I’m admittedly one of the wimpiest people I know when it comes to any sort of amusement park activities. Standing at five foot even, I usually (thankfully) barely even qualify to ride most roller coasters, but when I do, I chicken out when it’s go time. I detest that feeling when my stomach starts doing somersaults, and can never understand how thrill seekers get such a rush from the same rides that cause me such emotional and physical angst.
When I was asked to go OTB (that’s over the bridge) to check out Airborne San Diego, my first reaction was, “You want me to do what? Me?” Airborne San Diego, owned by Coronado residents Buzz and Kristina Fink, is, according to its website, an “indoor skydiving experience like you’ve never seen it.” You know how some people dream of going skydiving? Yeah, that’s definitely not me. I’m so pathetic that I don’t even like going on swings at the playground because I like to keep both feet firmly on the ground.
I started having flashbacks of when my daughter was three years old, and she begged me to take her on a children’s roller coaster while we were on vacation. I begrudgingly agreed, and then felt humiliated because I had to beg the operator to stop the ride because I felt nauseous. I started worrying what would happen if I went to Airborne San Diego, and ended up feeling embarrassed because I couldn’t go through with it.
After a gentle nudging from my editor, who proofreads my articles while simultaneously serving as my personal life coach, I agreed to go for it. Another Coronado Times writer and dear friend, Heather McNeil, graciously agreed to join me just in case . . .
Background: Airborne San Diego
1401 Imperial Avenue, San Diego, California, 92101 / 619-564-7860
Situated in the heart of East Village in downtown San Diego, Airborne San Diego is a newly constructed 26,000 square foot facility that offers panoramic views of the San Diego skyline, including Petco Park and the San Diego Public Library. Heather and I had no problem finding parking as there are several parking lots in the vicinity, and we easily parked directly across the street from the beautiful building “where first-time flyers soar and professionals are born.”
Before I attempted to go airborne, Buzz and Kristina gave us a tour of the state of the art facility, which includes two tunnels, each thirty feet high and spanning fourteen feet wide. I have to say that I was blown away (pun intended)!
Airborne San Diego is the perfect venue for birthday parties, special events, and team building activities, and the facility can accommodate groups of up to one hundred people. Although there are “only” two tunnels, within a one hour window, twenty-four individual flyers can cycle through each tunnel, meaning that with both tunnels being utilized, forty-eight people can try indoor skydiving within the same hour. Looking for something new to do? Airborne San Diego is also a great place to go for those interested in a fun family day out or a date night like no other.
Additionally, Airborne San Diego serves as a training facility for military personnel who are currently doing skydiving training, and is the place to go for pro-flyers who wish to hone their skills regardless of the weather or wind conditions outside. Whether people are there for business or for pleasure, guests can partake of the delicious offerings, including adult beverages, served at Airborne San Diego’s breakAWAY Café and Bar, located on the first floor. Buzz highly recommends the Buzz Burger! (See Additional Photos at the conclusion of this article for photographs of additional menu items.)
As we were given the grand tour, I was impressed how the entire facility is designed around having visual access to the two tunnels, making the airborne experience enjoyable for those in the tunnels as well as for those who are waiting for their turn. Even the elevators, which go to the top of the three story building, are made of glass so you don’t have to miss a minute of watching indoor skydiving. I’ll admit that as I walked around, marveling at the flawless design of Airborne San Diego, I started to have some doubts about stepping foot into one of the tunnels. How would I feel being on display, and would extra eyes on me make me even more nervous?
As our tour continued, Heather and I were thrilled when we were given the chance to check out the behind-the-scenes tunnel room! Stepping foot inside, we remarked to one another how it reminded us of the scene from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, when Charlie and Grandpa had to belch as to not be sucked up into the fans. (I wondered if I should start drinking something fizzy.) Buzz laughed along with us, and assured us that no belching would be required for our Airborne San Diego experience. Airborne San Diego utilizes a high-efficiency motor and fan system. Each of the eleven blades on the motor weighs 600 pounds. The nose cone on the top and the nose cone on the bottom weigh about 1,200 pounds each. The motor itself and the gearbox weigh about 18,000 pounds.
As he explained the patented technology behind indoor skydiving at Airborne San Diego, Buzz assured us that employees inspect both tunnels every day prior to anyone else even stepping foot into either of the tunnels. With speeds ranging from zero to 180 miles per hour in the tunnel, safety is of the Finks’ utmost concern.
Q & A with Buzz and Kristina Fink, Owners of Airborne San Diego
As stunning and impressive as Airborne San Diego looked, I still had some hints of anxiety about trying indoor skydiving. Even though their website features frequently asked questions, Buzz and Kristina were gracious enough to sit down with Heather and me to answer some more questions as I internally debated whether I was going to be brave.
As we discussed how indoor skydiving became a business for them, Buzz shared that skydiving has been a lifelong passion. Growing up in Coronado, Buzz became enamored with skydiving as a child, recalling how every Fourth of July he would watch the Navy SEALs jump into the bay. Although the SEALs no longer do this each Independence Day, Buzz recalled how watching them year after year set him on the course to make skydiving so much more than a hobby. When he was twenty-three years old, he had his first skydiving experience. He shared, “I loved it, and was hooked!”
Unbeknownst to him, his love of skydiving would eventually lead him to the love of his life! Years later as a skydiving instructor at Skydive San Diego, Buzz took Kristina up on her very first skydiving experience (at night no less.) Not only did Kristina fall in love with skydiving, she fell in love with Buzz! (I’m a sucker for stories about how couples first met, and the Finks’ story is definitely one of the cutest! And, if you think their story on how they met is sweet, be sure to ask them about their wedding, when they literally took a leap of faith as they said, “I do!”)
