Photo courtesy of skydiveelsinore.com
The wind roars so loudly it drowns out everything else. The door opens, the plane levels out and, for a moment, there is nothing between a jumper and the ground thousands of feet below.
At Skydive Elsinore, that moment plays out hundreds of times a day.
Established in 1958, Skydive Elsinore is one of the longest running civilian drop zones in the United States. It draws first-time jumpers, licensed skydivers, and military groups from across Southern California and beyond.
Josh Hall, manager and co-owner of Skydive Elsinore, said the atmosphere is what sets it apart from other drop zones.
“It’s known for being one of the friendliest drop zones in the country,” Hall said. “We just have a really amazing staff that makes everybody feel welcome and included.”
Hall joined Skydive Elsinore in December 2016 after years of jumping at both Skydive Perris and Elsinore. He said he was coaching a team at Elsinore when the owner approached him and offered him a job.
Skydive Elsinore is a private airport facility, which allows it to operate on a larger scale. Despite its size, Hall said it still feels close-knit. First-time tandem jumpers, students in the accelerated freefall program and experienced skydivers all share the same space, creating what he describes as a “family-oriented” environment.
Day-to-day life at Skydive Elsinore can look very different, depending on weather conditions, plane maintenance, and who is scheduled to jump.
“There are kind of three different aspects to the business,” Hall said. “We have military customers, fun jumpers, and the school. On any given day, there’s gonna be a mixture of different things going on.”
Some days are pretty quiet, with just one aircraft making a few flights. Other days are busy and fast-paced, with multiple planes in the air and up to 70 or 80 flights a day, according to Hall. Over the years, the operation has grown from just a couple of aircraft to a fleet of six.
Part of that growth comes from the experience itself.
A standard jump at Skydive Elsinore takes place at 14,000 feet, considered the “sweet spot” for balancing thrill and accessibility. At that altitude, jumpers experience about 60 seconds of freefall and can reach up to 120 mph before the parachute deploys.
For first-time jumpers, the anticipation can be the most intense part.
“It’s the fear of the unknown,” Hall said. “You have all these expectations, but you really don’t know until you’ve been there and done it.”
Once they leave the plane, he said, that fear quickly fades.
“It’s just loud and windy, and the fear kind of goes away,” Hall said. “Then you start to enjoy it, and all of a sudden the parachute opens.”
What follows after the freefall is a four- to five-minute glide back to the ground, with views of Lake Elsinore and the Ortega Mountains.
“You go from this loud, crazy adrenaline rush to just peaceful and quiet,” Hall said.
Skydive Elsinore also does more than recreational jumps. The facility hosts military training operations, including high-altitude parachuting exercises, and has worked with special operations groups from around the world. Its consistent weather allows for year-round jumping and draws visitors from colder regions where the sport is limited by seasonal conditions.
“We’ll get people traveling here to learn to skydive from other parts of the country and from around the world,” Hall said.
Over the decades, the drop zone has also hosted national competitions and film productions, drawn by both its facilities and scenery.
Still, safety remains a constant focus.
Hall said all equipment is maintained according to Federal Aviation Administration regulations, and licensed skydivers must meet strict certification requirements set by the United States Parachute Association. While skydiving carries inherent risks, he said most incidents are preventable.
“Like anything, it’s operator error most of the time,” Hall said. “If you follow procedures and make good decisions, it’s a very safe sport.”
For many visitors, a jump at Skydive Elsinore begins as a bucket list item. For others, it becomes something more.
For Hall, who’s been skydiving for 27 years, the appeal still hasn’t faded.
“You’re just in the moment,” he said. “You’re away from your phone, away from everything else. For a short period of time, nothing else matters.”
