First off: We don’t like the idea of the “vs.”! Whether from a plane or in a tunnel, we love the feeling of flying better than any other human experience. It’s true that indoor skydiving feels like the freefall portion of a traditional skydive, sans parachute. We use similar methods to control our bodies in both environments. That said, differences abound. Both use very different equipment, mandate different age limits, cost a different amount of money and appeal to a different mood. And the thrill of jumping from an airplane can’t be experienced without actually doing it, no matter how close a “skydiving simulator” tries to come!
Skydiving from a plane is best for people who:
Crave a profound, life-changing experience.
Tandem skydiving remains the most popular adventure sports experience on Earth for a very good reason. Nothing else you could do can possibly deliver the overwhelming flashbulb of inspiration that a skydive provides. Your first skydive will be a landmark experience in your life, from the spaceship feeling of the airplane ride to the total abandon of the first seconds of freefall to the ballroom gracefulness of the parachute ride to the ground. While some may think of indoor skydiving as a skydiving simulator, it’s only a close-to-the-truth-but-not-quite simulator of freefall. A real-live skydive lives on a totally different planet.
Want to see the world from a totally different perspective.
The world just looks different from up there — and that includes the troubles, challenges, frustrations, anxieties and nagging questions that pick at you throughout your daily life. From 13,500 feet up, those problems look incredibly small and incredibly manageable. After all: if you can jump out of a plane, why can’t you finally address those relationship problems or ask for that long-awaited raise? Skydiving bestows superpowers. We want you to have ‘em, too.
Flying in a wind tunnel is best for people who:
Haven’t made it to birthday number 18 quite yet.
To skydive, you’ll need to be at least 18 years of age. You’ll have to prove it, too, with a government-issued photo ID brought into the office on the day of your jump. There are no exceptions whatsoever to that rule. So: if you’re 17.9999 years old and you’re keen as anything to learn how to fly, you’re going to want to hustle your underage caboose to the closest indoor skydiving wind tunnel. Not only is it fun, but it’s great preparation for Skydive Chicago’s world-famous learn to skydive course.
Live with mobility considerations.
You might be surprised at how accessible skydiving is, even if you live with considerable mobility issues. (If that’s you, give us a call and we’ll discuss it!) That said: flying in the wind tunnel is even more accessible, in great part owing to the comparatively limited variables. (Check out Todd Love, for example.) In both indoor and “outdoor” skydiving, you can expect professionals to evaluate your considerations on a case-by-case basis. You’ll be amazed at what’s possible!
Are on a serious budget.
Because aviation is expensive, experiencing bodyflight is less expensive with no airplane involved. If you’re on a serious budget, you can whet your whistle in the indoor skydiving wind tunnel while you save your latte money to do a real skydive. It won’t take long!
The real story is that:
Doing both is the best way to go!
Since you’re around Chicago, you’re unbelievably lucky in that the best of both worlds lies just a short drive away. Indoor skydiving near Chicago — outdoor skydiving near Chicago — everything is right here! Come and join both branches of the human flight community and share your stories around the Skydive Chicago campfire. We’re looking forward to hearing them!