Jan 31, 2010, 1:23 AM
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Z'hills in the eighties
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Where is everyone that jumped at the Hills in it's golden days, the 40-way speed Easter meets were fabulous; I put a link for my webalbums on the bottom here, if you click it or probably copy and paste it, and then go to "Z'hills" for pictures taken in a roughly ten year period. If you recognize yourself or a buddy you can comment and add names I am still working on the captions. I was on Jerry Bird's teams all the time,
Jan 31, 2010, 6:28 AM
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Re: [airtwardo] Z'hills in the eighties
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Since I started jumping in the mid 80's at Z-Hills and didn't travel to other Drop Zones to jump till much later, I thought that all DZs had a DC-3 and it was normal to be doing 40-ways every weekend. What an awesome place to learn to skydive and call home. I didn't know how well I had it at the time.
(This post was edited by danornan on Jan 31, 2010, 6:29 AM)
Jan 31, 2010, 10:32 AM
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Re: [totalbodyflyer] Z'hills in the eighties
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just happened to look at pic 22. Heidi's (or is it Joannie, I don't remember) in the blue, across the base is Larry MacKinnon of Mississauga, the brown suit in the base is Paul Dow, wearing a student innovator rig from SWOOP. I'm on Larry's right leg in a dirty white suit with a red stripe, beside me in blue is Mike Dewit. On Heidi's right leg is Paul 'Anvil' Evanoff and on her left is Gerry Lambert from Queebek, Beside Anvil might be Wim from Holland? and his girlfriend on Paul Dow's other leg?
(This post was edited by skypuppy on Jan 31, 2010, 10:37 AM)
Jan 31, 2010, 11:06 AM
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Re: [skypuppy] Z'hills in the eighties
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Ok, that 's a few names, I remember "Anvil" and in contradiction with what one may think he was quite a good skydiver. The one you refer to as "Wim from Holland" that would be me, from Belgium actually, but I am not on that dive but you got the girlfriend right, Mag was my girlfriend in those days. And it is Heidi in the base.
Jan 31, 2010, 1:25 PM
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Re: [totalbodyflyer] Z'hills in the eighties
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Thanx! Wim,
Great pictures & memories !!!
I was just at the Hills, and saw Bird, Tony, Mike & Patty, and Bill Brandon. I'm usually jumping in Maine but get down to FL. about once or twice a year now. Great jumps those 40-45 ways where !!! I was usually the first rear floater on the DC-3 40-ways. If you can't guess who this is, Hanne will tell ya! We hung around a little while she was in Maine. I still jump the 1986 Vector in the pictures with a Raptor now. Hope all is well with you & yours !!! Blueskys!!! P. Smurf
Jan 31, 2010, 7:49 PM
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Re: [totalbodyflyer] Z'hills in the eighties
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The one you refer to as "Wim from Holland" that would be me, from Belgium actually, but I am not on that dive but you got the girlfriend right, Mag was my girlfriend in those days. ________________________________________________
Sorry, I should have checked your profile before I replied. I actually debated Holland or Belgium before I posted, but got it wrong. I should have dug out my logbook, but I was just going from memory. Without looking it up I'm not even totally sure about the year, I would guess 1981/82 Xmas boogie.
Feb 1, 2010, 9:27 AM
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Re: [SkydiveJack] Z'hills in the eighties
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the Night 40 way Hi Jack, did you go on the 56 way or so that we tried later that season out Silver Bullet (right hand door) and Southern Cross? The dive didn't build and I have no pics. Wim
Feb 1, 2010, 10:04 AM
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Re: [totalbodyflyer] Z'hills in the eighties
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the Night 40 way Hi Jack, did you go on the 56 way or so that we tried later that season out Silver Bullet (right hand door) and Southern Cross? The dive didn't build and I have no pics. Wim
Wim, I don't remember a 56 way Night attempt but I do remember daytime formation loads with the Silver Bullet & Southern Cross. That was so strange going out of a right hand DC-3 door!
Salut Jerome, I remember that one too, I was on it as well, the only pic I have ever seen was on the frontpage of "Skydiving" I think it was Norman Kent's. Would be great if it came out of the woodworks.
Feb 2, 2010, 9:37 AM
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Re: [SkydiveJack] Z'hills in the eighties
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Wim, I don't remember a 56 way Night attempt but I do remember daytime formation loads with the Silver Bullet & Southern Cross. That was so strange going out of a right hand DC-3 door!
Jérôme, You bet I remember the 60 way Big O!!!!
Jack, Tudo Bon? I think the first 50 way round was in DeLand around the same time. There was probably some competition between DeLand and the Hills. Tommy Pirus organized it. He and Aziz set up abort 50 feet apart and Skip Kneilly (sp) set up accross from (?) 90 degrees off. We made 4 12 & 13 way lines and closed them up. Well, that was the plan. When the last grips started to close the circle, it was whipping and waving like it was about to explode. I wound up closing the last grip, grabbing the arm to my left on the way down to the arm on the right about 10 feet. It held together and I was the hero. It could VERY easily been exactly the other way. Unfortunately, the video from above didn't show the level difference and most of the people on lthe load were concentrating so hard on the person directly accross from them that few realize how close it had been. But they all said I owed beer for being the first person to close 50th. I bough and tried to drink most of it.
I still jump the 1986 Vector in the pictures with a Raptor now. 
Hope all is well with you & yours !!! Blueskys!!! P. Smurf 
