Podcast
Hi everyone! My name is Mariana Torres and I am, just like all of you, a student at UC Davis. Welcome along to my podcast where I will be speaking about my experience at iFly. As a psychology major, I have a big interest in the way that people interact in a high-stress environment. College is all about new experiences, I’m sure most of you have already experienced new things since coming to UC Davis. I though what a better way to celebrate trying new things than to try simulation skydiving. So, I decided to go to iFly and observe the ways that people act before and during their simulation skydiving experience. iFLY is “where you experience the thrill of freefall without jumping from an airplane” (What to Expect? A Fun Unique Experience). I asked myself are people more likely to get nervous or stressed if they see someone else who is reacting in a stressful manner. Through my observations I realized that there is a correlation between seeing someone get scared or anxious and other peoples reactions.
Upon first entering the iFly building you could see a screen that showed a live stream of whoever was inside of the flight chamber. My first thoughts of this were that people may be more likely to be nervous because there would be more people watching them inside of the flight chamber other than just those who are sitting around and waiting for their turn. Once I checked in for my flight, I was told to wait at the flight deck, where I was able to observe others enjoy their simulation skydiving experience until it was my groups turn.
I watched as a group of thirteen children got ready for their flight. They were helped with putting on a flight suit, a helmet, and goggles that they had to keep on at all times during the flight. As they began their way towards the flight chamber I noticed that some of the kids began walking slower, as if that would prevent them from going into the flight chamber. The instructor got into the chamber first and one by one helped the children into the flight chamber as well. The older kids, around the age of thirteen seemed more comfortable with going in and flying, they had big smiles on their faces when they came out and were laughing along with their friends. On the other hand, I observed a much younger kid go into the chamber, he looked to be around four years old, and he was noticeably uncomfortable with the situation. As soon as he entered he held onto the instructor and refused to let go until the instructor safely got him out and back onto the safety of the bench. Once he was safely back on the ground, the instructor tried to get another kid to go into the chamber, but after observing the small child get frightened, the other children refused to go into the chamber as well. This reaction could be caused by the first child’s reaction, which frightened the rest; however, this type of reaction is common among younger children brining up the question is this reaction only related to young children or if adults would react the same way.
Before I was able to observe any more, my group was called to begin our lesson on safety etiquette for the flight chamber. Our group of ten walked into a “classroom” which had a tv that showed a video of how to enter the tunnel, the signs that the instructor may show, because speaking is impossible with the high mph wind, and finally the safe way to exit the tunnel when the instructor motions to do so. Once the video was over the instructor went over the signs once more to ensure that everyone in the group knew all of the signs and all of the safety precautions in order to safely enter and exit the tunnel. He assured us that it would be a fun experience and that we are in his care, so there is no need to feel scared. All “flight instructors are trained and certified by the IBA (International Bodyflight Association)” (What to Expect during your iFLY Experience).
Our group was then escorted to a counter that carried different sizes of flight suits as well as different helmets and goggles that the participants had to wear in order to be safe inside of the flight chamber. There were two different types of helmets available to us, one that simply went over the head like a bike helmet, it was a blue color, and came in the sizes small, medium, and large and there was also a red colored helmet that looked more like a helmet that a motorcyclist would. This helmet covered the entire face, making it easier to breathe inside of the flight chamber, this helmet was mostly used for the instructors because they had to be in the tunnel the entire time. This is essential because they need to be at full working capacity to make sure we are all safe.
Once everyone had their jumpsuits, helmets, goggles, and earplugs in, we were guided to a bench that was located right outside of the flight chamber. The instructor got in first with a person controlling the speed of the wind depending on how much a person weighed as well as ensuring that everything went smoothly. One by one the instructor gathered everyone off the bench and helped them into the tunnel. Once inside the tunnel, the instructor helps the participants get into the proper position, it’s as if you’re stopping mid jumping jack, arms and knees slightly bent and head faced forward, and then we were left to fly for about a minute and a half. The group that I was in included a small family of three, two parents and one son as well as a couple celebrating a birthday and my own family of five which included my parents, and two brothers and myself.
The father from the family of three went in first, he had no trouble getting into the perfect position to fly in, and the instructor quickly let him go to fly on his own. The mother then seemed very excited to get into the chamber next when her husband came out smiling and telling her how much fun it was. However, as soon as the mother entered the tunnel she began wailing her arms and legs and a face that showed pure panic. The instructor assisted her out of the flight chamber and asked what was wrong, she explained that she was unable to breath due to the fast air that was blowing at her. From there, the instructor gave her a red helmet that covered her entire face, to make breathing easier, she quickly got back in the wind tunnel and began her flight. Her son was up next, but he refused to go in because he was scared due to his mother’s reaction as a result they had to get him a red helmet as well the instructor gave her the red helmet that covered the entire face. I realized that before his mother had gotten into the tunnel, he seemed very excited to try it because of how well his father had done, as was everyone else in the group. Once he got his helmet, he seemed a lot more comfortable and was able to go into the flight chamber without hesitation. The reaction that the son had to his mother’s anxiety and stress was the same reaction that I had seen earlier in the children, but again this could be explained through an alternate explanation of the connection that a mother has to her child, meaning that if a child sees their parent in a high anxiety state, they may feel the same was as well.
