The ITB staff go air-sphereing!
Into the Blue big boss and after sales manager go airsphereing
Every now and then, the Big Boss here at Into the Blue let’s us go on a little jolly to try out the new activities we’re selling and the other week a car load of us headed up to Milton Keynes to have a go at Air Sphereing.
Leaving from Into the Blue HQ in Biggin Hill, Kent, it actually only took us less than two hours to get to the venue in the middle of Milton Keynes. The centre was purpose-built for indoor skydiving, but the brains behind sphereing have come up with this rather crazy idea of putting a sphere inside the skydiving wind tunnel!
We all had the feeling we’d be buffeted around inside this plastic sphere a bit like the balls in the National Lottery machine, but in the end it wasn’t actually as scary as we’d imagine and really good fun.
With the windtunnel being so powerful, you have to get properly kitted out in flying suits, helmet and goggles (essential for those with contact lenses or glasses) and bizarrely, you must have lace up shoes on. We realised why when the turbines start turning – the force of the air is actually strong enough to whip a shoe off and it can properly clog up the motors! We made a note to leave our high heels at home next time…
Getting ready for the off
Now the sphere itself isn’t like a normal sphere when you do aqua or harness sphereing in the open air down a track, it’s actually been specially designed to withstand the forces of air inside the tunnel and, although it’s made out of clear material, don’t be expecting a sightseeing tour whilst your inside – you’ll be concentrating on hanging on!
We were ‘loaded in’ two at a time into the sphere and the entrance hole is pretty small, so you have to just go for it and dive in head first (which always seems even more amusing when you’re watching the boss do it!). Once the two of you are inside, there are straps to hold on to and seeing as the sphere is only four feet in diameter, you kind of wedge yourself in.
Flying up the wind tunnel
The noise of the wind turbines starting up is pretty impressive and before you know it you’re being pushed up into the wind tunnel and yes, properly buffeted around in winds of up to 150mph! The operator varies the wind speed so you are being blown up and down the tube. You pretty much stay upright though (thank goodness!) as the weight of the two of you in the sphere keep it in the right orientation, so you’re not too much like a National Lottery ball afterall!
The ride may only last 30 seconds, but believe us when we say it feel like a lot longer. When the sphere lands back to earth, the hatch is opened and you have to come out feet first – it’s actually, as one of our group said : “Like being hatched out of an egg”, as you somewhat unceremoniously get pulled out, but it is funny!
Two of our sales team full of smiles after their airsphere ride
After a fun afternoon out we took a quick wonder around the Xscape centre next to where the activity takes place and there are loads of good shops, restaurants and coffee shops to either calm your nerves before you go, or to celebrate your air-sphereing moment afterwards. A great day out!