Most people think that skydiving can only be done outdoors, from an airplane or even a hot air balloon. With the development of technology, however, there is now a way to take what is traditionally done outdoors, inside. Indoor skydiving can now be achieved through the use of vertical wind tunnels (VWTs). What are VWTs? They are large tunnel structures that blow wind vertically. They are essential skydiving equipment for those who are into competitive skydiving or for enthusiasts who like to keep their feet a little closer to the ground.
The history of skydiving indoors dates back to 1964, when the U.S. military started building vertical wind tunnels to enhance army parachute training of their soldiers. The first VWTs for use by the general public opened in 1982 in Las Vegas and Tennessee. Though these tunnels were lots of fun, they only approximated how the true free-fall parachute jumps actually felt, and were pretty difficult to master.
There are two basic types of vertical wind tunnels; outdoor and indoor. The outdoor type can be either stationary or portable. The portable types are the ones that are typically used during movie productions and demonstrations. They can also be rented for big events like conventions and state fairs. Portable units can give a dramatic effect for the person flying, as well as spectators, since there are no walls surrounding the flight area. This kind of wind tunnel gives a person the opportunity to fly almost as if parachute jumping, with an outdoor view that makes the experience very realistic, unlike indoor skydiving. Some outdoor units have netting or walls around them to keep beginners from flying out of the tunnel boundaries.
Indoor vertical wind tunnels have two sub-categories: non-re-circulating and re-circulating. Non-re-circulating wind tunnels typically suck air through inlets found in the bottom portion of the building in which they are housed. The air is then pushed up the body flight area, and then exits through the top portion of the structure. The re-circulating type of VWT creates an aerodynamic loop that has turning vanes, which are similar to wind tunnels used in labs, but have a vertical loop and a body flight chamber inside the vertical section of the loop. Re-circulating tunnels are generally used in places where the climate is just too cold to use the non-re-circulating type. Indoor vertical wind tunnels tend to have a smoother and more controlled airflow than outdoor VWTs. They also have much more control of the temperature inside, providing year-round body flights in cold climates.
As the years have progressed, skydivers have begun to realize that indoor skydiving can take them to the next level. Those who did their parachute training in vertical wind tunnels started dominating skydiving competitions. It quickly became clear that VWTs were the ultimate training tool, as they adequately simulate free-falling.
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