How about a toned-down, somewhat safer soaring option?

More conservative gravity-defiers should check out the iFLY wind tunnel at the Salomon Center in Ogden. OK, so maybe you're not actually 12,000 feet in the air — or even outside for that matter. And no, there are no life-saving cords — or strings — attached. But the result is satisfyingly exhilarating. I know because I had the opportunity to experience a flight in the wind tunnel myself on a recent visit to the Salomon Center.

Not knowing what to expect, my husband and I arrived a few minutes before my appointment to see what the whole thing entailed. That was just the beginning of a thrill-filled evening of events.
 
When we got there, there was already a flyer in the tunnel, with cheeks a flappin' and a huge grin on his face. It was obvious he was thoroughly enjoying his airborne experience.

There were another four or five people waiting their turn and before you knew it, one guy popped out the exit door and a new glider was being guided into the 85-plus mph gust of wind inside the 12-foot-wide flight chamber. The tunnel, which reaches a total height of 42 feet, features clear walls in the main chamber — allowing spectators and fellow flyers alike to view your whole flight. It also permits the flyer to look out at the members of the crowd and revel in the 'Boy-I-wish-I-had-the-guts-to-do-that' look on their faces.

I have to admit, I was, initially, a little overwhelmed. I'm not one who enjoys being the center of attention and having a crowd of onlookers wasn't something I was looking forward to, especially since this would be my first time in a wind tunnel. But, that being said, as I watched the people in the tunnel, they really seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. Maybe it would be OK after all.

As my 5 p.m. appointment approached, I was pretty nervous. That all changed when my instructor, Travis Casperson, approached and asked if I was ready. He was so calm and friendly that I almost forgot to be scared.

First on the agenda is attending a short, but informative, training class. It is in this class that you learn the four hand signals that are necessary for communicating while in the wind tunnel. Travis also touched on other basic preliminary instructions, like the correct way to hold your body, arms and legs to get the maximum flight enjoyment — and the least amount of instructor interference. There is a quick video that shows all of these things and Travis went over them all as well.

After the training course, you are led over to the gear area. Here you are given knee pads, elbow pads, a flight suit, goggles and a helmet. Oh yeah, ear plugs are also provided and necessary if you would like to maintain any sense of normal hearing ability after being in the tunnel. The wind creates an almost deafening noise level once you are in the tunnel.

After gearing up, the next step is to kiss your loved ones goodbye and enter the tunnel's waiting area. There were four of us in our group, and each of us signed up to have two minutes of flying time, divided up into two one-minute turns. There is a bench to sit on while waiting your turn and you can watch the others in the tunnel right in front of you. I have to say, I was glad that I was not the first one to go. Watching the others made it seem like there was nothing to be nervous about. Turns out, there wasn't.

As my turn came up, I made my way to the entry door, got a couple of last-minute motioned instructions from Travis — "Arms in front of your chest, hands under your chin, lean forward, have fun" — and leaned into the chamber, throwing caution, quite literally, to the wind.

You are taught to immediately go into your flying formation after entering the tunnel. So that I did. Once you are inside, there is absolutely nothing scary about the experience. You can feel the wind pushing you up and holding you suspended in mid-air. The wind velocity makes it impossible to stay in one place, but it is an absolute rush. One might think you could just hold your position and hang steady, but that is definitely not the case. Your trainer is in the tunnel with you, though, helping to keep you steady and offering instruction. Because of the noise level, you can't communicate verbally, which is where those previously mentioned hand signals come into play.

There also is a control room on one side of the tunnel with a screen that is visible during your flight. The controller is able to give you instructions on the screen if needed as well, things that don't have a hand signal, like "arch your back"  and "hips down." The control room also is where the wind speed is handled on a flyer-by-flyer basis. Each flyer's wind speed is determined by their size and ability, with speeds capable of reaching 160 mph. The typical first-time flyer will experience wind speeds between 80 and 100 mph.

I felt very well taken care of and very safe throughout the whole experience. The instructors and employees are all extremely friendly, courteous and knowledgeable. For a first-time flyer like myself, that made all the difference in the world. I really felt like I was in good hands and was able to relax and enjoy my whole experience there. And I am not the only one.

There are an average of just more than 200 people who take to the wind each week, according to Shaun Hancock, manager of iFLY Utah, iROCK Utah and Flowrider Utah, all attractions at the Salomon Center. And it sounds like every first-timer comes to the same conclusion as I did.

"Everyone that comes out of the tunnel for the first time is all smiles," Hancock said. "It is such a unique experience that most people can't wait to fly again."

One of the most entertaining parts of the whole iFLY establishment are the instructors. Between sessions, they put on a pretty good show in the tunnel doing some pretty extensive stunts — flips, somersaults, catapulting to the top of the tunnel like they were on a rubberband and then returning to the bottom with just as much speed. Don't expect to join them on your first time out.

"On average, it takes about one to two hours of tunnel time to master advanced tricks." Hancock said. "Everyone progresses at a different pace. Some people get a feel for it right off and some take a little more time."

Don't worry if you've never been skydiving before. Because it is meant to simulate the free fall of skydiving, it may help a little, but it is not necessary to have any air time under your flight belt. Anyone from 3 years old and up can take the leap.

iFLY Utah is truly a unique experience. With only 13 tunnels in the world, it is really one of those things everyone should experience at least once. The next closest wind tunnel is in Arizona. There also is one in Colorado and three in California, and all of the other tunnels are out of the country.

The Salomon Center itself has something for everyone. In addition to iFLY, there is a Gold's Gym upstairs — with an indoor pool, five raquetball courts and cardio machines with individual TVs. There also is iROCK, an indoor rock climbing wall, and Flowrider, a simulated never-ending wave. The facility features three pumps that shoot water up over the Flowrider surface. The water is only about 3 inches deep and it generates about 55,000 gallons of water per minute. There are two sides, one for body boards and one for surfing.

WHAT'S IT LIKE INSIDE THE TUNNEL?
With apologies to mid-'60s singing group The Association, everyone knows ... it's windy.

But the real question is, how is that wind generated?

According to Shaun Hancock, manager of iFLY and other adventure venues at the Salomon Center, there are two fans positioned on each side of the top level of the building.

"Wind is generated away from the center, flowing down the sides of
the Return Air Towers and into the basement," he said. "From there, it transitions toward the center, where both flows are joined together and proceed upward."

As the wind travels upward, it then passes through a device called the Inlet Contractor — which narrows the path to 12 feet in diameter.

"Physics tells us that by narrowing the opening, air speed increases," Hancock said. "Before reaching the flight chamber, the wind has reached upwards of 120 miles per hour."


IF YOU GO:

iFLY Utah, Wind tunnel skydiving experience

Where: 2261 Kiesel, Suite #2, Ogden

Hours: Monday - Thursday 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday - Saturday 10 a.m.-10 p.m., closed Sunday

Cost: There are three packages for first-time flyers, $49 for two one-minute rotations; $96 for four minutes of flight, a DVD of your session and a souvenir T-shirt; and $180 for 10 minutes of flight time, a DVD of your session and a souvenir T-shirt.

Also at the Salomon Center: iROCK (rock climbing), Flowrider (surfing experience), Gold's Gym, Bowling, video games arcade and three restaurants.

Info: iFLY — (801) 528-5348, www.iflyutah.com; Salomon Center — (801) 399-4653, www.salomoncenter.com