Indoor Skydiving Facility Could Come Soaring into Naperville

If you ever felt the need to unleash your inner Superman, but never quite had the nerve to jump out of a plane and pull a parachute cord, you may soon be in luck. 

iFly, an indoor skydiving facility, could be coming to Naperville. 

Planning and Zoning Commission gave a positive recommendation Wednesday for City Council to look at a proposed 9,777 square-foot, three-story iFly indoor skydiving facility, which would sit on the southeast corner of Freedom Drive and Independence Avenue, just north of Cooper's Hawk restaurant in Freedom Commons. 

The company currently has 11 indoor wind-tunnel skydiving facilities in the US and eight other locations across the globe. Vertical tunnels reach up to 50-feet high, 16-feet wide and generate controlled winds up to 150 mph, which lift flyers into the air, according to the company's website. 

Customers would take an introductory training and safety class before flying and flying gear such as goggles and suits would be provided. 

(If you really want to get a feel for it, just watch this video.)

iFly petitioner Bill Adams told the commission Wednesday that the iFly facility would be "a major draw" for the city.

"I think this will be a real good thing for Naperville," Adams said. "It's something that's very unique and it will become a community icon."

Adams said the facility would be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and flying packages would start at $59.95. He added that indoor skydiving is open to anyone from age 3 to 103. 

The building would need about 40 parking spaces and Adams told commissioners that he does not expect any "peak hours" of traffic considering that 95 percent of customers book ahead of time.

"We generally don't have peak hours, it's a constant, steady flow and that's really the reason why iFly's do so well," Adams said.

A few commissioners had concerns about the building's height, but the proposal received a unanimous positive recommendation Wednesday - with some commissioners already eager to book their first flying session.

"I'm hearing this and I'm already buying into this thinking, 'I want to be the first one in that tube,' Commissioner Patricia Gustin said. "It's got a lot of bling this project, for a PUD, I'm all in right now."

Commission Robert Williams also had high praise for the proposal.

"I think this makes Freedom Commons better and better and better. This is a very cosmopolitan kind of use and it certainly will be a people magnet," Williams said. "I think that it's just a great addition to the city of Naperville."

The proposal will now move on to City Council.