Our family spent some time in the Smoky Mountains last month. We've visited Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge many times in the past but this trip we tried something we'd never done before: Flyaway Indoor Skydiving.

After watching a brief safety film and learning a few hand signs our flight instructor would use to communicate with us during our time in the wind tunnel, we suited up in our flight gear. 

In addition to the loose-fitting jumpers, Flyaway issued us goggles, gloves, and helmets. Closed-toe shoes are also required. Fortunately, they had extras for the flip-flop wearing members of our family.

No more than five flyers are allowed into the wind tunnel at once, so we had to split up our group and fly in shifts. The girls went first.

Since it was our first time flying, the instructor kept us at arm's reach to make sure we didn't lose control and crash. 

Abby is so light, she might have flown right up to the ceiling had he not kept a firm hold on her.

The release forms we signed included a long list of possible injuries that could be sustained while participating in this activity, but we were in good hands and felt perfectly safe the time we were there.

After all the girls had a turn, we switched out with the boys and watched through the observation windows as they flew, too.

Mom took lots of pictures, although between the high winds and the thick glass, most of her photos look a little fuzzy. For a fee, you can get a video recording of your flight (included with the "Block Party" group package) which offers clearer shots.

There is a weight limit, based on height and sex, above which Flyaway cannot guarantee a satisfactory flight experience. Refer to the chart on the wall in the picture below for specifics:

Doug surpassed the limit for his height by nearly 30 pounds. He was debating whether he should even try, but our flight instructor was pretty confident he could get even the heaviest members of our group airborne...

And he did! He had Doug spread out in an "X" on the floor, then turned up the fans. Doug shot right up into the air. What a blast! Literally! 

Although Flyaway let us fly free as part of a US Family Guide blogger promotion, we were sure to leave our flight instructor a nice tip to thank him for a wonderfully fun family experience.

Flyaway Indoor Skydiving was a great way to spend the afternoon. Our kids can hardly wait to go back. If you decide to try it, you can save $5 off the video service with this coupon.