Gravity Wind Tunnel

We flew to Bahrain this weekend for indoor skydiving at Gravity wind tunnel. This was a total first for me.  I have never jumped out of a perfectly good airplane in this crazy sport called sky diving or have I ever simulated free falling in a vertical wind tunnel.  Michael, on the other hand, has been jumping out of perfectly good airplanes for over 40 years and has been free falling in wind tunnels in Arizona, Florida, Dubai and California.

My options as an absolute beginner were from 2 minutes all the way up to 10 minutes.  I chose the 10 minutes option, perfectly called the Top Gun package!!  First, I had to watch an instructional video and spend time going over the basics with our instructor – Vasile.  He was instructing me on the very basics. His instruction to Michael was advanced with maintaining the sitting position and flying on his back.

I was told the hardest skill to learn is being able to stay still in one spot.  To relax, hold the posture and then slowly go from movement to movement.  As I was a beginner – the goal was to not founder like a fish and bounce all over the place.  I was to be able to have enough relaxed control to stay in one spot.  Much easier said than done!!!

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There were three of us sharing time in the wind tunnel.  Michael, newbie me and Stig, a wind tunnel instructor from Kuwait. I had 5, 2 minute sessions.  Michael and Stig went for 15 minutes – seven, two minute sessions and one, one minute session.  Each of us rotating timed turns until our time was up.

Seems I did okay at this…… by my last session I was learning to turn, go up and down, forward and back!!! I was feeling tired after my third, two minute session.  By my fifth session, I was EXHAUSTED.   At that point I was starting to get sloppy, not relaxed and focusing too hard to compensate for muscle fatigue.  But…I LOVED it!!!!  It was such a rush, physically demanding with the challenge of learning to relax to get it right!!!!

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Michael worked hard on turning on his back and sitting.  Stig was impressed with Michael’s flying skills!  Michael’s newest objective is redoing muscle memory with leg position.

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Stig was amazing!!  He was spinning on his head and doing all kinds of head down fun!!  Here he is having fun with the instructor from Gravity!!

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Today Michael flew for 40 minutes, me 10 minutes!!  Tomorrow we return for more flying!!  I do have a cold and I hope I’m a bit better tomorrow because it isn’t pretty when snot starts running and drips up!!  LOL!!!  I guess that is why the instructors wear helmets with face shields!!  

S, 🇧🇭