PERRIS: Parachutists worldwide love the Perris skies

Tourists from around the world come to Southern California to visit Hollywood and Disneyland. Some foreign visitors head straight for Perris.

The city has become among the best-known skydiving sites in the world, drawing visitors from Mongolia to Brazil, from Cameroon to Germany. About half of the 140,000 jumps each year in Perris are by foreign skydivers, said Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld, general manager of Skydive Perris.

Just last week, the skydiving center, based at Perris Valley Airport, hosted members of the Qatari, British and Canadian militaries, along with a Danish skydiving team hoping to compete in next year's World Parachuting Championships in Dubai. And Tahiti resident Pascal Petetin was in Perris for the third time in three months.

Ed Scott, executive director of the Virginia-based U.S. Parachute Association, said skydivers flock to Perris because the large number of planes and the clear, dry weather mean parachutists usually don't have to wait long to jump. Skydive Perris is one of the five most-visited skydiving centers in the country, Scott said.

Most students at Skydive Perris are Californians, but many jump only once or twice. Foreigners usually spend days or weeks in Perris and jump many times, he said.

Skydiving stickers from around the globe adorn the window of the check-in office, and on a world map, every continent except Antarctica is crowded with colored tacks indicating where jumpers are from.

Foreigners have also been among the victims of skydiving accidents in Perris. Two of the four jumpers killed in the past nine months were from abroad, one from Russia and the other from Australia.

Danish jumper Stefan Rosenberg said he heard about Perris from his skydiving center in Denmark.

"Everyone knows about this place," Rosenberg said.

Rosenberg, 33, skydives in the summer in Denmark, but during the rest of the year, the weather often grounds planes.

"It's cloudy and rainy and snowy," he said. "Here we can get a lot of skydiving done in a short amount of time."

In addition, the large planes in Perris accommodate eight-member teams such as his, and Skydive Perris has well-regarded trainers and coaches, he said.

Danish skydiving teammate Fleming Andersen, 28, moved to the Inland area in November so he could jump as often as possible. He works as a coach at Skydive Perris to pay for his recreational skydiving. Andersen is a member of the four-member Perris Blitz team in addition to the nameless Danish squad.

Best Places for Sky Diving | High Flying Sports

Skydiving is quickly becoming a favorite hobby for many people around the world. If you are one of the many who loves skydiving, then it’s time to make a list of the best places to skydive. Here, we show you our top favorite places to skydive in the United States.

1. Wailua, Hawaii. Every sport is always better in Hawaii. Well, except for maybe hockey. There’s no exception when it comes to Hawaii being a great place for skydiving. You can free fall through the clear blue sky while taking in the beaches and the ocean below you. If you do some skydiving in Oahu, you may also get an aerial view of Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head.

2. San Diego, California. With the pleasant temperatures year round, San Diego is a great place for sky diving. Here you can get great views of the Otay River Valley, the Pacific Ocean, and downtown San Diego.

3. Molalla, Oregon. Stay on the same coast and take a high-flying adventure in Oregon. The gorgeous green landscape and huge mountains make Oregon a favorite place to sky dive. You can take in Mt. St. Helens, Ranier, and Mt. Shasta from the air.

4. Hurricane, Utah. Located in Southern Utah, Hurricane has great weather 12 months a year. Come in the winter for cooler temperatures, as the summer months are known to reach well over 100 degrees. You can soar through Zion National Park and take in awesome views in every direction.

5. Titusville, Florida. Take a trip in the opposite direction and do a little skydiving in Florida. From here you can see the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian River, and even the Kennedy Space Center.

For your next skydiving adventure, try one of these spots in the United States. You won’t be sorry for making the trip to any of these gorgeous locations.

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