£6 million sky-diving development approved (From Basingstoke Gazette)
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Development could create 50 jobs
12:26pm Thursday 19th July 2012 in Local By Gazette reporter
Concept image of the new centre
A £6MILLION sky-diving and skiing development at Basing-stoke Leisure Park has been given the go-ahead by borough councillors.
Specialist company Airkix, which has two similar facilities in Milton Keynes and Manchester, will now set about building the facility, which bosses believe could attract around 95,000 people a year
and create 50 jobs.
It will be built on two existing car parks and could be open as early as Easter next year.
The complex will include a “freefall” indoor wind tunnel in which the jet of air suspends the gravity-defying “sky-divers”, along with a Skiplex indoor skiing simulator and a drive-through coffee
shop.
Plans for the scheme were approved by the borough’s development control committee on Tuesday night. The only points of debate concerned car parking and traffic.
The new building, which will be sited on borough-owned land, will result in the net loss of 63 car parking spaces and generate more traffic.
But officers said the developer would have to contribute to road improvements, and new signs would encourage better use of currently under-used parking areas.
Alastair Bell, of Vermillion Estates, the project’s development partner, told the meeting: “Airkix is an exciting project that has done wonders for the promotion of Milton Keynes and Manchester,
and hopefully, it will do the same for Basingstoke.”
In response to questions about providing for the disabled, Simon Ward, chairman of Airkix, said his company had “done an awful lot for the disabled” and had strong links with several Forces
disability charities.
And he said the facility would bring in plenty of business. He said: “We will attract skydivers from around the world. Have we done our research? Yes we have.”
Committee member Cllr Jane Frankum said: “This is a very exciting project.”
At the company’s Milton Keynes facility, the price of an off-peak sky-diving flight starts at £29.99.
Comments(35)
jondave
says...
11:58am Fri 20 Jul 12
If there is a demand for this, AND support from a Labour councillor, it'll be further proof that the "recession" never existed.
Whaaaaa
says...
11:46pm Fri 20 Jul 12
You obviously have no idea about skydiving or flying in a wind tunnel. Not really on the same level as sticking your feet in a tub of fish.
Its not really expensive compared to a skydive (200gbp for 45 seconds). If it is out of the budget for many people to do on a regualr basis so what? They get to try it once, and experience the amazing feeling of flight for the first time in there life.
So how about you stop moaning and save up 30gbp before easter and go and enjoy yourself?
THX 1138
says...
10:14am Sat 21 Jul 12
There will be the novelty factor initially, but will they get enough repeat business to be sustainable in the longer term? I wish them well but I am sceptical about their projections, especially in an economic downturn.
Opinions_opinions
says...
4:27pm Sat 21 Jul 12
Whaaaaa wrote:I am assuming you have some association with Airkix going by your comment. A real skydive means I go on a real plane up into the real sky and jump out into a real skydive. That I would consider paying for. But let's be realistic here. It's NOT real. It is simulated, the same as many of the simulators that you see in theme parks etc where you pay about £5 for a £5 minute experience. So, back to reality, how long will this company last when everyone has experienced it once and then cannot afford to keep going back even though they may like to ?? Off-Peak prices I don't think are going to be enough to get repeat business. And the £29 quoted is after you have gone through the initial training etc which is a lot more expensive. Read their website and hidden in there is the detail. So your comment about they get to try it once then so what !!! That's a bit of a foolish comment as the company I am sure will have to rely on repeat business. Hence my point about the foot/fish shop, nice to try once, but too expensive for continous repeat business. The shop is no longer there !!!
@ Opinions_opinions You obviously have no idea about skydiving or flying in a wind tunnel. Not really on the same level as sticking your feet in a tub of fish. Its not really expensive compared to a skydive (200gbp for 45 seconds). If it is out of the budget for many people to do on a regualr basis so what? They get to try it once, and experience the amazing feeling of flight for the first time in there life. So how about you stop moaning and save up 30gbp before easter and go and enjoy yourself?
Whaaaaa
says...
5:00am Sun 22 Jul 12
I skydive and have flown in Airkix wind tunnels and several other wind tunnels around the world.
This is not a simulator and trust me it is very real. Speaking from experience (thousands of 'real' skydives and hundreds of 'real' hours flying in the tunnel) both a skydive and a flight in a wind tunnel are allot of fun, and cannot be compared to a theme park simulator or a foot/fish shop ;)
Reality = many people only skydive once in a lifetime and dropzones are still in business. Dropzones have repeat business (tandem skydive each year for birthday or special occasions) then there are people who go on to gain a skydiving license then spend thousands of pounds per year on jumps and equipment. Wind tunnels work in a similar way, they have people who try it once, they have repeat customers, and they have skydivers/tunnel flyers that fly hours and hours per year. If you don’t believe me do some research - this is Airkix's 3rd facility in the UK (each cost millions of pounds to build). Other tunnels have been successfully operating for years all around the world.
