Indoor Skydiving at Skydive Perris, CA

The power of flight has and will always be a reoccurring theme on this website. There is just something so satisfying about disobeying those pesky laws of gravity, even if it is only for a few short moments. In fact, I think that flying would probably be my superpower of choice. This is just one of the reasons that keep us coming back to the indoor skydiving wind tunnel at Skydive Perris. It is the perfect way to have 90% of the experience of real skydiving without having to go through all of the training. The only thing you will be missing out on is the plane ride and the view.

STATS:

Where:
Perris Indoor Skydiving – 2091 Gotez Rd. Perris, Ca 92570

Contact Info:
800.832.8818
info@skydiveperris.com
skydiveperris.com
For more info, check out their FAQs page.

Time:
Monday – Thursday: 8am-5pm
Friday – Sunday: 8am-6pm

Cost: First-time flyer packages start at $59

Parking: free parking

Estimated Completion Time:  at least 1 hour

Ideal Weather:
Whatever the temperature is outside, it is the temperature inside the wind tunnel as well. Therefore, on hot summer days, it may be best to go in the evening. In the winter, it might be better to book your indoor skydiving time during the warmest part of the day.

THE ADVENTURE:

Our favorite place to go for indoor skydiving is at Perris Skydive Tunnel. Since 2004, Perris Skydive wind tunnel was the first tunnel in California. Its classic style is a fan favorite amongst tunnel flyers. It is powered by five 250HP electric engines that are mounted at the top of the nearly 100-foot structure. You can read more about the history of Perris Skydive here.

We started our adventures on a beautiful Sunday morning. The temperature was perfect and we were ready to fly. As we pulled up to the entrance, the massive 96-foot tall tower leaped into our views. The adrenaline was already starting to flow. I have been lucky enough to have flown in the tunnel 5 times now. Vy is on her 3rd session. Every time we go back, it is super exciting because we can take our knowledge from our last flights and put it towards getting better.

We made sure to arrive 45 minutes before our official flight time so we could spend some time in the classroom. If you have a lot of tunnel experience, this is optional. If this is your first time, the class is mandatory. After grabbing a parking spot, we made our way into the office at the bottom of the tunnel. Everyone in the office is always super nice. This is where you check-in and fill out all the necessary waivers.

After filling out the forms, you will be sent through the second set of doors. From here, make your way up the 4 flights of stairs. You will find yourself at a gray door. Once inside, you will be face to face with the tunnel. It looks like something out of a mad scientist’s laboratory or possibly a place where an MMA fight might take place. If you head off to the right, you will find yourself at the counter where you will be greeted by your instructor. You’ll also pick up your flight suit, helmet, earplugs, and glasses here.

We were super lucky to get Sam as our instructor. Besides being a super cool guy, he seriously knows his stuff when it comes to indoor skydiving. Honestly, all the instructors that we had there were all amazing. You can’t go wrong with any of them. After our introductions, Sam asked us a few questions in regards to our experience level. It had been a while since our last flight, so we both decided to take the class as a refresher. Again, the class is mandatory for first-timer. In this class, you’ll learn all the hand signals that your instructor will be using to communicate with you. If you’re a little more advanced, you’ll also learn new techniques for turning, going forward or backward, etc. The funny thing about indoor skydiving is that those small movements cause huge results.

After trying to soak up as much knowledge as possible, we headed back out to the tunnel to wait for our turns. Finally, the group before us ran out of time. A loud buzzer went off and the motorized door to the tunnel slowly began to creep open. With a fist bump from our new buddy Sam, we made our way in. The tunnel is separated into two parts. The actual wind tunnel is in the middle while the staging area wraps around the outside. I started my flight first while Vy waited in the staging area.

Sam and I had talked about doing 30 seconds of groundwork to start off the session. This is very important when implementing new techniques. This meant that I would be lying on the tunnel floor with the wind engines barely turned up. Even though the fans were low, it was still windy inside. The floor is very springy, almost like a mattress. If you end up losing it and hitting the floor, it won’t be too bad. Hitting the floor isn’t something you really need to worry about. Your instructor is going to be in the room with you at all times. They will usually be holding on to little handles built into the back of your flight suit. Your instructor will let you fly by yourself if they feel like you’re ready.

