Travel NC With Kids: First Flight Adventure Park

First Flight Adventure Park in Nags Head, NC © Katrena

On a recent quick trip to the Outer Banks with my kids in April 2017, we decided to try the First Flight Adventure Park located at 6716 South Croatan Highway in Nags Head, North Carolina. We had visited the Outer Banks the previous summer and this park immediately caught the attention of my second oldest child, who began asking to do this course since that time.

High Ropes Course at NC Outer Banks © Katrena

If you are traveling east on Highway 64 and head over to the Outer Banks, look for a Dairy Queen on the left. They also have a sign for First Flight Adventure Park near the road. Check-in is at the building where the Dairy Queen is located before going through a safety demo and walking back to the course. If you make a reservation, allow plenty of extra time, particularly if traffic is heavy.

Safety Equipment for First Flight High Ropes Course at OBX © Katrena

My crew has some various ages and heights. Make sure to check the First Flight Adventure web site for height and weight requirements. They do check heights and weights before allowing participants to go to the course. My youngest was several inches above the lower limit for going on the course, but they checked her height anyway. I spoke with a parent who was three pounds over the upper limit - he was not allowed to go on the course. So yes, they are strict on both heights and weights.

Unusual Things to do at the Outer Banks in NC © Katrena

You can make a reservation ahead of time by going to the web site or calling. I called to see if they offer discounts but found out that they only offer discounts on Sundays. Prices for lodging are higher on weekends, but if you are in the area on a Sunday, this might be a consideration. I'm guessing the crowds may be lower on Sundays as well.

First Flight Adventure Park in OBX © Katrena

We showed up without a reservation. During busier seasons, that might be more of a gamble because if they have a full group, you might end up having to wait for a while to get in. The first group of the day was pretty full and the group coming in after us was also pretty full, but our group was fortunate to have only about six or seven people in it. Small groups are good because you will have less wait time to complete the obstacles. We visited in April during the off season. I am assuming that most of the groups would be pretty full during summer months.

Safety First at First Flight in Nags Head © Katrena

I believe they start a new group every 30 minutes. As we waited, we noticed a video showing what to do and what not to do on the video. It caught my kids' eyes as the guy demonstrated quite a few goofy no-no's and then the video followed up with proper procedure. While we waited, staff members helped the smaller kids get suited up. A guide then led the older kids and adults were led through donning equipment all at the same time. They do have bathrooms near the check-in area. I highly recommend ensuring that everyone in your group has empty bladders before putting on the harnesses. They also provide a helmet and gloves for everyone. Helmets are required; gloves are optional.

Sam Giving Safety Demonstration at First Flight Adventure Park - notice the signs you can see from the road © Katrena

Sam was the guide who went through our safety talk. When asked, he mentioned that he had been working at First Flight Adventure Park almost since they opened. I thought that spoke highly of the place, and I believe that quite a few of their employees have been with the company for a while. Sam did a great job explaining safety rules. They have a small demo area outside so that visual learners can see how to maneuver on the lines and learn about the various equipment used.

Safety Instructions Prior to Going on Ropes Course © Katrena

Participants who are under five feet tall will need someone over five feet tall to help them through the course. Due to this, I decided to go ahead and try going on the course so that my older two kids could enjoy the course at their own pace. My daughter who had been eyeing the course for a year was determined to make it through the entire course. I had read on some reviews that participants had to complete each course in order, from easiest to hardest, but I believe they have modified that rule. All participants had to complete one of the two easiest courses and then could skip to harder ones if they felt very comfortable, which is what my second oldest daughter did.

Ropes Course Set up Like Hurricane Categories © Katrena

The park has a central tower and six courses. The tower has winding stairs that take participants to the various levels. Two courses are on each level and are named for hurricane categories. Those that are 12 feet above ground are the easiest ones: Tropical Storm and Category 1. Categories 2 and 3 are above those and the 50-foot courses are the most difficult at Categories 4 and 5. Each course contains seven obstacles. At the end, participants ride a zip line back to the tower and then choose the next course they wish to tackle.

Fun Ways to Get Exercise with the Family © Katrena

Staff members are able to hook and unhook participants from safety lines with special devices. They also have safety mechanisms to ensure that participants do not exit the tower without the go-ahead from a staff member. I noticed that the staff members were very attentive. They would watch participants and offer encouragement or advice on how to complete an obstacle if needed. (If they were placing bets on whether or not I'd be able to get back in the kayak, they didn't let it show.)

