Fly high safely at skydiving centre

Fly high safely at skydiving centre

Thrill seekers itching to try out Singapore's first indoor skydiving facility should jump at the opportunity without fear.

That is because there are measures in place to ensure the safety of participants or fliers, as they are called said the facility's managing director, Mr Lawrence Koh.

Skydiving simulator iFly Singapore makes use of four fans the size of aeroplane propellers, located at the top of a wind tunnel, to generate powerful winds that are pushed to the bottom of the tunnel.

There, the winds are funnelled up through an inlet contractor, creating a gust strong enough to keep a flier afloat in mid-air, hence replicating the sensation of skydiving.

The facility does not have a backup generator, but even if the fans were to malfunction suddenly, the winds blowing at up to 300kmh would decelerate at a comfortable rate, explained Mr Koh.

Gravity will then take over, pulling fliers slowly and safely down to ground level.

A total of 11 male instructors will put fliers through their paces, accompanying them in the wind tunnel at all times.

Every instructor had to meet rigorous selection criteria before undergoing five weeks of intensive training, in compliance with guidelines set by the International Bodyflight Association.

iFly Singapore, located in Sentosa, is up and ready to go, but the attraction has one last hurdle to clear before getting the thumbs-up from the authorities.

Mr Koh, a former team leader of the Singapore Red Lions Parachuting Display Team, said he needs to obtain a public entertainment licence from the Singapore Police Force.

The $25-million facility has been riddled with delays and was originally slated to open in the second half of last year. Mr Koh hopes to open it to the public on Wednesday.

In the event of a no-go, the attraction will still open that day to VIPs and "test fliers".

The facility hopes to attract some 100,000 fliers and more than half a million visitors to a host of restaurants in the first year. Each adult ticket starts at $89 for two 45-second sessions, that is, about $1 per second of "flying".

Mr Koh said the sum is relatively affordable, compared to the cost of actual skydiving trips. To enjoy their sport, skydivers have to travel to countries such as Malaysia, as there are no drop zones in Singapore.

Such trips can set a skydiver back by about $500 per jump, not including airfare and accommodation, he said.

With iFly, "I hope to share this feeling of joy, flight and freedom with everyone", he added.

~News courtesy of Omy~