Most skydivers have, at some point, thought about working in a tunnel. It's an easy daydream: paid to be in the air, surrounded by other flyers, racking up hours that would cost a fortune to buy. With nearly 400 tunnels now operating worldwide, that daydream is more achievable than it's ever been. 

But the interview process catches a lot of strong flyers off guard, because the job isn't really about flying—at least not in the way applicants assume. If you're thinking about applying, here's what to know before you do.

"What should I know before I apply?”

At the end of the day, great timing and a solid application really is the key to working in the wind tunnel. Beyond that, there are a few important factors to consider before filling out that app.

Start with the physical requirements. Being a Tunnel Instructor—especially working with first-time flyers—is a physically demanding job. Sometimes you're working with children; sometimes a 250lb man walks through the door. Both are your responsibility, and both can push you to your absolute limit. The IBA and Tunnel Instructor rating programmes both administer a physical fitness test you'll need to pass: typically pull-ups, sit-ups, and a run. You don't need to be superhuman, but being generally in shape is the starting point.

The bigger thing to understand, though, is what the tunnel is actually hiring for. Safety and customer service are the two pillars, and they're inseparable. A tunnel would rather take on a candidate with brilliant customer-service instincts—someone warm, switched-on, genuinely invested in giving every flyer the best experience of their life—than someone with more flying hours but less interpersonal polish. The flying side can be trained. The instinct for looking after people, keeping them safe, and sending them home buzzing about their experience is harder to teach. Go into the process knowing that's what's being assessed.

"Do you need a lot of previous tunnel experience? Is it, like, only shredders need apply?”

No. The training is part of the job, and it's an investment.

To work with first-time flyers, you'll need a Tunnel Instructor rating. Earning it takes a 3-4 week course covering how to safely introduce and monitor a flyer's first flight. Most tunnels build this into your initial hiring period. You might sign a contract or have some money withheld from your pay to cover the training, but you rarely have to pay out of pocket. These programmes are designed to take someone off the street with no previous experience and equip them with the key skills they need.

"Do you have any insider tips that might give my application the edge?”

Yes. And this is where a lot of skydivers get it wrong.

If you're applying because you want to get better at flying yourself, don't lead with that. It's not that tunnels guard against ambitious flyers, but if your pitch in the interview is "I want this job so I can improve my own skills," you're telling them you've misunderstood what the role is. The role is about the customer.

The interview will return, again and again, to the same kind of question: how have you delivered great customer service in the past? How have you made someone's experience memorable? How would you make a first-time flyer want to come back? Have real examples ready. Frame your enthusiasm around what you'll bring to their experience—the fun, the energy, the safety, the moment they'll remember—not what the job will do for you.

The flying improvement will come. You do get trained, you do get tunnel time, and there's a clear progression path to more advanced instructor ratings. The perks may not be quite what they once were, but the development is real. Just don't make it the headline of your application.

"What should I do to prepare for the interview?”

First, don't be tempted to be casual. Treat it like a real interview. All the standard best practices apply.

The opportunity to work in the wind tunnel is a unique—and possibly life-changing—one. Approach it with a good attitude and tons of passion, and see where it takes you. Good luck!

"OK…but what's the secret?”

From 1982 to 2011, there were around 40 wind tunnels in the world. By 2015 that number had jumped to around 80. Today, there are almost 400. The days when everyone flocked to a single tunnel because it was the only tunnel, the only high-speed tunnel, or the only "big" tunnel, are long gone. By the numbers alone, landing an instructor position somewhere in a field of ±400 is a much more winnable game than it was when the number was ±80.

So here's the actual "secret": be selective. If you're someone who sees the Tunnel Instructor job as the start of a longer arc—maybe coaching one day—it really matters which tunnel you land at. Working alongside experienced flyers and coaches will shape your progression. Surrounding yourself with people who share your goals will immerse you in the culture you want to grow into. Consider the location, the culture, the flyer base. A tunnel that supports the kind of flying you want to do will get you there much faster.

Plenty of the best coaches in the sport started where you're thinking of starting—behind the door, running first-flight after first-flight, learning to read people as quickly as they learned to read airflow. A tunnel job is rarely the destination. It's the beginning of something. Pick the tunnel that fits the flyer you want to become, bring the right energy to the application, and see where it takes you.

Good luck!