You’ll find iFLY Montréal (Laval) in the outdoor complex known as Centropolis in Laval, Quebec. This establishment was the first of its kind in Canada, and it continues to be a guiding light and pioneer in the Canadian indoor skydiving scene.
Despite having a penchant for adventure, skydiving has never actually been something that’s been too high on my list. That being said, like anyone who has ever watched a bird soar across the sky on a summer’s day — I’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to fly.
Thus, when I had the chance recently to visit Laval, Quebec, I had iFLY Montréal (Laval) circled, and the experience was as captivating and memorable as I could have hoped it would be. Upon further reflection, I feel as if I’ve always been drawn to adventure because of the way that it forces you to be present — to give yourself fully to an activity, and to forget about your phone’s inexorable rollout of notifications.
That’s certainly what I found here. The rush that you get from hopping into that wind tunnel is like nothing else I’ve experienced. The learning curve is also not quite as steep as you’d think. Before heading into the tunnel the first time, my goal was simply to…well, not publicly embarrass myself. But joking aside, with each entry to the tunnel, I gained confidence, and started to dream bigger about what was possible.
There’s an unmistakable art and beauty to indoor skydiving. I was in awe of the instructors from the onset, and the way they harnessed the power of the wind tunnel. But, I’d also like to think that, by the end, I was in awe of how far I’d come as well. I mention this because I don’t think I’m unique in that. I’m quite sure that you’ll experience that very same feeling.
iFLY at Centropolis in Laval, Quebec
iFLY Montréal is what we know it as today, but it originally started at Skyventure Montréal a little under 15 years ago, making it Canada’s first indoor skydiving facility, and the 10th on the planet.
When visiting, I had the chance to talk to David Étienne Lacroix, who is not just an instructor, but a trainer of instructors, and he’s been at this a long time. After finishing his athletic career as a kayaker, he went to work as a rigger at a parachute centre. One of the owners, seeing his aptitude for it, asked David if he knew what a wind tunnel was…and the rest is history.
“There was a project in the works called Skyventure Montreal, and they were looking for top athletes to form a dream team…I accepted the offer without even knowing what the job was going to be, and in February 2009 I left for San Francisco to train to be an instructor. And I’ve been doing it ever since.”
The groundwork that they laid during that time has led to the establishment they have today, where there’s such a clear emphasis on support and empowerment. You can see that the staff believes that this can be a sport for everyone, and they put that belief into action.
“There are now around 96 iFLYs worldwide. We have highly qualified instructors, but what sets Montréal apart from the rest is its warm welcome. Many tell us they feel the passion we have for our work.”
What You Need to Know About iFLY Montréal Chute Libre Intérieur
Packages to Consider
First-time flyers have a number of options to choose from. All of the options come with one-on-one flight instruction, pre-flight training, as well as flight gear rentals.
An easy choice for beginners would be the Kick Start Experience, which gives you 2 regular flights. If you know you’d really like to get a feel for the sport, then it’s likely the Airborne Experience you’re after, which offers 4 flights. You can also do the 360 VR Experience, which offers 2 regular flights and 1 virtual reality flight.
Personally, I feel that you should go for more flights if you’re able, largely because it’ll take you 1-2 flights just to understand the dynamics of the wind tunnel. We went for the Ultimate 360 VR Experience, which included 4 regular flights plus a VR Flight, and it was absolutely fantastic. You can find full information about your options here, as well as the packages for return flights, and experienced flyers.
I was unsure about how the VR flight would be, but it was quite the experience! With the VR setup, I was tearing down the mountain side in Norway all of a sudden, with the instructors guiding me around the wind tunnel to mimic what they could see on the screen. I can’t say I’ve ever experienced anything quite like it – a statement I could attach to my entire indoor skydiving experience at large.
As David Etienne noted, “It’s a sport, not a ride. It’s a feeling you can’t get anywhere else.”
A Commitment to Accessibility
The staff at iFLY Montréal (Laval) had a saying that I loved. “Whether you’re 3 or 103, you can fly.”
That sounds like a nice piece of marketing at first glance, but they really do walk the walk. They have protocol in place to help as many individuals as possible be able to take part on this sport, including the hearing and sight impaired, wheelchair users, those with a dealing with cognitive or mental disabilities, and more.
David Etienne was enormously passionate about the accessibility work they’ve done and continue to do here.
“I’m proud to say that Montreal has been a pioneer in this sport’s accessibility. The previous owner’s mission was to help people of all abilities fly. He made sure our facilities were wheelchair accessible first. So, 12 years ago, through our experiences with different customers, I had the idea of designing, with the financial support of Skyventure Montreal, the world’s first harness for paraplegics to fly in the wind tunnel, the Limited Mobility Person harness (LMP harness).
Since then, I’ve developed the 3rd version, and many tunnels around the world now use the LMP harness.”
We at We Explore Canada unequivocally applaud David’s efforts.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Typical flights last about the equivalent of 1.5 times the length of a tandem skydive. “So each flight is around 60 seconds, often a bit longer but never shorter than 50 seconds. A double flight is about 120 seconds long. Please remember we are selling the exhilarating Indoor Skydiving experience which should never be measured in terms of time! It may not sound long but as a first-time flyer it will seem much longer during the experience itself.”
- You should arrive 45 minutes before your flight, and expect to be on-site for about 1.5 hours.
- You’ll want to dress comfortably and bring a pair of well fitting laced-up shoes. Avoid collared shirts, and if you’ve got longer hair, you’ll want something to tie it up. You’ll also want to remove all loose items (think jewellery etc.).
- As a weight limit, you can’t fly if you’re over 300 pounds. If you’re between 260-300, you’ll want to let the staff know, just so they can ensure they’ve got the wind tunnel set up appropriately.
- As you might guess, you cannot be under the influence of drugs or alcohol during this. Trust us, this experience is a high unto itself, there’s no need for substances here.
- They’re typically open 2:30pm – 9pm on weekdays and 9am – 7:30pm on weekends.
Indoor Skydiving is More Than a Pastime
This isn’t just something to add to your Laval itinerary, it’s like opening a door to a whole new world. I’ve done this once, but just writing this article has me wanting to do it all over again.
David Etienne was instrumental in helping me understand that this isn’t some gimmicky activity that you’ll do once and think, “well, that was kind of cool.” No, it’s a sport and, more than that, I’d say it’s even a bit of a lifestyle. Everywhere I looked at IFLY Montréal, I saw community.
“It’s a very young sport that has only had a name since 2014, which is called ‘Bodyflight.’ It’s a freedom of movement that before only skydivers could experience. It’s evolving so fast that it was on the shortlist to be part of the demonstration sports for the Paris 2024 Olympics.”
And it’s growing and evolving, says David.
“Now it’s a sport where you can create choreography, with music, that’s as impressive as going to see a Cirque du Soleil show.”
This sport is on the rise, and this is a great place to come see what all the hype is about, and remind yourself that, when it comes to what you’re capable of, the sky is the limit.
We want to thank Tourisme Laval for working with us as media. All opinions are completely our own.
Christopher Mitchell is a Co-founder of We Explore Canada. He’s visited over 80 countries and has lived on 4 continents, but now has his eyes set squarely on exploring this incredible country and helping others do the same.