What does it take to fly without ever jumping out of an airplane? At iFLY Miami, the answer comes down to physics.
iFLY Miami, the generous sponsor of our special exhibition, Extreme Sports: Beyond Human Limits, brings the science of extreme sports to life through the exhilarating experience of indoor skydiving. Much like the experiences explored throughout the exhibition, indoor skydiving demonstrates how physics, technology and human skill work together to make the seemingly impossible possible.
Inside a vertical wind tunnel, powerful fans generate a column of moving air strong enough to support a person in flight. Gravity pulls the flyer downward while the force of the air creates drag in the opposite direction. When these forces balance, the flyer can remain suspended in the airflow, experiencing conditions that simulate the freefall portion of a skydive.
But staying airborne isn’t simply a matter of stepping into the wind. Body position changes how air moves around you, affecting drag, stability and movement. Even small adjustments to your arms and legs can change your direction or position, making indoor skydiving a hands-on demonstration of aerodynamics, force and motion.
From Thrills to STEM
At iFLY Miami, the science doesn’t stop with the flight itself. Through educational programs and field trips, students can explore the STEM principles that make indoor skydiving possible and then experience those concepts firsthand.
iFLY’s STEM programs use the wind tunnel to investigate topics including gravity, drag, terminal velocity, air pressure and aerodynamics. Depending on grade level, students can participate in demonstrations, experiments and activities that connect classroom concepts with a real-world application.
For older students, that can include using measurements and mathematical reasoning to predict terminal velocity and comparing their calculations with actual wind tunnel results. It’s a powerful way to turn an abstract physics lesson into something students can see — and feel — in action.
iFLY also offers experiences beyond traditional field trips, including STEM Family Sundays, programs for Scouts, youth flight opportunities and All Abilities Nights designed to make the experience accessible to participants with a range of physical and cognitive abilities.
Take the Adventure Beyond Frost Science
Extreme Sports closes at Frost Science on Monday, September 7, but your exploration of the science behind extreme sports doesn’t have to end there.
After discovering the forces, physics and human capabilities behind incredible feats in the exhibition, put some of that science into action at iFLY Miami. Step into the wind tunnel and experience firsthand how gravity, drag, airflow and body position work together to make indoor flight possible.
