ALEX COHEN, host:
Back now with Day to Day. Today we present a classic Unger Report. It was requested by one of our listeners. Her name, Venus Kitegowa-Stoisich(ph). Brian Unger visits Paris - that is Paris, California, no Eiffel Tower - but the town boasts the world famous tourist attraction of its own, a sky diving simulator.
BRIAN UNGER: There are some man-made structures that just look dangerous. Say, the Space Shuttle, the vertical wind tunnel in Paris, California, another one. It would be more fitting on the launch pad at NASA, not on this flat barren plain 80 miles east of L.A. But where else would you climb into a chamber to float on a 120 mile an hour wind?
Ms. JILL SHYDELI(ph) (General Manager): Paris, California's one of the largest, most popular first class drop zones in the world.
UNGER: What general manager Jill Shydeli is saying is that this is the place to jump out of a plane.
Ms. SHYDELI: We have - well, people from all over the world that come on a regular basis. Now we - come and sky dive and participate in events here. But now that we have the tunnel, it's wonderful.
UNGER: And practical for experienced skydivers to rehearse their maneuvers in real roaring freefall. Terrifying for others who have never floated inside a silo with five massive 200 horsepower fans screaming above your head. Chris Reynolds is our flight instructor.
Your function is to make this thing basically suck, right?
Mr. CHRIS REYNOLDS (Flight Instructor): (Laughing) Yeah.
UNGER: How much air are we talking about being sucked through this thing and up toward the top?
Mr. REYNOLDS: I think it's over a million cubic feet per minute, something huge.
UNGER: Yeah, that is huge and sure enough a million cubic feet of wind per minute is where most journalists draw the line.
UNGER: Chris, normally I would participate in something like this. I certainly don't have any hesitation. But for purposes of today I didn't wear the right shoes…
Mr. REYNOLDS: Mm hmm.
UNGER: So, I think Rob who's equipped with - what are you wearing, Rob?
SACHS: Running shoes.
Mr. REYNOLDS: Is it OK if Rob goes in?
SACHS: That would be awesome. We love to have him in there.
Mr. REYNOLDS: Great.
UNGER: That's producer Rob Sachs, always up for anything. Exercising free will under no duress of losing his job or being reprimanded when I tell on him. His first step, assumed the position lying face down on a practice bench. Flight instructor Christie Freakin(ph).
Mr. CHRISTIE FREAKIN (Flight Instructor): Arch up the hips. My legs are slightly extended with my toes pointed and my arms are at a 90. I'm looking straight ahead with my chin up.
UNGER: Now, Rob's turn.
SACHS: Like this?
Ms. FREAKIN: A little bit more of this through your pelvis.
SACHS: My toes?
Ms. FREAKIN: Yeah, arch.
SACHS: Down? OK.
Ms. FREAKIN: Like…
UNGER: Rob down and hump the bench…
(Soundbite of laughter)
Just arch your back. Third step, suit up. I, too, done one of the flight suits to make Rob feel more comfortable, to make him feel that he wasn't alone.
SACHS: How do I look?
Mr. REYNOLDS: Fantastic.
SACHS: Thanks, buddy.
UNGER: Inside the wind tunnel chamber, it's small. The diameter is about 12 feet and the floor is wire mesh through which the airflows upward. On the periphery is a tiny antechamber separated from the wind tunnel by steel acrylic glass and an open doorway. Here, like inside in an airplane, you just sit and wait to jump through the open doorway and into - Um, can I go to the bathroom?
(Soundbite of bell ringing)
UNGER: This is when one normally turns back, fakes a stomachache or vomits. However, Rob was downright giddy as he stood in the doorway ready to take the leap. The kind of giddy that says, I just forgot everything they told me to do.
Mr. REYNOLDS: Good luck, Rob.
SACHS: (shouting) I'm gonnal go in.
(Soundbite of wind blowing)
UNGER: Inside the chamber, Christie, the flight instructor, motioned Rob through the doorway and instead of gracefully taking flight, Rob fell in to the chamber with the flopping maneuver like a sack of blue Velcro attacking a helpless flight instructor.
(Soundbite of wind blowing)
Mr. REYNOLDS: Rob, you look terrible.
UNGER: Rob explained it this way…
SACHS: To the point where you just lay down on the mesh and you're not going anywhere, and the wind is just scouring(ph) your face and like, I'm just not flying.
Mr. REYNOLDS: You're not flying?
SACHS: Yeah, I tell you why…
Mr. REYNOLDS: Yeah.
SACHS: Why I'm not flying…
Mr. REYNOLDS: Why are you not flying?
SACHS: Yeah.
Mr. REYNOLDS: Yeah. Well, that's because you're trying to wrestle her.
UNGER: You know, man's first flight wasn't easy and nor was Rob's, but he did inspire me to take a flight myself and for a brief moment I felt the rush for which skydivers yearn and for what grounded folks ask, what for? Skydivers called these people appropriately, Whafos
Ms. FREAKIN: Well, I like to present you with your flight certificate.
(Soundbite of applause)
Mr. REYNOLDS: Nice job, Rob.
Ms. FREAKIN: And to you, Brian…
Mr. BRIAN: Yes.
Ms. FREAKIN: You didn't make my instructor work so hard.
UNGER: These instructors will be working hard enough soon. In a few weeks, the skydiving simulator will open to the public and for two one-minute sessions costing 50 bucks, hundreds of Whafos are lined up for their flights waiting to freefall into a 120 mile per hour wind, ready to forget everything they were told to do.
Mr. REYNOLDS: Rob, you flopped around up there like a fish.
SACHS: I had no skills whatsoever.
UNGER: For Day to Day, I'm Brian Unger.
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