
By Ana Gramling
Whether you are a daredevil, or if skydiving is on your bucket list, you’ll be pleased to know that Airborne America is nearing completion of their indoor skydiving facility consisting of the nation’s only two-glass wind tube facility.
Located in East Village at 14th Street and Imperial Avenue, the 26,500-square-foot indoor skydiving facility features two 14-feet-in-diameter and 30-feet-tall wind tubes constructed of glass.
Excavation of an additional 50 feet below the tubes is where the giant 30-foot fans will be installed.
Put on a jumpsuit, helmet, goggles, receive instructions, step into a glass tube and then begin to float five to six feet from the ground in flying simulations and, once over, you will simply float gently back to earth.
Beginning fliers will simulate free-falling at speeds of up to 60 mph and advance fliers, including our Navy SEALs and other military personnel, have the ability to increase the wind speed up to 180 mph and float 30 feet into the air with up to seven other fliers. Instructors will be standing by to assist and direct.
Buzz Fink, a longtime Coronado resident who operates the Skydive San Diego parachute-jumping school near Otay Lakes, is the vision behind Airborne America. The facility was designed by Carrier Johnson + CULTURE with structural engineering by Hope-Amundson. Swinerton Builders is the constructing contractor and the projected opening is in the spring of 2016.
There will also be a gift shop and restaurant with party and training rooms and plenty of viewing platforms.
For more information, visit AirborneSanDiego.com.
—Ana Gramerling is on the board of the East Village Residents Group (EVRG). Learn more about the EVRG at evrgsd.org.