Of her first skydiving experience, Kristina recalled, “I thought it was going to be a one time thing, something to check off on my bucket list, but I fell in love with it. It’s life altering.”
The couple owned Skydive San Diego for twenty-three years, and for fourteen of those years Buzz had the opportunity to work with the SEALs who inspired his career path. After the SEALs completed BUD/S, they would come to Skydive San Diego for training. Last year the couple sold their company, but they still retain the lease. According to Buzz, shifting their business venture from skydiving to indoor skydiving was a matter of moving “from a high-risk, lower-profit business to a more-profitable, less-risk business.”
Buzz and Kristina started the idea of Airborne San Diego seven years ago, and construction began two years ago. Aside from the profit margins that indoor skydiving offered compared with skydiving, one aspect of indoor skydiving that was especially intriguing to Buzz and Kristina was the fact that the age range was greater. To jump from a plane, one must be eighteen years of age, but children ages four and up can enjoy indoor skydiving at Airborne San Diego.
What’s the best part about their new business venture? With just two words, Buzz answered, “The people.” He elaborated, “I love being around people having fun, people who are happy. People leave with such a positive feeling!” Kristina added, “And our staff is phenomenal, and they love what they do. That’s so important!”
Unlike an amusement park, where employees don’t necessarily have any training, the staff at Airborne San Diego are certified flight instructors with impressive resumes and a ton of skydiving and indoor skydiving experience under their belts. As I thought about how I was supposed to try indoor skydiving within the hour, learning that key detail about the staff definitely helped put my mind at ease!
I asked Buzz and Kristina why they thought Airborne San Diego was a “bridge-worthy” venture for Coronado residents. “It’s a huge adrenaline rush. If you’re having a bad day or even a bad week, it will help you forget about everything. You’ll leave here feeling uplifted,” Buzz promised. “It makes you happy,” Kristina said.
At this point, I finally confessed to both of them that I was actually quite nervous about trying indoor skydiving, worried I was going to make a fool out of myself somehow. They assured me there was nothing to worry about it. “Generally you almost never hear of a beginner injury,” Buzz assured me. “You’re not going in by yourself. You’ll be with a certified flight instructor,” Kristina reminded me. Buzz chimed in, “They’re trained to keep an eye on you at all times.” (Beginners have an instructor with them inside the tunnel at all times, and pro-flyers have a spotter right outside the tunnel door at all times.)
As I absorbed all their assurances that there was no reason to be scared, Buzz said something poignant that convinced me to try it. He told me, “You will never regret it.” With a certainty like that, how could I possibly argue? He then winked as he teased, “Just remember to burp.”
My First Experience with Indoor Skydiving
Heather and I each read through and signed the required waivers, and then met with our certified flight instructor Walker Mackey, who fitted us with flight suits, goggles, helmets, and ear protection after we secured our other belongings in courtesy lockers. Walker, who moved here from Colorado specifically so he could work at Airborne San Diego, did a training session with us, teaching us the basic signals he would use with us while we were in the tunnel with him. Because wind speeds in the tunnels can go up to about 105 miles per hour for beginners, it was essential that we were able to identify visual cues since we wouldn’t be able to hear Walker once we were in the tunnel with him.
Heather and I both did the Intro to Flying package, which includes two flight rotations for each flyer with a free-fall time equivalent to approximately three skydives. (For additional packages, see Additional Information at the conclusion of this article.)
Guess who went first! If you guessed me, then you’re correct! What I had imagined was going to be terrifying turned out to be one of the most exhilarating experiences I’ve ever had! It was absolutely incredible, beyond my wildest dreams. I smiled the entire time, and although this is a little embarrassing to admit, I could feel myself drooling a little as my cheeks were plastered with a grin as the wind allowed me to defy gravity!
Heather went next, and loved it just as much as I did. She also admitted that she could feel herself drooling a bit from smiling so hard as the wind batted at her cheeks.
After we each had two rotations in the tunnel, we were finished. I stepped out of the tunnel area feeling like a new person. All my worries about feeling like I was going to look foolish were replaced with sheer joy. I honestly couldn’t stop smiling, and neither could Heather. We both felt giddy as we talked about how much fun it was! The whole experience felt empowering for me because I got over a deep-seated fear, and didn’t just survive the experience; I enjoyed the hell out of it!
After we returned our equipment, Walker talked with us for a few minutes about our reaction to our first indoor skydiving experience, and it was evident that he felt genuinely happy seeing how much Heather and I enjoyed it. Walker, a world traveler and adventurer who’s been skydiving for six years, shared that indoor skydiving is so appealing because “it goes back to the basics” of what skydiving is all about without having to spend time getting on a plane first. According to Walker, indoor skydiving gives people “drastically more airtime” and is “so much more readily available” to everyone who wants to experience it. He shared that the most rewarding part of working at Airborne San Diego is “that everyone who steps out of the tunnel says, ‘Wow! That was amazing!'”, and followed that with, “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do to be honest.”
To celebrate our experience, Heather and I headed to the retail area, where we each picked out a T-shirt to forever remind ourselves of our first indoor skydiving experience. (Notice I didn’t say my only indoor skydiving experience!) We then made our way over to the breakAWAY Café and Bar for lunch, which was just as delicious as promised. I had the Buzz Burger and Heather ordered the Black Bean Burger. Yum!
Later that same evening, Heather and I met up at Tidelands Park, and laughed when we discovered that we were both wearing our Airborne San Diego T-shirts! It’s safe to say that we are hooked! Thanks, Buzz and Kristina! Thanks, Walker! Airborne San Diego is, without a doubt, definitely a bridge-worthy experience! You were mostly right, Buzz . . . While I’ll never regret trying indoor skydiving, my only regret is that I didn’t try it sooner. I’m looking forward to the grand opening this fall! Stay tuned for details . . .
Additional Information:
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