New indoor skydiving facility takes flight for business

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – A new indoor skydiving facility has opened up on Eastwood Road and is ready to take flight.

While there is another iFly in the state, co-owner Simone Maguire said planting the business on the coast can attract many different visitors, including those from the military base Camp Lejeune.

“If we’re able to get some military training here to allow the families to stay together more instead of traveling for a week, they come for the day and get to go home and still get to have dinner with their families,” said Maguire.

But the tunnel isn’t only for marines who plan to jump out of an airplane, most people of all abilities can participate can fly.

“The physics and science behind this is this is a lot like water,” said Rob Thompson, chief flight instructor at iFly Wilmington. “And the moment you connect that, do you know how to float? Than you know how to do this.”

So I had to try it for myself.

With my helmet, goggles and suit, I geared up to take flight. But if you do enter the tunnel, prepared to be blown away.

As you can tell by my hair it was exhilarating.

But Maguire says the jump is for all ages, she hopes to cater to local schools for potential stem field trips as little ones can learn from science demonstrations inside the tunnel.

For now, the sky is the limit for iFly.

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