Zephyrhills - The Mid 70s

Not to be confused with the present operation at that airport.

Submitted by Pat Moore D-1814. Photo credit to Jim Hooper.

Sometime in the early 70s Jeff and Bonnie Searles came south from Wisconsin and set up operations of what would become one of the most prominent drop zones in the country. Large formation relative work was just gaining steam on the west coast under the guidance of jumpers like Jerry Bird while the growth at ZHills was largely spearheaded by Jim "Hoop" Hooper and others. Jim, Mike Patterson, Phil Smith, Billy Revis, Rob Brissey, and other members of The Ten High Bunch contributed to that fast growing segment of the sport. Others, like me, focused on style and accuracy. ZHills was and is an ideal location for a DZ - blessed with good weather and easy access to interstates and a major airport. Under Jeff's management, a large packing shed was built and increasingly larger planes became available. In addition to the 182 and 196, we enjoyed jumps from a 1937 Lockheed Electra L10E (identical to the plane Amelia Earhardt disappeared in), and a DC3. ZHills became the home of the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Meet drawing hundreds of jumpers from around the country and the rest of the world. Among the notable pilots were Bill "Tuna" Case, Neil Perks, Bobby Gilbert and Louie Howell.

The freefall shot was taken by Jerry Irwin, a pioneer of air to air photography.

The photo above was submitted by Gary Thompson D-4616. This is a group of West Point, Va folks with some Europeans and others waiting for the plane to refuel.  This was at Z-Hills in Jim Hooper’s days (early 80s I seem to remember).  Lex Thistlethwaite the pilot is on the wing and George Kabeller in the door.  You’ll notice Dave DeWolf in the middle of the back row.  This was almost certainly at the Turkey Boogie.