When it was my turn to go into the flight chamber I began to feel both anxious and scared because the family that had gone before me made it seem like a scary experience to be a part of. I began to worry that I wouldn’t be able to breath properly or that something would go wrong and I would get hurt. But as I stepped up to the entrance the instructor gave me a reassuring look, took my hand and helped me get into the flight position. Once I began flying my fears went away and I was just having fun. I will admit that it could be scary to think that there is a fan underneath you and that you are essentially in midair. However, looking at the face of it, the fan did have a cage that protected you if it were to stop suddenly, and I was in the chamber with a trained instructor that knows what to do in case of an emergency. As the woman had said before, it was fairly difficult to breath in the flight chamber, to give you an idea, it felt like biking when there is high wind while going uphill. The feeling of floating or flying felt like a feeling that everyone has experienced once or twice, and that is the drop of a rollercoaster, in other words the feeling of your stomach sinking. Once my turn was over the instructor guided me to the exit and assisted me to my feet.
When I finished my turn, the couple was up next, the first one to go was the woman. I feel it is important to explain that before we had gotten to the benches outside of the chamber, they both seemed very calm and happy to be part of this experience. As soon as the instructor reached for her hand she refused to get into the flight chamber. She stated that she got scared due to the high amount of wind and the other two participants not being able to breathe properly due to the wind against their face. She strongly refused to enter the tunnel and simply sat on the bench and watched everyone else as they went into the tunnel one last time. I do not believe that the older woman would have been scared if it were not for the anxiety that the other family was portraying because when she first sat on the bench she seemed very excited due to the smile on her face and the way that she got ready to enter. As a result, I believe that there is a relationship between watching others become very stressed and you yourself becoming stress as well due to the other person's reaction.
Because my observations showed that there could be a relationship between watching people in a high-stress environment and you yourself becoming stressed I highly suggest that you become aware of those around you and their anxiety and stress levels especially as college students. This could mean that when a friend or a partner is stressed that we become stressed as well and it could highly impact our mental health and our physical health, so it is very important to be aware that another person stress should not result in stress for ourselves.
Works Cited
“What to Expect? A Fun Unique Experience...” IFly Indoor Skydiving, www.iflyworld.co.uk/what-is-ifly/what-to-expect/.
“What To Expect.” IFLY Holdings, Inc, www.iflyworld.com/discover/what-to-expect/.
Upon first entering the iFly building you could see a screen that showed a live stream of whoever was inside of the flight chamber. My first thoughts of this were that people may be more likely to be nervous because there would be more people watching them inside of the flight chamber other than just those who are sitting around and waiting for their turn. Once I checked in for my flight, I was told to wait at the flight deck, where I was able to observe others enjoy their simulation skydiving experience until it was my groups turn.
I watched as a group of thirteen children got ready for their flight. They were helped with putting on a flight suit, a helmet, and goggles that they had to keep on at all times during the flight. As they began their way towards the flight chamber I noticed that some of the kids began walking slower, as if that would prevent them from going into the flight chamber. The instructor got into the chamber first and one by one helped the children into the flight chamber as well. The older kids, around the age of thirteen seemed more comfortable with going in and flying, they had big smiles on their faces when they came out and were laughing along with their friends. On the other hand, I observed a much younger kid go into the chamber, he looked to be around four years old, and he was noticeably uncomfortable with the situation. As soon as he entered he held onto the instructor and refused to let go until the instructor safely got him out and back onto the safety of the bench. Once he was safely back on the ground, the instructor tried to get another kid to go into the chamber, but after observing the small child get frightened, the other children refused to go into the chamber as well. This reaction could be caused by the first child’s reaction, which frightened the rest; however, this type of reaction is common among younger children brining up the question is this reaction only related to young children or if adults would react the same way.
Before I was able to observe any more, my group was called to begin our lesson on safety etiquette for the flight chamber. Our group of ten walked into a “classroom” which had a tv that showed a video of how to enter the tunnel, the signs that the instructor may show, because speaking is impossible with the high mph wind, and finally the safe way to exit the tunnel when the instructor motions to do so. Once the video was over the instructor went over the signs once more to ensure that everyone in the group knew all of the signs and all of the safety precautions in order to safely enter and exit the tunnel. He assured us that it would be a fun experience and that we are in his care, so there is no need to feel scared. All “flight instructors are trained and certified by the IBA (International Bodyflight Association)” (What to Expect during your iFLY Experience).
