EMC3
Summer Team Building at:
AIRKIX
MILTON KEYNES
Deciding that since this
year has been a fantastically busy and hard grafting year so far we needed to
get out the office and do something fun, exciting and a wee bit different to
the usual outtings... So we did just that which resulted in hiring out the wind tunnel
at AIRKIX Milton Keynes for half an hour for our team (not all of us could attend and sadly Anita came but couldn’t join the action due to previous
shoulder injury) to fly and experience the pure Adrenaline rush of this extreme
sport…indoors!
We arrived an hour before
our flight time so 5pm where we were introduced to our Instructor Adam who took
us to the lesson room where we were shown an introductory video, grasped a few
key signals and briefly shown the correct or ideal position we had to embrace
while in the tunnel. We were then shown to the kit room where we got suitably
kitted out into our jump suits, goggles and helmets (our 2 Directors Alistair & Daniel, sadly
minus Baba our MD who was in Africa, wore the red helmuts) and very fiddly ear plugs – who knew
that it would be such a mission to put them in! And woop woop we were ready to fly… BRING IT
ON!!
On entering we took our
seats and waited our turn which was to last about 2 minutes each. Usually when
you book a flight you get 2x 2 minute flights but fortunately we were going to
get a few more flight times each.
First up was Alistair who had done it before and showed us how it should be done
followed by Phil, then Daniel , then Mo followed by Steph.
We all got our balance tested as we were thrown, I mean flown around the tunnel
side to side, up and down as we tried to master the position while our
Instructor guided us through the movements. I will admit when you're trying to
keep position while getting thrown around by air jets the signals you learn all
kind of mold into one blurred signal!!
Alistair the Wisp!
Daniel & the Magic Belly!
Phileas the Floater!
Mo the Low!
On our 2nd go we were taught how to move left and right so in circles basically, this in itself was very very
challenging indeed and I think we all had our fair share of wall contact in
trying our hand at this which was the cause of great laughter. During our 3rd flight we
were allowed to fly around and try incorporate going left and right up and down
in the tunnel while still getting blasted with air and under the watchful eye
of our instructor. This was super fun!!!
To top off this incredible experience
we were given a 4th go and this time the instructor came and flew with each of
us to took us all the way to the top of the tunnel and back down again quite a few exciting times.
Wow, what a buzz: it was an absolutely fantastic feeling – mind a few floating dribbles (Tee Hee) and light headed dizziness as one tried to exit the wind tunnel swooning from side to side trying to regain your balance & sense of direction!
Once we had all had a go we were given
a fantastic athletic display by our instructor of different moves one could attempt – it was not dissimilar to a Cirque de Soleil-esque acrobat/streetdance display in the air! Absolutely insane but totally
wicked!!! The feeling of floating so freely yet loosely in control just
adds to the unique experience of flying. An addictive sense of freedom that becomes more and more insatiable every time you have another go!
I can now see why people get the skydiving
bug and all I can say is this is one activity I will most certainly be taking further. I do have my sights on jumping out of a plane and
experiencing the real McCoy 5,000 meters above land!
Thoroughly enjoyed by all and if you’re
looking for something exhilarating and hilarious; then look no further ..........Book your teams spot now!!!!
Written by Mo the Low!