As I lied on the floor, I could feel the fans increasing in power. I started to hover just barely off of the surface. Since this was my 5th time flying, everything seemed to click as I practiced the techniques that Sam went over in the class. Next thing I knew, I saw Sam point upwards and I heard the fans really come to life. If you are trying to overcome your fear of heights, don’t worry. Most of the time in the tunnel, you will only be around 3-5 feet off the ground. After sometime, I saw Sam slowly starting to back away. It was an awesome feeling to realize that you were catching on and could fly all by yourself.

Each flight lasts 1 minute, which is about the same length as a freefall out of a plane. Before I knew it, my turn had come to an end. Sam walked up, grabbed a hold of my flight suit and spun me to face the door. I grabbed on to the door frame, brought my knees towards my chest and stuck the landing like a gymnast.

Next, it was Vy’s turn. They had to turn the motors down a bit to keep from sending her into space. Vy has already impressed me because she catches on very fast. She probably has half the number of sessions that I have, but she still got in there like a boss. There were several times over the course of her flight that Sam stepped away and let her soar. As always, I was a proud hubby.

On your last flight, the instructor usually asks if you want to do a high flight. If you get a chance, DO IT! Both of us opted for the high flight. In the high flight, your instructor will grab on to your suit as both of you shoot up about 30 feet to the top of the tunnel. It costs $10 extra for a high flight, but it is an experience that you just can’t get anywhere else. Knowing that both Vy and I are adrenaline junkies, Sam also mixed in a bit of a spin. He also dove us back down towards the ground. We did this insane elevator ride probably 4 or 5 times. It was amazing!

Once we were done with our flight, Sam motioned to the control to crank up the engines. He then charged into the tunnel and instantly flipped upside down. Sam wanted to show us how a pro flys. It was seriously awe-inspiring to watch what is possible with enough skills and practice. He proceeded to do all sorts of inverted spins, twists, and turns. At one point, Sam scared the heck out of us when he shot up to the top of the tunnel and dove upside down full speed. He then threaded the needle through the doorway into the holding area where we were sitting. Then with a big smile, he darted back into the tunnel for a few more tricks that didn’t seem humanly possible.

Every time we go, I get a little more hooked. I’m always tempted to book more flight time. We were lucky enough to be able to come back again and train with none other than Mary Toromasi. Besides being absolutely incredible in the wind tunnel, she’s also a highly experienced skydiver. You can regularly find her parachuting into special events, parades and sports stadiums. She definitely calms any nerves that you may have when you see her big smile shining through her full-face helmet.

If you are a returning flyer, she will take the time to listen to what you’re wanting to work on. I’m still trying to master my stability in the tunnel so we spent a lot of time on my form. We ended up finishing the session with a 2 person flight. It was super fun.

If you worked up a solid appetite while you were flying, make sure to head over to the Bombshelter restaurant. It is right next to the runway. You can have lunch and watch all the skydivers land. It is full of really neat skydiving memorabilia as well. You can also watch your indoor flights on their big-screen TV.

We would like to send a huge thank you to the crew at the tunnel for always making it a thrilling and fun experience. I can’t wait to go back and see what is the next step on the path to mastering indoor flight. If you can’t get enough of flying, check out Paraplane ride or something a bit crazier such as Aerobatic Sailplane Ride.

Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our Youtube channel, and sign up for our newsletter!

RECOMMEND GEAR:

Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.

•  Closed-toe shoes: You will need shoes for this adventure. They supply pretty much everything else

•  Motion sickness medicine
Recommended if you have a weak stomach.

CAMERA GEAR:
•  Camera:
   Sony a7 III
   Gopro Hero 7 Black

•  Lenses:
   Sony 24 -70mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T Zoom Lens    

   Sony 18 – 250mm f/3.5-6.3 High Magnification Zoom Lens

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