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What is Freefall?
Free Fall is a tall slide that lets you experience what it's like to be weightless, like you are in space!
To go down the Free Fall, you hang on to the bar and drop down. As you fall, the slide catches you on the way down.
Before Free Fall
I can decide if I would like to go down Free Fall. I do not have to go down Free Fall if I don’t want to. I can watch other people go down instead if I would like to.
If I decide to go on Free Fall, I will wait my turn in line. While I am waiting, I will:
- Take off my shoes and put them in the green shoe boxes next to me
- Keep my socks on, if I am wearing socks
- Take off jewellery, watches, or lanyards and put them with my shoes
- Empty my pockets and put my belongings with my shoes
Safety checks
When I get to the front of the line, a staff member might ask me to stand against a sign, to check that I am taller than 110cm. If I am not 110cm or taller, I will not be able to go on Free Fall. The staff member will ask me questions:
- Am I older than 5 years old?
- Do I have anything in my pockets?
- Have I been injured, had surgery, or broken a bone recently?
- Do I have any back or neck problems?
- Can I hang from a bar for 3 seconds, holding my body weight?
Getting changed
The staff member will use my answers to figure out if it is safe for me to go down Free Fall. If it is not safe, I will step out of line and put my shoes back on. If it is safe for me to go down Free Fall, the staff member will give me an orange or blue jumpsuit to put on over my clothes. They will give me blue socks to put on if I don’t have any. I will walk upstairs when the staff member tells me. I might go up with other people.
During Free Fall
The room at the top of the stairs is brightly lit. It can be hot and noisy. There will be a different staff member, who will give me and the others in the group instructions to go down Free Fall safely. I will listen carefully and ask questions if I’m not sure. The instructions are:
- Stand against the orange wall while I’m waiting for my turn
- Stay behind the yellow and black line until the staff member asks me to come forward
- If I have long hair, the staff member may ask me to push it over my shoulder
Sitting on Free Fall
The staff member will then ask me to:
- Stand on the step and sit on the seat at the top of the slide
- Swing my legs over the seat, one at a time, so I am now facing the slide. While I am sitting on the seat, the staff member will lightly pinch the back collar of my jumpsuit
- Hold onto the bar with both hands
- While still holding onto the bar with both hands, slide off the seat and hang from the bar. When I am hanging from the bar, the staff member will lightly touch my shoulders and my head, to make sure I don’t bump myself
Dropping down Free Fall
Once I am hanging, it is important to remember:
- Keep my legs and arms straight, with my chin to my chest, looking at my toes. I can close my eyes if I’d like to
- The staff member will then count out loud, “three, two, one, go”. When they say go, I can let go of the bar
- Keep my hands in the air and my chin to my chest as I go down the Free Fall. Going down the slide feels different to everyone.
- Lie on my back until I come to a stop at the bottom
- Stand up carefully and step off the slide
- Take off my jumpsuit and give it back to the staff member at the bottom of Free Fall. If I am wearing blue socks, I will take them off and throw them in the bin. I will put on my shoes back on.
Changing my mind
I might feel nervous at the top of the slide. My hands might feel sweaty, and I could feel dizzy. If I decide I don’t want to go down Free Fall anymore, I can leave at any time. If I am already hanging on the bar and I decide not to go down, the staff member will need to call someone else up by pressing a loud buzzer. I will need to pull myself up onto the seat, with the two staff members guiding me. If I decide not to do the Free Fall, I will walk down the stairs, take off my jumpsuit, put on my shoes and belongings, and keep exploring Questacon.
