Indoor Skydiving Wind Tunnel FAQs

Indoor skydiving is an activity that almost anyone can enjoy including those with disabilities. Perris Indoor skydiving creates an experience that mimics free fall without ever stepping foot onto an airplane. Our vertical wind tunnel creates a wall-to-wall cushion of air that you can freely and safely float upon. No jumping or no falling, just you, a column of air and the most incredible feeling of flight!

During a first flight experience you will be guided by an instructor
through all the necessary classroom information, given your flight gear, and taken into the wind tunnel. Once in the tunnel, your instructor provides a safe 1-on-1 flying experience guiding and teaching you how to fly your body. Once you have flown, your next flight will be less guided as you begin to acquire the skills needed to safely fly your body. Higher levels of learning are normally done with a Tunnel Coach/Instructor and organized learning events take place on a regular basis. The tunnel is a great experience for ages 3 to 103.

Please arrive on your scheduled flight time for paperwork and training completion (If you arrive 10 minutes or more later, we may have to reschedule you to a later flight time).

Absolutely. The Indoor skydiving simulator is safe and FUN for First Time Flyers of ALL ages. You can start your indoor skydiving right away! All of our First Time Flyer packages include flight training and flight gear.

Each flight is 1 minute in duration which is equivalent to a skydive from 12,500 feet. Flight time per person will vary on flight package purchased. Most packages offer first time flight packages ranging from 2-8 minutes per person.

Traditional free fall time for a skydive is roughly 60 seconds long. Flight packages normally begin with two minutes of flight time and increase from there. For those who are in average or above average physical shape more flight time will make for a better experience. Like any other sport, the more you fly the better you will become.

The time it takes for the entire experience will vary based on the number of flyers in your group. Check-in will take 10 to 20 minutes followed by a 30 minute training class and roughly 10 minutes to gear up. Flight Blocks can be from 2 to 30 minutes long depending on group size and the number of flyers in your block. Plan for 1to 1 ½ hours for your entire group’s experience.

Indoor skydiving can be dangerous without the proper training. Our staff will perform a safety and training briefing before your flight. This orientation will explain the proper body position and how to communicate with the instructor once you are in the tunnel. There is time allotted to get suited up in all the necessary equipment and afterward you will rotate into the tunnel with other flyers who have also purchased flying time.

Ages 3 to 103 are welcome to fly.

Weight limits are set in place for the safety of the flyer and the instructor.

Maximum Weight Limit

• 250 lbs for people under 6 ft.
• 260 lbs for people over 6 ft.

Minimum Weight Limit

Wind speeds are manually controlled by our facility. Therefore, there is not a weight minimum. Smaller flyers are not in danger of receiving too much wind for their body size.

Flyers should be in good physical shape to fly. There will be a significant amount of wind and stress placed on your shoulders you may not normally be accustomed to. It is recommended that participants with weak shoulders or prior shoulder dislocations do not fly. Your body will be in an arched position with your hips forwards. Participants with back issues that prevent this body position should avoid flying. Any other serious health issues should be cleared by a physician prior to flying. Check with an instructor for restrictions before booking a flight.

Past Injuries
As a beginning flyer you will fly your body lying flat on your belly.
This means, that the front surface of your body supports your weight. Your shoulders experience the most strain when flying. If you have had a past shoulder dislocation it is recommended that you do not fly. Any previous injuries that may be re-injured by slight bumping or twisting of your body could also be problematic.

Special Cases
If you have a special case such as being paralyzed or an amputee – don’t be deterred! There have been many participants with physical difficulties who have experienced the joys of flying. As long as it is deemed safe for all parties involved, you can fly! Not sure? Call or visit us.

If you are uncertain if your situation will allow you to fly or not the
best option is to call us at 1-844-4TUNNEL. Explain your circumstances to our staff and allow the instructors to make an educated decision based on your safety and the safety of the instructor. If they are unable to make a decision over the phone, you may be asked to visit the tunnel to speak with an instructor in person

Indoor skydiving is operated in a controlled setting that provides a safe experience for everyone. With any activity there will always be potential risks involved. However, because all the variables are controlled the risk of injury is minimal.