Our group was then escorted to a counter that carried different sizes of flight suits as well as different helmets and goggles that the participants had to wear in order to be safe inside of the flight chamber. There were two different types of helmets available to us, one that simply went over the head like a bike helmet, it was a blue color, and came in the sizes small, medium, and large and there was also a red colored helmet that looked more like a helmet that a motorcyclist would. This helmet covered the entire face, making it easier to breathe inside of the flight chamber, this helmet was mostly used for the instructors because they had to be in the tunnel the entire time. This is essential because they need to be at full working capacity to make sure we are all safe.
Once everyone had their jumpsuits, helmets, goggles, and earplugs in, we were guided to a bench that was located right outside of the flight chamber. The instructor got in first with a person controlling the speed of the wind depending on how much a person weighed as well as ensuring that everything went smoothly. One by one the instructor gathered everyone off the bench and helped them into the tunnel. Once inside the tunnel, the instructor helps the participants get into the proper position, it’s as if you’re stopping mid jumping jack, arms and knees slightly bent and head faced forward, and then we were left to fly for about a minute and a half. The group that I was in included a small family of three, two parents and one son as well as a couple celebrating a birthday and my own family of five which included my parents, and two brothers and myself.
The father from the family of three went in first, he had no trouble getting into the perfect position to fly in, and the instructor quickly let him go to fly on his own. The mother then seemed very excited to get into the chamber next when her husband came out smiling and telling her how much fun it was. However, as soon as the mother entered the tunnel she began wailing her arms and legs and a face that showed pure panic. The instructor assisted her out of the flight chamber and asked what was wrong, she explained that she was unable to breath due to the fast air that was blowing at her. From there, the instructor gave her a red helmet that covered her entire face, to make breathing easier, she quickly got back in the wind tunnel and began her flight. Her son was up next, but he refused to go in because he was scared due to his mother’s reaction as a result they had to get him a red helmet as well the instructor gave her the red helmet that covered the entire face. I realized that before his mother had gotten into the tunnel, he seemed very excited to try it because of how well his father had done, as was everyone else in the group. Once he got his helmet, he seemed a lot more comfortable and was able to go into the flight chamber without hesitation. The reaction that the son had to his mother’s anxiety and stress was the same reaction that I had seen earlier in the children, but again this could be explained through an alternate explanation of the connection that a mother has to her child, meaning that if a child sees their parent in a high anxiety state, they may feel the same was as well.
When it was my turn to go into the flight chamber I began to feel both anxious and scared because the family that had gone before me made it seem like a scary experience to be a part of. I began to worry that I wouldn’t be able to breath properly or that something would go wrong and I would get hurt. But as I stepped up to the entrance the instructor gave me a reassuring look, took my hand and helped me get into the flight position. Once I began flying my fears went away and I was just having fun. I will admit that it could be scary to think that there is a fan underneath you and that you are essentially in midair. However, looking at the face of it, the fan did have a cage that protected you if it were to stop suddenly, and I was in the chamber with a trained instructor that knows what to do in case of an emergency. As the woman had said before, it was fairly difficult to breath in the flight chamber, to give you an idea, it felt like biking when there is high wind while going uphill. The feeling of floating or flying felt like a feeling that everyone has experienced once or twice, and that is the drop of a rollercoaster, in other words the feeling of your stomach sinking. Once my turn was over the instructor guided me to the exit and assisted me to my feet.
When I finished my turn, the couple was up next, the first one to go was the woman. I feel it is important to explain that before we had gotten to the benches outside of the chamber, they both seemed very calm and happy to be part of this experience. As soon as the instructor reached for her hand she refused to get into the flight chamber. She stated that she got scared due to the high amount of wind and the other two participants not being able to breathe properly due to the wind against their face. She strongly refused to enter the tunnel and simply sat on the bench and watched everyone else as they went into the tunnel one last time. I do not believe that the older woman would have been scared if it were not for the anxiety that the other family was portraying because when she first sat on the bench she seemed very excited due to the smile on her face and the way that she got ready to enter. As a result, I believe that there is a relationship between watching others become very stressed and you yourself becoming stress as well due to the other person's reaction.
Because my observations showed that there could be a relationship between watching people in a high-stress environment and you yourself becoming stressed I highly suggest that you become aware of those around you and their anxiety and stress levels especially as college students. This could mean that when a friend or a partner is stressed that we become stressed as well and it could highly impact our mental health and our physical health, so it is very important to be aware that another person stress should not result in stress for ourselves.
Works Cited
“What to Expect? A Fun Unique Experience...” IFly Indoor Skydiving, www.iflyworld.co.uk/what-is-ifly/what-to-expect/.
“What To Expect.” IFLY Holdings, Inc, www.iflyworld.com/discover/what-to-expect/.