Where did the nickname Tunnelrats come from?

Many years ago, at Flyaway Indoor Skydiving in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, a group of professional skydivers from Florida came to visit & play in the tunnel.  There were just a few of them, but their impact on the young & impressionable tunnel instructors was BIG. After seeing these young kids, flipping around, flying all of their bodies in this small air column, and being so natural about it.. Gus Wing nicknamed them "Tunnelrats". 

How do you become a Tunnelrat?

We are an intimate group of like minded individuals, & we prefer to keep our 'official' membership full of the most genuine people you could know.  Our members are the nicest, most giving group you can imagine, and being part of our family is something we all consider very unique & special. Potential members of our group stand out of the crowd, embodying the spirit & qualities we feel are important, and will often find themselves crossing paths with us and making friends with someone already in our 'family'. When this happens, and that member feels that your right for our group, he or she will then officially invite you to meet some or most of the rest our group at a boogie or other Tunnelrat gathering, where you will fly with us & become an official member of our family!

About our organizers

Dawn & John Suiter, live conveniently close to two major players in the tunnel industry; Appalachian Amusement Center in North Carolina & Flyaway Indoor Skydiving in Pigeon Forge, TN and often play host to out of town Tunnelrats looking for some air time & a home away from home.  Dawn & John also maintain Bodyflight Network, which has helped everyone online keep in touch with each other & up to date on the tunnel industry since 1998.  John's experience with so many VWTs since the industry start and his continued consulting relationships with them, help keep everyone up to date & new tunnel owners in tune with our primary concerns about industry growth, which is safety for participants.

Shane Tully has been a Tunnelrat in spirit from his first flights at Action Park in Vernon, NJ.  Starting out at a young age, and pursuing air time actively, Shane has been relentless in his pursuit of industry growth.  He left the comforts of his home in New Jersey, to live with Dawn & John to further his flight career beginning with Flyaway Indoor Skydiving in Pigeon Forge, TN. Shane has since branched out & traveled the country, flying at different facilities, and working successfully with other tunnel instructors and Tunnelrats to promote this love we all have for human flight.  Now residing in Florida, with a career in Aerial Cinematography, Shane flies as much as possible & is an active participant throughout the VWT & Aviation industries.