise a lot of self control to say no to the additional expense :) I already got what I came for, anyway! We all got our flight certificates after, and a chance to look through photos and pick which ones we want to have printed or saved in USB (again, additional cost!). I also got my free DVD from the Groupon, which was a nice touch since you don't really get to see yourself while flying!

iFly is definitely not for people on budget travel. Do I recommend it? It is worth a try , but I won't put it on my list of "MUST TRY" in Singapore.

Will I do it again? Maybe not.. primarily because of the cost, and I have no plans of perfecting my flying skills either!

Thinking of flying with iFly? Here are some of my tips:

- DON'T miss the 30 minutes before flight time schedule if you don't want to lose your booking
- DO wear snugly fit closed shoes. They have shoes for rent and socks for sale, but then again, these will cost you!
- NO skirts allowed. Dress appropriately with shorts or pants. 
- DO have someone with you to take care of your stuff (less locker fees) and to take photos! There is a viewing area for spectators with a clear view of the wind tunnel and the people in it. (However, the photos taken inside the wind tunnel are much clearer and faces are more visible. But remember, those are SGD 20-30 each!) 
- BEWARE of that super ugly windblown faces (wobbly gooey face look) when looking at your photos! The wind speed makes your face fat go in all directions - haha. 
- BUT , DO get at least one photo and a DVD if you have the means :) At least you can relive the flight again and again.

Have you tried iFly? Tell me about your experience!

- hanna