iFLY O2 Arena in Greenwich: Review

But obviously that is not ethical, and I am pretty sure illegal, so for now I found an alternative, a safer, enjoyable version.

My colleague Amy and I went to the latest and greatest iFly centre, located at the O2 Arena in Greenwich.

iFly gives you the experience of freefalling with no parachute and no jumping out of a plane – it is purely just you flying, through the air, with the help of your instructor.

We attended the grand opening of the centre and were met with professional flyers and other adrenaline junkies waiting to ride the air.

As we arrived, we were greeted to a speech by the CEO and were then able to watch an incredible performance from professional flyers who soared through the flight chamber in their flight suits.

‘They make it look easy’ I thought to myself, although I knew once it was my turn to fly, I would look like one of those Tube Men inflatables you see outside a car dealership place.

As Amy and I waited for our turn to fly, we enjoyed some light canapes and soaked in the dim lit atmosphere, chatting with members of the press and other exciting people, including the Mayor of Greenwich.

7.30pm shortly came around, and it was our turn to fly.

Our instructor and saviour of the day was Jimmy – a British skydiver and coach – who gave us a short briefing and clear instructions to fly like a pro, or at least try.

Then, we were told to gear up - slowly putting on our helmets, flight suit and goggles, as the crippling anxiety started to consume my body.

“Who wants to go first?” Jimmy said to me, Amy, and eight other adults who were prepping for the flight.

The silence was deafening, and the bravest of all stood up, the all-mighty hero, the knight in shining armour.

“I will” I said.

You’re probably thinking I made a huge mistake at this point – given that I had never done this before – but it was definitely a way to kick the anxiety.

I approached the flight chamber with Jimmy and quite literally fell into the gusts of wind, to which I was soon lifted into the air.

To fly like a somewhat superhero, there is a certain position you have to hold so you can be aerodynamic and lifted into the air.

This position took me a few seconds (which felt like an hour) to master, but once I did, there was no going back.

I was guided through the entire flight, and we even flew up to the top of the tube, which was exhilarating, bizarre, and full of dribble.

Me and Jimmy (Image: NQ)

Before I knew it, the flight was over, and other members of the group took their turn inside the flight chamber, including Amy, who was quite the professional, compared to me.

Amy flying (Image: NQ)

After each of us had two flights inside the chamber, we were all running off adrenaline, laughing and joking at the expressions we made mid-flight.

We ended our day at iFly celebrating with prosecco and chatting with the incredible instructors at the centre.

I would recommend iFly to anyone looking for a taste of skydiving, and whether you’re seven or 70, the flights are available to all and costs from as little as £24.99.

Defying gravity was fun for the night, and I would do it all over again.