Above: The DC-9 takes off. Photo by Dennis Sattler.
You almost can’t believe it, even when it’s happening right before your eyes. Did a DC-9 airliner just take off from the runway at Skydive Perris? Are jumpers seated in a commercial jet with standard passenger seats? Are flight attendants handing out candy? Did the announcement, “Please exit toward the rear,” occur just four minutes after takeoff? Could this actually be happening?
Between the Federal Aviation Administration and the McDonnell Douglas Corporation’s thousands of rules, as well as many other obstacles, it’s a miracle that all this fun happened at all. There were no guarantees that the Conatser family (the owners of the California drop zone) and DZ staff would be able to pull it off, but there was no rule to say they couldn’t try. And on May 8, 2024, all the hard work paid off and the Skydive Perris DC-9 was back in the air! It is the only commercial airliner approved for skydiving, the only DC-9 in the world still flying in passenger configuration and the only DC-9 flying in the United States at all.
Jumpers exit the jet at Skydive Perris. Photo by Dennis Sattler.
It all began more than two decades ago, when Skydive Perris and the Conatser family went through every word in the regulations and every rivet on the plane to uncover any potential road blocks that could stand in their way of using a DC-9 for commercial skydiving. They dotted every “i” and crossed every “t” so they could be 100% certain that they were doing it by the book. The preparation was so complete that the FAA had no choice but to approve the commercial airliner for skydiving, which it did in 2005. The plane flew skydivers until December 2007. Since then, “When will the jet be up again?” has been the talk of skydivers around the world.
In recent months, Ben and Diane Conatser dropped a teaser: The jet would be up soon. But they didn’t want to commit and get anyone’s hopes up until the plane had a successful test flight, which occurred on May 7. The plane landed from its test flight at 3:30 p.m., and by 4 p.m., the first post went up stating, “Jet Jumps—May 8!”
But on such short notice would there be anywhere near enough jumpers to fill up the 80-person plane? Indeed, there were. Skydivers from around the country jumped on red-eye flights to be there. Others drove all night from across the U.S. Southwest. Southern California skydivers were in their cars before sunrise. On May 8 at 6 a.m. there were more than 150 licensed jumpers standing in line to manifest. Over the next few days, Skydive Perris flew six jet loads.
The excitement of the group was reminiscent of a bunch of 7-year-old kids who had their first chance to ride in a firetruck. They’d seen firetrucks, they’d heard firetrucks, they’d touched firetrucks, but they’d never ridden in one! While manifesting, receiving the briefing, boarding, riding to altitude, getting ready to exit and even after landing, the jumpers were like crazy little kids at a party with too much sugar, too much caffeine ... and a firetruck! What a riot!
“Flight attendant” Annie Helliwell invites jumpers aboard. Photo by Dennis Sattler.
The DC-9 flies at about 125 knots for exits, so it’s a single file hustle out the door. The speed is so fast that wingsuiters who have a good exit can fly higher than the jet! (A skydiver exiting a plane and going up may be one of the coolest things you’ll ever see.) Skydive Perris won’t fly the jet every weekend, but it will be available on special occasions. It’s scheduled to fly at the first Jet Boogie July 6 and 7, and then at the Halloween and Christmas boogies. The drop zone will be offering jet tandems, too. Jumpers can learn more about visiting Perris to jump from the jet at skydiveperris.com.
Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld | D-8424
Menifee, California