There will always be an instructor inside the flight chamber for safety purposes. Once you become an experienced flyer and are able to perform movements safely on your own you will be given more freedom to explore flight. Until you reach a safe level of proficiency there will always be an instructor in the door for spotting purposes.

In time you can learn how to do flips and tricks on your own. For the first time you will remain in a belly to earth body position. If you are doing well on your own some instructors may assist you in certain maneuvers but you will not have the necessary control to safely perform advanced tricks and flips on your first flight.

Our facility will provide students with equipment. Jumpsuits, helmets, goggles, and earplugs are the primary items needed to fly. You may prefer to wear your own lace up shoes. Suits will usually be baggy creating drag and lift for the beginning flyer, and most helmets provided will be an open face model that requires goggles to protect the eyes. The option to rent a full face helmet for $10 can be purchased at the front counter when signing in or also in our gear-up area.

Jumpsuits will be worn over your street clothing. Comfortable non-restrictive clothing should be worn with secure lace-up shoes that cover your toes. You may prefer to wear your own lace up shoes. Flyers with long hair should secure it back in a low ponytail at the base of the hair line. If it is cold outside it will be cold in the tunnel as the air is the same temperature in the tunnel as it is outside so dress accordingly. We can provide gloves for you.

Indoor Skydiving mimics the sensation of freefall identically. Skydivers from around the world use wind tunnels as training facilities because of the close similarity to skydiving freefall.

Differences From Outdoor Skydiving
Indoor skydiving gets its name from the thrill-seeking sport of skydiving but the similarities between the two are actually very few. A vertical wind tunnel creates the needed vertical wind flow for indoor skydiving. This wind flow simulates the conditions found in freefall without the need to jump from a great height. Because the wind tunnel environment is very controlled compared to the traditional freefall of a skydive, a wider range of flyers can take part in the experience. Skydiving, being an outdoor activity, is seasonal and even during favorable seasons conditions such as wind, rain, or snow can cancel your plans to jump. Indoor skydiving is amazing because in most cases it removes weather as a factor. This means that no matter the outside weather the wind tunnel is a comfortable place to fly. The free fall portion of a normal skydive from 12,500 feet lasts between 45-60 seconds. Typical first-time indoor skydiving flights last between 2 and 10 minutes giving you much more flying time than a traditional skydive. The ready access to much larger amounts of time gives the flyer a chance to safely learn how to control your body.

More than a Thrill Ride!
While most people associate skydiving with a thrill ride or bucket list activity, indoor skydiving is much more than that! Because people of all ages can fly indoor skydiving is becoming a worldwide sport. In 2014 indoor skydiving was even recognized by the World Air Sports Federation (FAI) and now FAI competitions are taking place around the world.

For safety reasons all new flyers will fly one at a time with a qualified instructor. We offer programs that teach you the proper body position so that you can eventually fly with other people, friends, and family.

With indoor skydiving flyers can experience the thrill of a skydive without jumping off of or into anything. You will simply lean forward onto a column of air from the entry door from a standing position and then begin to fly. A common misconception is that you feel a roller coaster effect or butterflies in your stomach feeling which is not the case. That feeling is caused by a rapid acceleration 0-MPH to a higher speed. With indoor skydiving you are simply leaning into a column of air and maintaining body position.

First-time flight experiences are typically flown within arm’s reach of the instructor. This will allow the instructor to communicate with you, ensure safety, and teach you how to fly your body in the proper position. Once you learn how to maneuver on your own you can go as far as the flight chamber allows. For “Highflys” the instructor will fly the students higher and faster than they could fly on their own. A highfly is the "thrill ride" portion of your experience allowing you to feel what it's like to fly like a pro flyer on your very first time.