Tips for Enjoying First Flight Adventure Park in OBX © Katrena

As a participant moves through the course, there are special metal pieces over which you slide your safety line - these prevent a participant from moving backwards through the course. Only one person is allowed on an obstacle at a time. Two people can be on each platform at the edge of each obstacle, which is helpful if you have a smaller child who needs to have the safety lanyard moved past that metal piece. You can pay someone who works at First Flight Adventure Park to go with a shorter person in your group if you don't have a taller person who is willing or able to help a younger one. If you have two smaller children who need help, one adult was allowed to go with both, but one child would have to wait for the other child and adult to finish a course before the other child would be able to begin, meaning that the adult would have to do the obstacles twice.

Hardest Levels at at the Top - the Kayak was Rough for Me! © Katrena

I'm an overweight, middle-aged woman, but I exercise an average of about two hours per day. This course was challenging for me by the time I got up to the Category 3 level. I think I would have done just fine, but I didn't do well staying in the kayak. The safety line prevented me from having a bad fall, but trying to get back up on the platform was challenging as I don't have a lot of upper body strength. Thankfully, a staff member put a strong guy behind me on the course, and I'll forever be indebted to him for helping me to get back up on that platform not once but twice. I think adding a step under each platform would greatly help folks like me who have an oops moment to be able to complete the course.

Easier Ropes Courses are on Lower Levels © Katrena

Two of my kids are avid climbers with many hours of practice on a rock wall at our local YMCA. My second oldest completed the entire course not once but twice (and also helped my youngest one when I decided I had been challenged enough). A staff member mentioned that very few people do that as the course is pretty challenging physically and mentally. My youngest child also completed the entire course, which is pretty unusual for someone of her height as a lot of reaching is involved with the highest levels. I think it is very helpful for participants to develop good problem-solving skills to overcome physical and mental challenges. Experiences like the rock climbing wall helped my kids to be pretty resilient and to think of alternative ways to accomplish goals. My other daughter has not done a lot of climbing, but she completed all of the courses that she wanted to complete and enjoyed watching others as they climbed.

Zip Line Back to the Tower to Start the Next Course © Katrena

On a day that is not very busy, the staff might ask a participant if they want to be timed on a course for fun. Those who are comfortable with a course might particularly enjoy that added challenge. All participants have a time limit of two hours, which was plenty of climbing time for our family. I don't know if they would let participants have a little extra time if they are having to wait a good bit for folks who might be struggling on the course - we didn't ask about that. I'm guessing that time limits may be a little more lax on slower days, but that's only a guess on my part.

Those who are not paying to participate will be directed to an observation deck. You can see part of the course really well, but don't expect stellar pictures from the deck unless you have a really good zoom lens. I would have loved to have taken pictures from the tower, but that would be a safety issue to have people standing on the tower taking pictures. All pictures of the course in my article were taken from the desk. The guides must constantly watch climbers and don't need any extra distractions. They do have a few places where pictures are automatically taken and downloaded on the course - you'll need the number off your helmet to find them on the computer screen after your group is done. They wrote our helmet numbers on our wrist bands so we could find the pictures after we finished.

A few of my tips:

Read the web site carefully - don't expect them to fudge on height and weight requirements. I think they do change a few of the obstacles occasionally, but what we saw on the web site was a pretty good indication of what we saw on the course.
Ensure that everyone is wearing comfortable clothing in which they can bend and reach easily. Those participating in the course must wear closed toe and closed heel shoes.
Bring water bottles - they can be left in the tower. This is a physically challenging course. The Outer Banks can get really hot during summer months, and you can expect those participating to sweat.
People who are physically fit will probably enjoy the course the most, but others can choose to stay on easier levels.
Off season and cooler weather was great for us - it wasn't very crowded and the cooler weather felt great.
Participants might want to watch someone go through a course before going out to see what works and what doesn't work.
Look toward the tower and ask a guide for tips if you get to a place that looks challenging. If I had done that, I probably would not have fallen out of the kayak! Everyone was very supportive of those struggling on any of the obstacles. And if a person absolutely cannot finish a course, they do have safety measures in place to help get someone off the course.
Congratulate anyone in your group who does the course, no matter how far they go. It doesn't have to be a competition - it can simply be fun and an opportunity to encourage yourself and others.

Overall, this was a fun, safe, and challenging experience for my family. The price is a bit high for someone with several kids who is on a budget; I've looked at other courses in North Carolina and the prices look comparable. They do offer season passes during the off season only. If we lived close to the Outer Banks, I'm sure my kids would be begging for season passes.

Feel free to visit the First Flight Adventure Park official web site for prices, FAQ, reservations, waiver, etc. NOTE: First Flight did not offer me any incentives for writing this article. This is an activity my family wanted to try, and we enjoyed it, so I decided to write an article about it. All of the equipment looked to be in good condition and those who worked there were knowledgeable, helpful, and nice.

Additional articles I've written about trips to the OBX:

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Travel NC With Kids

Friday, April 28, 2017

First Flight Adventure Park - Nags Head, Outer Banks, NC

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