On November 3, Geography students from Assistant Professor Christy Briles' Weather and Climate course (GEOG 3232) visited the wind tunnel at iFLY Denver, in Lone Tree, for a demonstration on the effects and power of Wind.

The STEM educator, Sara, at iFLY provided a detailed explanation on the design and operation of the wind tunnel as well as an overview of the experiments to be conducted while in the tunnel. The group tested a series of objects including whiffle balls, a Nerf football, basketball, and yoga ball to determine which one would require the highest velocity of wind to float in the tunnel. They learned that surface area was a major factor influencing the velocity of wind required to keep each object floating. The most interesting experiment for the group was watching how water was influenced by different wind speeds. The students each got the opportunity to see how much wind was required to float them by flying in the tunnel with the flight instructor. Each student was able to fly twice for 1 minute each, approximately equivalent to 2 regular skydiving free falls. A video of their experience can be viewed on YouTube.