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Taking Flight

Written by Lily Schmutter, Grade 11
Physics classes had an exciting and educational field trip to iFLY, an indoor skydiving center in Fort Lauderdale. This company, which has expanded to 37 locations across the globe, aims to provide an authentic skydiving experience in a safe environment.
Covering topics which Mr. Luis Felipe’s students have been learning all year, the certified flight instructors first gave students a presentation about the “physics” behind the simulated indoor skydiving, focusing on the concepts of velocity and drag force to exemplify the power of the strong winds which propel the body up into the air. After the introductory instruction, students completed an activity which calculated their own personal velocity which needs to be reached so that the winds could carry them into the air. After, the students had the opportunity to enter the flight chamber and feel the rush of simulated skydiving for themselves. The flyers soared in the blasting air, reaching an incredible height and flipping and spinning with the help of their instructor. They did so after receiving preparatory training to ensure that flyers communicate properly with their instructor during their flight.
 
The students had an unforgettable experience that truly brought to life the ideas and equations which they had been studying in Physics class.
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