Please click the photo above for more Ifly action from the Hollywood operation.

A new sport is coming to Tukwila: iFly is scheduled to open Friday, Aug. 12th and will offer customers a flight-like experience in a vertical wind tunnel that lifts them off the ground.

It is located at 349 Tukwila Pkwy. Drivers along Interstate 405 have been noticing the tall red building as it goes up just west of Lowe's near Southcenter.

"This is the new sport; you learn the art of flight," iFly Marketing Director Lysa Adams declared. "Our demographics are mom, pop, and the kids, military, skydivers, and even for celebrations."

These indoor skydiving chambers have gradually been gaining popularity with three other locations currently in the U.S., and a handful across the world.

"This is the first all-glass chamber ...[and] it's the first chamber with two airlocks," Adams explained.

This means that, unlike Plexiglas models, the walls are curved and prevent eddies of irregular current. Having two airlocks also allows you to enter and exit the chamber at anytime, rather than forcing the fans to shut down during the flight session.

Though they cater to first time flyers, Adams asserts, "We aren't a carnival ride. We're a sport and there's a progression." What is the progression? You start out flying on your belly, then on your back, then in a sitting position, and finally, on your head.

There's also a synchronized flying component to each of these stages that you learn only after mastering the basics. Starting out, each session will be conducted with 11 other flyers sharing a 90-minute session by switching between 60-second flights with a trained flyer.

This, says Adams, is to get you accustomed to flying. "Everyone has that classic deer-in-the-headlights reaction the first time as they realize their body isn't touching the ground," Adams said.

For those wishing to go farther than the first couple of lessons, special coaches, debriefings and tips are available, as well as special locker rooms and conference rooms that lend the experience a corporate feel.

Adams is confident that after trying it once, many will be drawn back: "Every single flight, you get better, and better, and better. Even as owners, we're constantly improving. I've been skydiving for 19 years, but there's so much to learn."

The social experience is another factor Adams pointed out as being a strong point of the iFly experience. "It's amazing to see the camaraderie in the tunnel. You may come alone, but you leave with friends. Once you're here, you're part of the iFly family."

Tukwila's iFly tunnel is 14 ft. in diameter, around 45 ft. tall and will allow for synchronized flying for teams of up to six on their belly, or 8-9 on their head. This has drawn prospective customers from as far away as Iowa, Alaska, Texas, and even has attracted Canadian pre-registration.

Synchronized flying may sound professional, and indeed many professional flyers use these tunnels for practice, but Adams explains that just as many children and first time flyers have mastered these same techniques.

"Kids can and have become just as skilled as professional sky divers. How you fly in here is exactly how you fly in the air," she said.

As for looking to the future, Adams hopes "indoor skydiving" will someday be included in the Olympics.

"We even have our own version of the Olympics," Adams said. They also are looking at other sites for iFly locations, but at this time cannot disclose where they are planning to expand.

The future, however, looks bright to Adams. "The sky is the limit," she concluded.

To schedule a session or for more information contact 206-244-iFLY, 206-244-4359 or visit info@iFLYseattle.com