KNSFHP 1139.15 (1 credit)
Description:
This course introduces students to the concepts of human body flight without vehicle assistance using indoor skydiving.
Find out more about the Body Flight class and how to enroll here.
Pre-requisites:
- Permission of instructor
Required Equipment (students will need to purchase prior to class):
- None
What you will learn:
- How to identify and manage the body’s biological response to a perceived risk.
- Basic indoor skydiving flight body positions.
- Flying Techniques; stable heading, turning on axis, forward and backward movement.
- Basic indoor skydiving safety requirements and procedures.
- Basic indoor skydiving sign language.
- History and modern uses for aeronautic, recreational, artistic, and competitive indoor tunnels.
What to expect:
- Course consists of 4 class days
- If students wish to do indoor skydiving in the vertical wind tunnel, it will be on the class day but are not required to do so in order to receive credit for the course
- Understanding the most basic skills of body flight and skydiving
- Historical, technical, and competitive perspectives of indoor skydiving
Potential benefits:
- Understanding the concept of risk in extreme sport
- Discovering a new exciting sport
- Overcoming fears
- Understanding the biological response to perceived risk
Fun Facts:
The Ohio State University is the only college in North America that offers a college credit for bodyflight. Bodyflight is the act of flying a person’s body within an atmosphere artificially created to support it in space by means of pulling air through a small space called a vertical wind tunnel. The wind tunnel has various forms including; vertical push, vertical pull, and horizontal push. All forms utilize a tubular shape and continuously and consistently forced air through that tube to create an atmosphere that supports a body to fly in that space.
Using our muscles, we can move, or “fly” our bodies through that space. Changing our body shapes allows us to move vertically and horizontally but also allows us to perform maneuvers (or tricks) while flying within the atmosphere of the tunnel. Different forms require different amounts of airflow through that tunnel that range from 90 mph to 180 mph.
These various poses or body forms include; Boxman, Mantis, Sit-Fly, and Head-Down. Combining these forms and transitions between each form can be created to perform routines by yourself, with partners, or teams. Bodyflight has been developed into competitive events worldwide that range from basic horizontal group formations to advanced vertical group formations and even artistic events performed by individuals and teams.
Stable bodyflight is created by moving parts or our bodies, such as arms and legs, to generate increased or decreased drag on those parts of the body. This drag allows us to generate motion within the atmosphere and control our flight. While an airplane may use its rudders and vertical stabilizer to control flight, we use our arms and legs, thus creating the term bodyflight.
Skydivers frequently utilize the tunnel to correct or improve stable bodyflight issues they might experience while skydiving. The tunnel affords the same atmospheric conditions as skydiving, but eliminates a requirement to end bodyflight due to the limited time available while skydiving. Bodyflight in a tunnel does not have a time limit except that which is created by physical fatigue or available time for the tunnel to be utilized.