# Bodyflight

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodyflight
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{{Short description|Skydiving discipline}}
{{Infobox sport|name=Bodyflight|nicknames=Indoor Skydiving|venue=Vertical wind tunnel|mgender=Yes|country/region=Worldwide (most popular in Europe and the United States)|category=[Skydiving](/source/Parachuting)|image=350px 350px 350px|caption=[Leo Volkov](/source/Leonid_Volkov_(skydiver)) demonstrating bodyflight|image_size=100px|union=[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale](/source/F%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration_A%C3%A9ronautique_Internationale)}}
'''Bodyflight''', or '''body flight''', is an [air sport](/source/Air_sports) in which participants use the [airflow](/source/airflow) generated by [vertical wind tunnels](/source/Vertical_wind_tunnel) to maintain flight.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wilmes |first=John |date=2016-04-08 |title=Indoor Skydiving Is Real, Painful, And Definitely Sports |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/indoor-skydiving-is-real-painful-and-definitely-sports/ |access-date=2025-10-28 |website=VICE |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Frequently Asked Questions {{!}} iFly Indoor Skydiving |url=https://www.iflyworld.com/discover/faq |access-date=2025-10-28 |website=www.iflyworld.com}}</ref> 

== History ==
The first recorded bodyflight was by [aeronautical](/source/Aeronautics) engineer [Jack Tiffany](/source/Jack_Tiffany) in 1964 at [Wright-Patterson Air Force Base](/source/Wright-Patterson_Air_Force_Base). Tiffany was testing parachutes for the [Apollo program](/source/Apollo_program) at the time, and decided to jump into the vertical wind tunnel being used for the testing. The first vertical wind tunnel designed specifically for bodyflight was built in 1978 by [Aerodium Technologies](/source/Aerodium) near [Montreal, Canada](/source/Montreal). Since then, vertical wind tunnels designed for bodyflight have significantly improved in safety, efficiency, and usability.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-01-02 |title=A Complete History of the Vertical Wind Tunnel |url=https://indoorskydivingsource.com/articles/a-complete-history-of-the-vertical-wind-tunnel/ |access-date=2025-10-31 |website=Indoor Skydiving Source |language=en-US}}</ref>   

A variety of bodyflight competitions have been formed in recent decades, including the [WindGames](/source/Wind_Games), the [World Indoor Skydiving Championships](/source/World_Indoor_Skydiving_Championships), the [Flyspot Polish Open](/source/Flyspot_Polish_Open), and more. In recent years, bodyflight has been paired with music during [freestyle](/source/Freestyle_skydiving) performances, which routinely go [viral](/source/Viral_video) with millions of views on [social media](/source/social_media) platforms.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fuhrer |first=Margaret |date=2025-06-16 |title=‘Floating Ballerina Vibes’: The Hypnotic Allure of Indoor Skydiving |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/arts/dance/indoor-skydiving-ballerina-vibes.html |access-date=2025-10-30 |work=The New York Times |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2016-02-17 |title=Indoor SkyDancing: The Big Bang! |url=https://www.indoorskydiving.world/indoor-sky-dancing-the-big-bang/ |access-date=2025-10-30 |website=Indoor Skydiving World |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Methodology ==
Bodyflight is accomplished by using ones [body surface](/source/Surface_area) as a means of manipulating the high-velocity airflow of the vertical wind tunnel and achieving controlled flight. Flyers use their hands, arms, legs, feet, torso, and even head as [fins](/source/Fin) or [rudders](/source/Rudder) in order to increase or decrease drag and move in different directions.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmVAkb4naKk |title=How This Girl Takes Indoor Skydiving to the Next Level {{!}} Obsessed {{!}} WIRED |date=2020-09-02 |last=WIRED |access-date=2025-10-30 |via=YouTube}}</ref> Flyers combine this with rolls, kicks, twists, and turns to create bodyflight routines. Larger flyers, while slower at rolling and twisting, are able to utilize more surface area and move faster than smaller flyers.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-02-07 |title=Kyra Poh: The 14-year-old girl who's the 'fastest flyer' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38890112 |access-date=2025-10-30 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> Bodyflight is a physically strenuous sport and requires the development of infrequently used muscles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Regnarg |first=Duncan |date=2017-03-24 |title=Maja Kuczynska is a master at dancing in the air |url=https://www.redbull.com/int-en/maja-indoor-skydive-milano |access-date=2025-10-30 |website=Red Bull |language=en}}</ref>

Music has become an important aspect of freestyle bodyflight for both [entertainment](/source/entertainment) and [synchronization](/source/synchronization) purposes. Flyers are able to pair their moves with the music as an method of tracking the progress of their routine.<ref name=":0" />

Due to both the high financial and physical costs of bodyflight, many flyers train in other sports such as [gymnastics](/source/gymnastics), [martial arts](/source/martial_arts), [dancing](/source/Dance), and [trampolining](/source/trampolining).<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6ZCqQI3Ujw |title=From Sky Dancing WORLD CHAMPION to Her FIRST TIME Skydiving {{!}} Maja Kuczynska {{!}} Unstoppable |date=2019-04-10 |last=Unstoppable |access-date=2025-11-01 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-03-28 |title=Success is in the air for these Singapore skydivers |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/success-is-in-the-air-for-these-singapore-skydivers |access-date=2025-10-30 |work=The Straits Times |language=en |issn=0585-3923}}</ref>
== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commonscat|Bodyflying}}
* [https://www.tunnelflight.com/ International Bodyflight Association]
* [https://www.fai.org/ World Air Sports Federation]
Category:Parachuting

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bodyflight](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodyflight) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodyflight?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.