4 February 2025
On Saturday 9th November, a cluster of 26 flyers aged between seven to 36 and of assorted abilities, got stuck into indoor skydiving. Carers and loved ones watched them in flying action at our iFLY Manchester Trafford Park venue. The event, organised by iFLY’s All Abilities Ambassador, Brian Mills, was part of our All-Abilities Programme, catering especially to anyone with special educational needs.
Brian Mills and His Passion for All Abilities Skydiving
Brian Mills, who has been an ambassador for the programme for several years, said:
“I was thrilled to welcome these guests to iFLY. It’s wonderful that they’ve had this opportunity to try indoor skydiving here in Manchester.
Some of the guests are part of Saddleworth Riding for the Disabled, a group coordinated by Alison Pickering, so they’re already familiar with adventurous activities; other participants are members of Glossop Ability Counts and regularly enjoy football and basketball sessionsorganised by coordinator, Gary Greenall.
They embraced the exhilaration of flying, just as my late wife Glen did. Glen was a passionate advocate for indoor skydiving, and it allowed her to feel a profound sense of freedom andexcitement.”
About Brian Mills and His Late Wife Glen
Back in 2014, Brian’s daughter had a voucher for a flying experience with us here at iFLY. Brian’s wife, Glen, who suffered from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and was wheelchair-bound, decided to give flying in our wind tunnels a go. And what followed was a love affair with the tunnel that lasted nearly eight years.
Glen’s first flight lasted just four minutes, but she quickly became hooked, enjoying the sense of freedom flying gave her. Slowly, Glen built up her time in the wind tunnel, with Brian taking her most Tuesdays.
The benefits of indoor freefalling for Glen? Innumerable. Freefalling was a life-changing experience.
Glen described the feeling of flying as pain-relieving and relaxing. The adrenaline infused her with elation. And she loved seeing others, especially children, try it out, many of whom had special educational needs.
Glen’s most memorable moment was when she flew solo in the tunnel – a moment Brian will always cherish. Over the years, Brian and Glen’s story gained national attention, with appearances on BBC, Good Morning Britain and even iFLY Paris.
Glen flew all the way into her 80s and, by the time of her passing in 2023, had accumulated a world-record-breaking 13 hours of tunnel time.
Today, Brian continues to host All-Abilities events, all in the name of giving others like his wife the opportunity to fly with no limits. Whether you’re an amputee, blind, deaf, or have cerebral palsy, you CAN fly.
A Few Words from the All-Abilities Manchester Event Guests
Brian’s had some glowing reviews from happy flyers about the 2024 November event. Here’s what a few of the guests had to say:
Rifat Nadeem shared:
“Absolutely fantastic! The staff made them feel welcome and at ease. The facility was clean, and well-organised, and safety was clearly a top priority. They provided all the necessary gear. I’d highly recommend this experience to anyone looking to try something unique and thrilling. Our girls are already asking when they can go back!”
Kirsty Pimblett commented:
“iFLY was a fantastic experience for my two boys, they were a little nervous but the staff were really reassuring and supportive. Sometimes activities and new experiences can be extremelydifficult but having friendly faces and others from their football team really helped to encourage them. Thank you.”
Garry Greenhall was impressed, saying:
“Most of our flyers on first arrival had nervous looks on their faces especially as you got to the top of the stairs and the first thing you see is the wind tunnel. Everyone was excited though and just like at reception we were all made to feel very welcome and accommodated by Staff and of course Brian. By the end of it, all nerves were gone and replaced by big, big smiles.”
Amanda Kay’s feedback on her son, Josh, is equally heart-warming:
“My 19-year-old son arrived for the iFLY Ability Counts football event sponsored by yourselves yesterday, apprehensive but a little curious. On arrival, the friendly receptionist was very engaging and he followed her instructions with ease.
By the time he was suited with his helmet on, he was beaming and delighting in watching friends he knew take flight. Josh has sensory issues - but he remained strong in a very strange environment. It warmed my heart and I was probably more ecstatic than him that he achieved a great first flight with no thumbs down.
I am so thrilled Josh got the chance to try something like this. This experience in particular has given him an experience that is quite spectacular which has given a huge boost to his confidence and which he is likely to share with many friends and family. It brings with it a real sense of the value of himself - and that is so important for his ongoing development and future happiness - and mine!”
About the iFLY All Abilities Program
At iFLY, we believe that no matter what your proficiency, you deserve to fly. Here’s what ourAll-Abilities programme offers:
Who Can Benefit from Indoor Skydiving?
Anyone and everyone. If you have any of these physical needs, we’d love you to fly with us:
We also welcome people with cognitive challenges, like:
Join Us for Future Events
We also hold special nights just for All Abilities flyers at many of our locations, so be sure to check out the events we have coming up. If you’d like to chat more about your goals or learn more about our program, get in touch with our customer service team who are always happy to help!
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