They defiantly won’t go out of business if you don’t turn up to try it, but you will defiantly be missing out.
Opinions_opinions
says...
3:24pm Sun 22 Jul 12
Best_Name_Ever
says...
8:06am Mon 23 Jul 12
Opinions_opinions wrote:Well, it does not sound to me that Whaaaa is affiliated with Airkix, just someone who enjoys new experiences. I can't wait to go.
So it would seem Whaaaa have an affiliation with this site which is why you are defending it much. It will never be as good as the real thing no matter how you are trying to sell it. The real thrill of knowing there is real danger and the rush of seeing the ground rushing up towards you is not there in an Airkix simulator.
Best_Name_Ever
says...
8:06am Mon 23 Jul 12
Opinions_opinions wrote:Well, it does not sound to me that Whaaaa is affiliated with Airkix, just someone who enjoys new experiences. I can't wait to go.
So it would seem Whaaaa have an affiliation with this site which is why you are defending it much. It will never be as good as the real thing no matter how you are trying to sell it. The real thrill of knowing there is real danger and the rush of seeing the ground rushing up towards you is not there in an Airkix simulator.
Opinions_opinions
says...
9:34am Mon 23 Jul 12
Best_Name_Ever wrote:No affiliation ?!?!? ... yeah right. Did you actually read his post ? He had all the data to hand about cost of building , how many sites, once in a lifetime, skydiving license, wind tunnels, repeat customers. Hmmm ... methinks you are up to your old tricks BNE :). Of course he is affiliated. He wants this to work probably because he is going to be working there or managing the place. It will be a success for a period of time I am sure, and then the money will dry up as people would have already "done it" and would not want to pay the huge cost of repeating the experience. Even at an offpeak £29 flight, what does it work out at per minute in the windtunnel Mr Whaaaaa ? Honest answers only please.
Opinions_opinions wrote: So it would seem Whaaaa have an affiliation with this site which is why you are defending it much. It will never be as good as the real thing no matter how you are trying to sell it. The real thrill of knowing there is real danger and the rush of seeing the ground rushing up towards you is not there in an Airkix simulator.Well, it does not sound to me that Whaaaa is affiliated with Airkix, just someone who enjoys new experiences. I can't wait to go.
Pac_Man
says...
9:11pm Mon 23 Jul 12
I will be more than happy to spend my cash on some indoor sky diving, as it really interests me and sounds exciting.
One last note, (as my mother always says) if you can't say anything nice, dont say anything at all.
The _right_stuff
says...
10:20pm Mon 23 Jul 12
I'll see how I get on and if I enjoy it, I'll be having loads of goes, although some of the prices and plans aren't cheap.
Best_Name_Ever
says...
7:49am Tue 24 Jul 12
Opinions_opinions wrote:Of course I read the post. I don't understand why you think someone always has to have another agenda when they disagree with you.
Best_Name_Ever wrote:No affiliation ?!?!? ... yeah right. Did you actually read his post ? He had all the data to hand about cost of building , how many sites, once in a lifetime, skydiving license, wind tunnels, repeat customers. Hmmm ... methinks you are up to your old tricks BNE :). Of course he is affiliated. He wants this to work probably because he is going to be working there or managing the place. It will be a success for a period of time I am sure, and then the money will dry up as people would have already "done it" and would not want to pay the huge cost of repeating the experience. Even at an offpeak £29 flight, what does it work out at per minute in the windtunnel Mr Whaaaaa ? Honest answers only please.Opinions_opinions wrote: So it would seem Whaaaa have an affiliation with this site which is why you are defending it much. It will never be as good as the real thing no matter how you are trying to sell it. The real thrill of knowing there is real danger and the rush of seeing the ground rushing up towards you is not there in an Airkix simulator.Well, it does not sound to me that Whaaaa is affiliated with Airkix, just someone who enjoys new experiences. I can't wait to go.
Opinions_opinions
says...
8:12am Tue 24 Jul 12
THX 1138
says...
10:59am Tue 24 Jul 12
Pac_Man wrote:Nothing silly in what I said and I never said it was a bad thing. I am just sceptical about their projections and whether they will get enough repeat business to be sustainable. If it works great, but projecting 95,000 customers per year (an average of over 250 per day) sounds like one of those figures you get on Dragons Den! You said yourself that costs are high, so they are going to have to be very popular to make a profit. Realistic in an economic downturn? - I have my doubts.
