Bill Collins stood on the edge of a hot air balloon basket, looked down from 5,000 feet above ground and jumped.
"It's the closest you get to flying," said the 47-year-old from Murrieta. "You feel a chill on your face. It's very quiet. It's just beautiful."
Collins is one of many skydivers who travel to Perris to jump from hot air balloons. Companies that offer hot air balloon dives are not connected to Perris Valley Skydive at the Perris Valley Airport, but balloons usually launch from the open fields near the airport.
"It's the perfect place for it," said Dawn Chapton, 35, of Murrieta, who coordinates the dives. "The wind is calm. The weather is warm. There aren't any tall buildings."
Chapton said Perris is the only place she knows of in Southern California that offers hot air balloon dives. Skydivers come from all over the world and range from 19 to 65 years old.
Each hot air balloon dive costs about $75. Skydiving from an airplane is about $25.
Those who dive from hot air balloons said it's a completely different experience than jumping from an airplane.
Bill Collins, 47, of Murrietta, says, "It's the closest you get to flying. You feel a chill on your face. It's very quiet. It's just beautiful." "It's much more difficult," said Paul Somerset, 48, of San Diego. "There's not that much air pressure, so it's harder to control your body."
Divers feel less air pressure because unlike a plane, a balloon doesn't have much velocity. Hot air balloon diving is also much quieter, without the background noise of an airplane engine.
On a recent Thursday, divers gathered on an open field by the Perris Valley Airport at the crack of dawn -- when the wind is calmest. Divers donned sunglasses, helmets and parachutes. The balloon slowly puffed up in the morning sun as its pilot heated the air inside.
Once launched, it took about five minutes for the balloon to rise to about 5,000 feet. Divers jumped out of the baskets one by one, waited about 10 seconds, opened up their parachutes and drifted like dandelions in the wind.
Collins, who owns a physical therapy business in Murrieta, said he skydives whenever he has time.
"It's a great way to start your day," he said after he landed. "Can't wait to do it again."
Source
Divers feel less air pressure because unlike a plane, a balloon doesn't have much velocity. Hot air balloon diving is also much quieter, without the background noise of an airplane engine.
On a recent Thursday, divers gathered on an open field by the Perris Valley Airport at the crack of dawn -- when the wind is calmest. Divers donned sunglasses, helmets and parachutes. The balloon slowly puffed up in the morning sun as its pilot heated the air inside.
Once launched, it took about five minutes for the balloon to rise to about 5,000 feet. Divers jumped out of the baskets one by one, waited about 10 seconds, opened up their parachutes and drifted like dandelions in the wind.
Collins, who owns a physical therapy business in Murrieta, said he skydives whenever he has time.
"It's a great way to start your day," he said after he landed. "Can't wait to do it again."
Source
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