|
| | |
Supreme Being
Group: Administrators
Last Login: 14/08/2007 17:26:13
Posts: 123, Visits: 502 |
| I think it's an interesting question, I read on Dropzone.com a topic about Tunnel Flying being 'a passing fad' .. It seems some people have trouble seeing this as a sport in it's own right.
Just interested in what you guys think the future for tunnel flying is, do you think that one day we'll have just as many tunnels as .. say swimming pools?
I would like to think that the sport will continue to gain popularity and be recognised as a serious sport, not just a training tool for lemmings! 
 |
|
|
| | |
Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 31/01/2007 15:55:02
Posts: 139, Visits: 348 |
| | I think there will be nearly 2 tunnels in every state.. (those bigger than a couple hundred miles across anyway) and one in every country overseas that's not in total poverty etc. This could take another 20 years.. I also think it will be more mainstream.. like skydiving.. something everyone KNOWS about but doesn't necessarily do I think we'll have more participation than skydiving, provided we stop calling it skydiving in any way I think the prices will go down slightly and level off for certain I think it's too risky for MOST kids.. so I feel it will be an adult driven sport and since they are the ones who can afford to pay for it.. this also supports my theory.
Dawn Suiter
Bodyflight Network Vertical Wind Tunnels Worldwide
www.bodyflight.net
View My Bodyflight.net Profile & Logbook |
|
|
| | |
Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 25/10/2006 13:57:51
Posts: 78, Visits: 373 |
| If there are 2 tunnels in each state, I think those of us who are addicts will have to sit by the side of the road nears the tunnels holding "Will fly for food." signs! Seriously, though, I really look forward to the day there is a tunnel closer than 7 hours away from me.
Jenn
Tunnel Addict since November 2005!!!  |
|
|
| | |
Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 19/04/2007 11:40:32
Posts: 196, Visits: 498 |
| Don't forget about the 'tweens'- too old to be a classified as a kid but not yet a teenager. As of 2003 they had ~ $100-150 a month of disposable income (this $ amt. they predicted to increase in coming years). This group could very well fund their own flying habits.
 They'd still have to beg mom and dad for a ride
~*~Spread Your Love & Fly~*~
Paige Rudolph |
|
|
| | |
Forum Guru
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 04/10/2006 02:13:19
Posts: 67, Visits: 337 |
| A passing Fad.LOL!!!!!!!!
I think the future of the sport is going to be amazing! I see our family growing into hundreds, and then thousands of flyers around the world. I see a deep respect for the sport as a whole being found amongst the general public, and the bodyflyers that currently exist. I see, like Dawn said, 2 tunnels in every state, I see Lots and lots of AMAZING flying/facility video. Things we have never even thought or dreamed of!
This sport on a daily basis insipres me to do more, and more to be a part of it, and tell people about it. I see that happening in many more people. I am seeing it now everyday! I look forward to meeting and flying with everyone. (just let me shoot some video)
Shane Tully
WindWorX Productions
View my Bodyflight.net Profile & Logbook
|
|
|
| | |
Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 18/03/2006 14:23:39
Posts: 24, Visits: 67 |
| | As much as I love flying in tunnels, it's an extension of my skydiving. Tunnelflyer.com is in my skydiving bookmarks section. Any tunnel vids get stored with all other vids in the skydiving folder. Whilst the sport is associated with such a high risk adventure then I doubt it will get very mainstream. Although it is getting bigger, in the UK we have just had two great tunnels built which obviously improves people's exposure, I would love to know how many people that fly them are skydivers vs wuffos. As the weather here sucks over the winter they are godsends for most skydivers who don't want to travel to another country to get some air time. I honestly can't see how you can disassociate tunnels with skydiving when so many jumpers use them. |
|
|
| | |
Forum Guru
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 04/10/2006 02:13:19
Posts: 67, Visits: 337 |
| [quote][b]
daniel_owen_uk (06/01/2006)[/b]
I honestly can't see how you can disassociate tunnels with skydiving when so many jumpers use them.
[/quote]
Not trying to disassociate tunnels from skydiving, just trying to seprate them as two different sports in their own right. This would be much easier to do if the general public didn't have their first thought be of themselves falling out of the sky when they think of tunnel flying. When I started flying I didn't have any idea about how it would help me to become a skydiver. I really could've cared less at the time. I used to subscribe to skydiving magazine to read about wind tunnels(when they would write something) and that is how I learned of skydiving. Years, and years later I started skydiving for 2 reasons; curiosity,and lack of a tunnel to fly. My skydiving is only a small extension of my TUNNEL FLYING, and it really does not do the same thing for me at all. This makes it easy for me to think of FLYING in a tunnel as something totaly different than FALLING/jumping out of a plane, and totally disassociate the two sports.
Shane Tully
WindWorX Productions
View my Bodyflight.net Profile & Logbook
|
|
|
| | |
Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 31/01/2007 15:55:02
Posts: 139, Visits: 348 |
| | there are several million, I can only speculate in the area of 15+ million people PER YEAR that fly in a VWT for the fun or novelty of it in the US there are only 30K skydivers registered, maybe less now since I haven't looked at that number in a while, I'm guessing from an old BPA stat the the numbers are significantly less in other countries... seems to me that the money that keeps this industry alive and viable for future investment is not coming from jumpers... please also remember that I am thinking as broadly as I can... while most newer tunnels are catering to skydivers.. this hasn't been going on all that long.. only the last few years! It will be up to future tunnel owners to broaden the sport further, to bring it mainstream and I think it can be done. It's physical fitness aspects in this country alone could start a revolution!
Dawn Suiter
Bodyflight Network Vertical Wind Tunnels Worldwide
www.bodyflight.net
View My Bodyflight.net Profile & Logbook |
|
|
| | |
Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 18/03/2006 14:23:39
Posts: 24, Visits: 67 |
| |