I think this comment section is getting silly. First of all, I think it is fantastic that Basingstoke is getting these facilities and it will give many locals and visitors a chance to do something different that they may otherwise not get a chance to experience, how can this possibly be a bad thing? Secondly, for those complaining about costs, stop being such tight-wads. If you can't afford it/don't want to spend the money on the activites on offer, then don't bother going there, simples. These facilites are not cheap to run or build and the highly trained instructors are paid a wage that reflects the demands on job. (I know some of you will claim they get to "float around" all day, but its really not the case.) I will be more than happy to spend my cash on some indoor sky diving, as it really interests me and sounds exciting. One last note, (as my mother always says) if you can't say anything nice, dont say anything at all.
Buster Preciation
says...
1:07pm Tue 24 Jul 12
Perhaps it is a case of schedenfraude - such posters are hoping it will fail so that they can say 'I told you so'.
Whaaaaa
says...
8:09am Fri 27 Jul 12
What is BNE?
For your information I live in The Netherlands. That is in mainland Europe. Airkix are in the UK, I have no plans to leave my job and move to England to live and work for Airkix in Basingstoke.
You have no clue what you are talking about. I do.
Tunnels sell time per minute. Use your brain and look on the websites of tunnel – Airkix, Ifly, Bottrop, VossVind, Bedford, Skyventure. Its no big secret that it costs around 15 pound per minute (that’s PER MINUTE PEOPLE haha)
Yes you are being a tight wad and do not know what you’re talking about, as you have been in neither a wind tunnel nor jumped out of an airplane. I have done both and know the value of what I am paying for. In Holland I pay Holland 25euros for a skydive (less than 60 seconds), in the closest wind tunnel (Bottrop, Germany) I pay 740euros an hour, so 12euros per minute (Yes per minute people!!!) That is not even taking into account the money I pay to get to get to the tunnel or dropzone, both of which are 2 hours drive away. Or of the money I spend on equipment. Do you live in Basingstoke? I spend more on fuel to get to and from my 'local' wind tunnel than it would cost you to try flying in a wind tunnel - so yes your being a tight wad.
The funny thing is people like you do not know anything about body flight/skydiving, you assume you should get more time for your money and do not understand the product you are buying. It’s a taster, an introduction into the sport, it can be very tiring. I have seen many people come out before their 60 seconds are up, I have also seen many people come back and buy hours and hours.........at 15 pounds per minute people! LFMO
Also BusterPredications is right, its private sector, you think people would invest millions into tunnels if they are not profitable. If you don’t like the idea then don’t go. simple
Whaaaaa
says...
8:15am Fri 27 Jul 12
Opinions_opinions
says...
10:36am Fri 27 Jul 12
Whaaaaa
says...
12:01pm Fri 27 Jul 12
So Columbo I guess you got it all figured out - its a complete rip, and just like the 'fish/foot shop' will be gone in a few years’ time when the novelty wears off and customers dry up. Also I’m a secret spy sent from Airkix to convince people like you to come otherwise they wouldn’t make any money to fund the third multimillion pound facility in the UK. Genius!
To answer your questions I am customer of Airkix. Airkix facebook has a news link about the new facility. That’s how I found this site.
Im not a visitor from Holland, so no need for you to explain commonly known abbreviations, nor will be I visiting Basingstoke, but thank you for the offer.
Your whole skydiving experience lasted for hours did it? You are including the instruction and wait on the ground? I have been a full time skydiving instructor so know how long it takes, plane ride 20 mins, drogue fall 60 seconds max, canopy 4-5 mins. If you count everything as part of ‘the experience’ then maybe a wind tunnel experience would really last about 1 ½ hours. Anyway really don’t go I don’t care. I was just addressing your doubts and incorrect assumptions. Don’t worry you not the only one to think this way, I have seen and heard it a thousand times, especially Dads who pay for the whole family to fly. They are **** about getting ‘ripped off’. Then you see their face and how happy they are to fly, they are like little kids when they walk out. Very funny! Just because I don’t agree with you doesn’t mean I have an agenda. My only agenda is I love to fly. I think about it every day. You seem to just enjoy a good moan and try and wind people up. You have a good day too.
Whaaaaa
says...
12:01pm Fri 27 Jul 12
So Columbo I guess you got it all figured out - its a complete rip, and just like the 'fish/foot shop' will be gone in a few years’ time when the novelty wears off and customers dry up. Also I’m a secret spy sent from Airkix to convince people like you to come otherwise they wouldn’t make any money to fund the third multimillion pound facility in the UK. Genius!
To answer your questions I am customer of Airkix. Airkix facebook has a news link about the new facility. That’s how I found this site.
Im not a visitor from Holland, so no need for you to explain commonly known abbreviations, nor will be I visiting Basingstoke, but thank you for the offer.