There will be an instructor there to guide you in and out of the tunnel. This is not a tandem and you will not be attached to anyone or anything. The goal is to teach each person how to fly their own body. Once the instructor feels that you are in a safe and stable body position they will let go and you will be flying on your own.

Spectator areas are set up in our indoor facility. The glass chamber allows spectators to view the entire flying session.

Once you enter into the wind you will not be able to speak or communicate with the instructor using words. Instructors use a series of hand signals that indicate different corrections to your body position. Instructors will also be communicating with the person who is controlling the wind speed requesting certain speeds for different purposes.

The wind does not impede your ability to breath normally. However, there will be a significant amount of wind blowing in your face. Some flyers claim it is hard to breathe but are often times holding their breath out of nervousness or a reaction to the wind. Relaxing and remembering to breathe will eliminate any discomfort. Full face helmet rentals eliminate this sensation entirely.

Lift involves surface area. The more surface area you present to the wind the slower you will fall. The less surface area you have presented the faster you will fall. Beginners are in a belly to earth body position and presenting more surface area to the wind allows them to fall slower off of the net. Instructors will typically stand allowing them to fall faster, so they can guide the student.

The availability will vary greatly depending on the time of day and whether it is a weekday or weekend. It is recommended to make a reservation in advance to ensure that you will be able to fly. We are happy to accommodate walk-in customers depending on time availability as well.

Yes! Indoor skydiving has become its own entity outside of traditional skydiving. There are numerous disciplines to choose from that are judged based on different criteria. Check out “Wind Games” in Google search for more information and videos.

Yes but they pull you up rather than push you up. The first tunnels had large fans or props that would push you up from underneath. This led to flying in turbulent and unstable air. Our tunnel incorporates a balanced five motor system that is located at the top of the flight chamber that pulls you up.

Everyone will progress at different rates. Learning how to fly is a long journey that requires practice, consistency, time, and coaching.

Although indoor skydiving can help progress your skills for the sky, our outdoor skydiving facility has separate Tandem and AFF programs in place. These programs require jumping with a certified skydiving instructor before you are able to jump completely solo or with a group of friends. Visit the Skydive Perris Skydiving School page to learn more about learning to skydive outside.

When participating in a tandem skydive the instructor who is attached to you is doing most, if not all of the work. While indoor skydiving you are flying your body 100% on your own. You will need to learn the proper body positions and skills before you are able to fly on your own.

We offer a variety of other activities. Guests can visit our on-site restaurant, the Bombshelter Bar & Grill, go tandem skydiving, lounge by our resort-style pool, or visit our gear store. Skydive Perris also regularly hosts skydiving events and competitions which are open to the public for viewing. Visit the Skydive Perris Calendar of Events for more details.

That’s a big YES! See our Plan your Event page for more details and pricing or give us a call toll free 1-844-4-TUNNEL or 1-951-940-4290 and one of our courteous and knowledgeable staff members will be more than happy to help you with any questions you might have.

Perris Indoor Skydiving can easily accommodate groups of up to 70 people. We take twelve students at a time in the anti-chamber.

Each student will fly for 2 minutes in the tunnel – the equivalent of 2 skydives. High flights are available for $10

Yes! Spectator areas are set up in our indoor facility. The glass chamber allows students to watch friends and fellow students while they wait.

Yes. To be eligible to participate in an indoor skydive each student will need to have a completed waiver on file. Parents can fill out the waiver online or Perris Indoor Skydiving can email a PDF of the waiver for teachers to pass out to their students.

• If you wish to reschedule or cancel a field trip you must do so with more than 72 hours notice to receive a refund of your deposit.
• Flights can be rescheduled with 24-48 hours notice. Less than 24 hours notice will result in forfeiture of your deposit.

For detailed information on our indoor skydiving field trip curriculum view our physical science lesson using Newton’s Laws of Motion relating to skydiving.