posted Aug 16th, 2005 - The NSL News completes the coverage of the recent trip to SkyVenture Arizona with another interview. SkyVenture Arizona's General Manager, Axel Zohmann, and 4-way competitor Rusty Lewis took the time to answer NSL News questions in Eloy.

Axel Zohmann is also the videographer for his wife, the freestyle world champion Yoko Okazaki.

Rusty Lewis is officially a certified full time Trainer for the International Body Flight Association (IBA), the new company that trains tunnel instructors for SkyVenture and for wind tunnels in general.

NSL News: Axel, is the tunnel open and fully operational at this point?

Axel Zohmann: We are fully functional and operational right now. We are in the process of finishing up instructor training, conducted by Carlos and Michael from SkyVenture Orlando, two of the most experienced tunnel flyers and instructors in the world. We are taking reservations and will be open to the public by next week. We already have an opening special until October 1, which is $625 per hour.

NSL News: It took a while for SkyVenture Arizona to open, what were the obstacles?

Axel Zohmann: There were really no significant obstacles, we broke ground on September 7th, 2004, so it took us 11 months to build an incredible prototype. I think that is quite an accomplishment. Once people come out here to see and fly in the tunnel they will understand.

NSL News: Rusty, you know all SkyVenture tunnels in and out, what makes SkyVenture Arizona different and special?

Rusty Lewis: Well, the obvious difference in the size of the flight chamber makes SkyVenture Arizona different from all others. That along with the added power makes the facility a huge attraction to all skydivers at all levels and disciplines. In addition, the tunnel is located right on one of the busiest drop zones in the world, which makes it a perfect situation.

NSL News: Axel, you are a free flyer, do you have unlimited freedom of moves in the tunnel?

Axel Zohmann: Yes, without a doubt! 14 feet are great for RW since all the blocks can be done in it, but it's also heaven for freeflying. Last week we were sit-flying with seven of our instructors. That tells you that we have enough space but also more than enough power.

NSL News: Rusty, you are familiar with free flying and 4-way. What is special for you as of 4-way tunneling at SkyVenture Arizona compared to the other SkyVenture tunnels?

Rusty Lewis: Ever since skydivers started utilizing Skyventure tunnels for training, the sport has evolved and changed for the better, and now with 14ft the added room will continue that evolution and ensure that the sport keeps growing to newer levels. Allowing 4-way teams to train all blocks, including those that have been difficult in other tunnels, changes how teams train. I think teams will see a noticeable difference in block times in the future. For me, being able to see the picture of each formation as I would see it in freefall makes a huge difference, especially if they are long formations like in blocks 1, 8 and 13.

NSL News: Is the Eloy tunnel built only for skydiving? Do teams and skydivers have priority? What are your plans to keep it busy beside skydiving?

Axel Zohmann: Well, of course it's built extremely large and powerful for skydiving, but we will see a lot of non-skydiver business, as well. We have a large University crowd in Phoenix and Tucson, there will be team building seminars for companies and other tunnel flyers. The non-skydivers that have come so far are already hooked and come back on a regular basis.

NSL News: Rusty, the air is still being pulled, not pushed as in freefall. Do you generally feel any differences compared to freefall?

Rusty Lewis: Although perfectly replicating the air in freefall is very difficult, I think Skyventure certainly has it down. Sometimes outside factors can disturb the airflow making it turbulent or "soft". However, all efforts seem to be made to minimize that. The 4-way blocks that are done "3D", with vertical transitions, sometimes feel slightly different in the tunnel than they do in the air. This is due to the air being pulled from above. In my eyes, it’s a small price to pay for such a huge advancement in training.

NSL News: How different is the pulled air in Eloy compared to other SkyVenture tunnels?

Rusty Lewis: As you know, all SkyVenture wind tunnels have the fans positioned above the flight chamber, and Eloy’s tunnel is no different. It’s an open flow tunnel, similar to that of SkyVenture Orlando and Perris SkyVenture, drawing the outside air in from below, through the flight chamber and out on the top. The combined force of 1400 horse power by the four motors is significantly more than its predecessors have. It is producing a huge amount of power and lots of speed.

NSL News: Axel, Rusty, thank you very much for the interview.