Skydiving is a bucket list item for thousands of (crazy) people around the world, and for as intriguing as skydiving sounds, there are plenty of reasons we won’t be doing it.

(Most of those reasons come down to being flown very high and falling rapidly to the ground.)

Wouldn’t it be great to have the feeling of skydiving without the fear of heights or falling? At iFly Orlando you can do just that! iFly Orlando provides the free-falling feeling of skydiving without the terrifying heights or plane ride.

How it Works

Instead of the traditional way of skydiving of falling down, iFlyOrlando simulates the experience by doing the opposite and pushing you up. It’s the same principle, just used in a different way. The result is that free-falling feeling, but only five feet above the floor as opposed to 5,000. The entire experience takes place inside an enclosed plexiglass chamber and each participant gets two opportunities to skydive, lasting a total of about ten minutes.

You don’t have to worry about how you’ll actually stay in the air to enjoy the skydiving because a member of iFly Orlando’s experienced team will be in the chamber with you. They won’t be tethered to you like the real thing, just standing next to you and making sure you actually stay afloat.

iFly Orlando’s Process

iFly Orlando has only one location on International Drive. There isn’t any designated parking, but I-Drive has plenty of places for free parking. The first thing you’ll do is purchase your experience. You can also reserve and pay ahead of time online. In addition to the skydiving experience, you can add on extras like using a VR helmet or high flight, which is flying to the very top of the chamber. Once you’re all checked in and after you’ve signed the waiver, it’s time to suit up.

To ensure the safest flying experience, you need to wear special jumpsuits provided by iFly Orlando. Don’t worry about feeling too snug or too loose, there are plenty of sizes available. You can wear your normal shoes, just don’t wear anything open-toed or too loose. You’ll receive a helmet and a pair of goggles. Both the helmet and the goggles are for safety, but the goggles are really there to help you see because it would be impossible to keep your eyes open otherwise.

The final step in the process is a video and informational session with your guide. You aren’t actually skydiving, but the simulation is real enough that you need to be trained like you are. Some things your instructor will go over are proper form and a variety of hand signals to help you change your body position mid-flight. After all your instructions are done it’s time to fly!

Indoor Skydiving

Indoor skydiving at iFly Orlando is a lot of fun and way harder than you’d think! Despite the instructional video and clear instructions from your guide, it’s challenging to keep the form the entire time. Thank goodness for the instructor holding us steady because if it wasn’t for him we wouldn’t have lasted five seconds.

It never feels like your falling, but rather it feels like you’re being gently held up by the air. It’s a lot like when your body starts to float in a hot tub with bubbles, or when riding a wave at the beach. Once you get your bearings and get to a comfortable place with your form, you can look around and really start to have fun. Being able to fly twice in one session is a really good idea because the first time you go in the chamber you’re worried about your form and just how it feels to fly and it’s over before you know it. The second time you get in gives you the chance to really go all in and enjoy yourself.

Tyler opted for the high fly add-on and thinks it’s really worth it. Even though the skydiving happens about four feet off the safety net floor, the entire chamber is a good 20 feet high. With high fly added on, they crank up the fan as high as it can go and take you all the way to the top of the chamber and then back down again. Don’t worry, it doesn’t feel like you are being shot up and free falling down. The feeling is much more gentle.

Because the flight chamber is all plexiglass, your friends and family who aren’t flying can take plenty of great pics and video for you to take home. You’ll also get a certificate from iFly Orlando about your flight.

The Verdict?

If you’ve ever wanted to soar the skies like a bird, but are too afraid to get into a plane and skydive, iFly Orlando is a great alternative. The process is easy, the feeling is gentle and fun and you don’t have to worry about parachutes.

The experience is great for families who are looking for something a little bit different to do because even the youngest member of your family can participate. The thrill-averse in the family might be scared to try, so we recommend spending some time watching other people skydive. After seeing how much fun they’re having and how easy it is, we’re sure they’ll be skydiving like a champ in no time.