Jared, 4, stepped off the ledge with his arms crossed. He fell
into the arms of his flight instructor. Soon a 100 mile-per-hour
wind carried the boy into the air.
By By:Adrienne Anderson
Jared, 4, stepped off the ledge with his arms crossed. He fell
into the arms of his flight instructor. Soon a 100 mile-per-hour
wind carried the boy into the air.
Instead of the traditional “don’t look down,” the instructor
told the boy to not look up.
But he couldn’t help himself. The dark abyss above his head was
scary. He gave the thumbs down signal, alerting the instructor that
he wanted to stop. They exited the air chamber.
Jared Holton, of Castle Rock, took flight in a vertical wind
tunnel with his family March 3, the first of its kind in Colorado
and the nation.
Traditional vertical wind tunnels have been around since the
’60s, thrilling mostly professional skydivers seeking to fine-tune
air maneuvers.
“It was a different market in Orlando – it was 70 percent
skydivers,” said 8-year veteran skydiver and wind tunnel instructor
Chris Gray.
Gray moved to Colorado from Orlando, Fla., to help open
SkyVenture in Lone Tree.
The first all-weather tunnel in the nation opened its air
chambers two weeks ago, and owner Norm Rosendale said he has 200 to
400 walk-ins a day.
Increased technology allowed SkyVenture to create a clean air
circulation that is not only quiet for neighboring business but
also free of bugs and dirt and temperature controlled.
“This is why I do this,” Rosendale said as he watched Jared
enter the Continued from Page 1
tunnel. “I love to put smiles on little guys’ faces.”
And although fear cut Jared’s flight short, his 10 year-old
brother Joel flew like a champ, gliding through the air as someone
behind a glass encased booth controlled the air speed with a joy
stick.
“Anyone from 3 to 103 can fly,” Norm said proudly. “This is my
new toy.”
But it was no small investment, and final realization took
nearly three years. And at 25 flights an hour at $50 a pop, it
won’t take long for the investment to pay off.
First time flyers wanting to live the dream of being Superman
start by attending a 20-minute class that shows proper body
positioning and hand signals the instructor will use to guide
flyers.
Then two one-minute sessions in the chamber and a DVD showcase
flabby cheeks and an ear-to-ear smile.
“This bridges the gap between stepping off the airplane and
stepping off the couch,” said Jamie Lindsay, public relations for
SkyVenture LLC.
The facility will also rent time for professional skydivers, but
the main market will be the mass public, Rosendale said.
“Kids love it,” instructor Gray said. “It’s the dream of flight
realized. They get to be superman.”
But being a kid is not a requirement, just an adventurous
spirit. Situated in the heart of the entertainment district,
business leaders say Sky Venture is good for the economic viability
of tourism in the south metro area.
“If SkyVenture is successful, our community is successful,” said
John Brackney, president of the South Metro Chamber of
Commerce.
Brackney and the director of Colorado’s Office of Economic
Development, Brian Vogt, took flight March 3 to support the new
business.
After their flight, Gray showcased his skills to the more than
30 onlookers. Gray shot himself up into the chamber, disappearing
from sight. The crowd sighed in shock until Gray shot back down,
flipping and twisting in the air.
Controlling his body in a banana shape, he traveled to the
window case and gave a high five to several kids.
And although first-time flyers won’t be thrashing through the
air like Gray, the local owner said they’ll be back for
more.
“It’s like an addiction,” Gray said.