Our Story
Skydive Perris, Est. 1976
The Little Dropzone That Could
It’s hard to believe that Skydive Perris – one of the largest, most state-of-the-art, and highly-respected dropzones in the world today – was once little more than a potholed runway, a sea of weeds, and piles of rusted-out junk. When the Conatser family purchased the ramshackle airport in 1976, they had a specific vision in mind, and it wasn’t a skydiving dropzone!
High-Flying Utopia
The Beginning
Diane and Bennie Conatser dreamed of establishing a flying community. It made sense; they were a flying family whose planes served as a legitimate mode of transportation. They would build homes alongside a runway and invite other flying families to join in their vision.
Picture it: touch down in your neighborhood, taxi home, park in the backyard. Utopia!
What the Conatsers learned – only after they moved from the beach to the valley – was that the airstrip they purchased came with more than just potential! A pack of curious skydivers had been eagerly awaiting their arrival. Bennie assured Diane, “Don’t worry. We’ll get rid of them right away.”
Instead, and in short order, the charming motley crew won over the Conatsers. Diane and Bennie realized this place was meaningful to a whole community of people looking for a home … and so the Conatsers did what Skydive Perris continues to do: welcome them with open arms.
Passion Begets Passion
Putting Down Roots
Although the Conatsers were not of the skydivers’ ilk, they understood and appreciated their passion for flight, and began cultivating a new passion of their own.
Word spread of their willingness to learn more, and the happy-go-lucky pack grew. It didn’t take long for the Conatsers to realize that the stunning Howard “jump plane” they’d bought (along with its plush velvet interior) was unsuitable for their new endeavor. By 1977, the Conatsers were investing in bigger and better planes: Beeches, DC3s, a Skyvan, and a Twin Otter. They dug a swimming pool, built bathrooms, and added a makeshift restaurant and bar that – once camouflaged in a mix of paint – was known as The Bombshelter.
And so it went. The creative, charismatic skydivers continued to give the Conatsers ideas, and they continued to oblige. “I was just so totally impressed by skydivers. And I still am,” Diane said. The airfield earned the nickname, The Fun, Friendly Dropzone That Cares.
Blazing A Trail
On The Map
The Conatsers held regular boogies, hosted courses and competitions, and nurtured team culture. They attracted visionaries, many of whom are now legends in the sport, including Pat Works, Jerry and Pat Swovelin, and Bob Buehrer, who established the first-ever school for flying square parachutes.
And all of this is still true. A number of their early-day decisions became cornerstones of the Perris ethos.
Diane and Bennie were on a roll, but they were exhausted. As every DZO knows, running a dropzone is no walk in the park. Especially when you didn’t plan on getting into the industry in the first place! The party was over. It was time to pass the torch.
Pat & Melanie Conatser
A New Era
Siblings Patrick and Melanie Conatser purchased the DZ from their parents in 1989, and they remain joint dropzone owners of Skydive Perris today. From the time they moved here as kids to now, the city of Perris has grown from a population of 5,000 to nearly 80,000, and our staff from two to as many as 150 during the high season.
Melanie oversees aviation services, our skydiving school and The Bombshelter. She is a pilot, an accomplished skydiver, and, previously, an 8-way competitor. Pat oversees flight operations. He is a pilot and “super mechanic,” like his father, and is also the artist behind the iconic sharks painted on our Twin Otters.
The Conatser siblings agree that the key to the dropzone’s nearly 50 years of success has been surrounding themselves with some of the sport’s most dynamic leaders. Case in point, since 2003 the Conatsers have been supported day-to-day by dropzone manager, Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld – a skydiving multiple world champion and International Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame inductee.
The Legacy Continues
Pursuit of Excellence
Skydive Perris has consistently broken industry molds since that long-ago day Diane and Bennie broke ground on the Little Dropzone That Could.
In 2003, the Conatsers added a wind tunnel to the dropzone despite naysayers denouncing it as mall-worthy entertainment. True to their vision, the wind tunnel is an invaluable vehicle for skydiving training – and fun for non-skydivers – as has been proven the world over. Skydive Perris remains one of the few dropzones on the planet to have an on-site wind tunnel.
And the dropzone continues to set standards. Skydive Perris is the home DZ of some of the best skydivers in the sport; our facilities are unrivaled; we host events of epic proportions; our skydiving school is internationally revered; and we are trusted by the American military and foreign allies for best-in-class training.