Your whole skydiving experience lasted for hours did it? You are including the instruction and wait on the ground? I have been a full time skydiving instructor so know how long it takes, plane ride 20 mins, drogue fall 60 seconds max, canopy 4-5 mins. If you count everything as part of ‘the experience’ then maybe a wind tunnel experience would really last about 1 ½ hours. Anyway really don’t go I don’t care. I was just addressing your doubts and incorrect assumptions. Don’t worry you not the only one to think this way, I have seen and heard it a thousand times, especially Dads who pay for the whole family to fly. They are **** about getting ‘ripped off’. Then you see their face and how happy they are to fly, they are like little kids when they walk out. Very funny! Just because I don’t agree with you doesn’t mean I have an agenda. My only agenda is I love to fly. I think about it every day. You seem to just enjoy a good moan and try and wind people up. You have a good day too.
Opinions_opinions
says...
12:22pm Fri 27 Jul 12
Whaaaaa
says...
1:28pm Fri 27 Jul 12
Opinions_opinions
says...
11:23pm Fri 27 Jul 12
Whaaaaa wrote:Certainly got you figured out Mr. Whaaaa, who doesn't work for Airkix and has no affiliation with them whatsoever and who just happened to see this website from a Facebook post. I believe every word you tell me .... NOT. That is sarcasm in case you didn't get it as you claim to live in Holland now and may have forgotten how the Great British sense of humour works. Good luck with your cheap rate £900 per hour venture in Basingstoke.
Ok whatever Columbo keep up the good work, you got the whole world figured out.
Whaaaaa
says...
4:21pm Sat 28 Jul 12
Whaaaaa
says...
4:28pm Sat 28 Jul 12
Opinions_opinions
says...
8:53pm Sat 28 Jul 12
Whaaaaa
says...
11:11am Sun 29 Jul 12
robertspet8
says...
11:24am Thu 2 Aug 12
1. I have never done a parachute jump but I know people who have
2. I have never done a wind tunnel 'free fall' but I know people who have
3. I do not mind if Airkix build a facility in Basingstoke provided it does not cost me a penny for it to be built
4. If it is built I might pay to have a go, but I would not travel to Milton Keynes for the chance
So, Opinions_opinions I hope you wil accept me as a fairly neutral observer of the exchanges you have been having with Whaaaa.
If you were not so keen to prove your point and had bothered to read Whaaaa's comments objectively you would see that he is clearly not an Airkix employee. He has a passion for sky diving but has not shown bias in favour of Airkix in particular.
Regarding your £900 per hour, that is an economic nonsense. Customer's will not pay per hour they will pay per go - the same as a fair ground ride for instance. The example you quoted was simulators which, when they first came out, were very expensive but now are relatively cheap but also very tame. Nowadays I would not even consider paying to go in a simulator.
If the project gets off the ground (a pun, which I explain to you in the same bad mannered and patronising way you have treated Whaaaa) that will be good for Basingstoke, but if it fails it wont be a disaster because it is a private venture.
Opinions_opinions
says...
11:57am Thu 2 Aug 12
Whaaaaa
says...
3:23pm Sat 4 Aug 12
Although Opinions_opinions still seems not to listen. If he actually took the time to read my posts again he could see that I mention Airkix very little and defend tunnels in general.
He thinks its inside information to know the price, the cost of building and the locations.......he must of not read the news article as it states ALL of that information!!!
Opinions_opinions - tunnels do not charge 160gbp 'initial training'. Skydives do not last 2 minutes. A 13500ft skydive would have you very very dead if you tried to freefall for that long. Again you show you do not know what your talking about.
Whaaaaa
says...
3:30pm Sat 4 Aug 12
I did not provoke you, I just disagree with incorrect information. You act like you know something about an activity you have never even seen live or participated in - its very amusing.
Opinions_opinions
says...
4:42pm Sat 4 Aug 12
Whaaaaa
says...
9:51pm Sat 4 Aug 12
Arguing aside, if you enjoyed your skydiving which you said you did, and if you happen to somewhere in the world that has a good indoor wind tunnel (I dont care if it is owed by Airkix. Bodyflight Bedford is good) then give it a try as Im sure you will enjoy it.
Anyway in 2003 the world record for headdown skydivers was 24 people. Today it was 138 people.....wind tunnels are a big reason for this happening....... http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?feature=pla
yer_detailpage&v=Boj
rZV-SAkQ
Whaaaaa
says...
9:53pm Sat 4 Aug 12
om/watch?feature=pla
yer_detailpage&v=Boj
rZV-SAkQ
try again :)
Opinions_opinions says...
11:57am Fri 20 Jul 12
Did they say how long the off peak sky diving flight is ??? It's all very well stating the off-peak price, but really, off-peak means exactly that .... off-peak. And the flights only last a few minutes at most. Hugely expensive and I think a lot of kids are going to be extremely dissapointed as will their parents when they realise how little time is actually spent in the tunnel. Check out the airkix website and see the prices they actually charge for normal tickets in normal times. Staggering. This is going to be like the shop in Festival Place that had the fish swimming around your feet. Good to do it once, but too expensive to do it regularly. Where is the foot/fish shop now ???