Skydive City - Z-Hills

This is the Best Florida DropZone. Needs no further comments.

I was in Florida for bad reasons and decided to get current there as I had been inactive in the sport for some time. I had always wanted to jump in Florida, so I took advantage of the trip to do so. TK and the rest of the staff were great. I showed up at the end of the day, but they organized a load just for me, and that meant a lot. Paul in the tavern was great to talk to. Overall, I would say that a trip to Zhills should be on every skydivers agenda!!!!

Meh,never replied to my email inquiry. Used to be a great place, not so sure now.

I spent nearly a week at Z-Hills for my AFF training and had a great time. The facilities (TV room, ATM, showers, pro shop) are excellent.

What sets the place apart though is the vibe created by two of the dropzone's institutions: the first is Janine's restaurant. Janine and her staff offer regular quality home cooked meals at a very decent prize (she could charge a lot more with such a captive market, but she doesn't), with all-you-can-eat buffets most nights; there's attitude all right, but it's good attitude: they care for people, will introduce skydivers to others, help with the occasional need for "ice" to mend inflamed joints, and help form the social epicenter of the place. The other is Paul's bayou-shack-style bar. Paul is down to earth, offers a long variety of drinks at very reasonable prices, and welcomes patrons without pushing for drinks to be bought. Great guy. Without these two institutions the DZ would not be anywhere as warm and cozy a place.

That's not to say the rest of it is cold though; the manifest is fun and efficient; the center buildings ("City Hall") whimsical and cozy; a lot of great people service or gravitate around the place (Sherry who offers a cheap and fun ride to the airport, Tony Suits a short walk away, the packers -- like Augie -- are just fantastic and friendly); some schools have their offices there, either permanently or seasonally (Skydive Ratings, Nouvel Air, the Orlando wind tunnel, etc.); the nearby camping is also offering Pip & Judy's trailers, etc.

All around, a great place to jump, and a great place to hang around between jumps.

I've jumped at 20 dropzones in the past 5 years and Z-Hills is the most professional and all around quality DZ I've seen. Staff really know their stuff and are welcoming. Visiting European jumpers make the Christmas boogie even more fun. Aircraft are plentiful, well maintained and spotless. Landing area is really huge. It's a busy place at times, but if you come early in the day you're guaranteed to be given a warm and personal reception. Rigging services are also top notch and super friendly.
Overall, this place has all the talent, aircraft and diversity of skydiving disciplines you want but without the cliques or drama.
Must visit if you're anywhere near central Florida.

I spent a week at Z-Hills in December 2009, and I was very impressed. The facilities are excellent, the aircraft are obviously very well-maintained, and the staff are friendly and professional. The riggers are phenomenal, and were able to repack my reserve within an hour. I would highly recommend this DZ.

Chuck, Sally, Aaron, Bill, Oren and Randy are the best. I made three trips from TN to Z-hills for AFF and to finish my A-licence with these guys because I was confident that I was being taught by experts that had my safety at heart.
Also, plenty of nice people to meet and jump with.

We did our 1st AFF jump at ZHills with Chuck Blue. He did a great job!

Thanks.

My first jump was awesome! Video and images look cool....thing bout the video is that I asked the video guy Tony if I could also get the raw copy of the video so I can edit it myself but he said it would cost me $25 extra, so I settled for just the raw copy :)

This place was great: excellent manifest with a visible screen so you could plan the loads better and not feel like you were getting bumped for whatever reason. I really like it when places do this :)

They organized water training and also had a night-jump on when I was there. Shame I was 2 jumps away from my B when they did the night jumps :( next time maybe.

The packers were efficient and friendly. The food onsite was good. They also have a well stocked shop and onsite rigging as well as good spectator area, swoop pond etc.

I really can't fault this place - I completed my B-Licence here and had a great couple of days getting better at RW.

The only thing to watch for is that there tends to be no set landing pattern when there is low wind. There is a 'first person down sets the pattern' rule, but the 2nd and 3rd person rarely follow. The flip side of this is that there is a huge landing area so there's plenty of space for everyone.

This place by far was an unforgetable trip. TK and all his staff were just awsome,I was there to finish my AFF and to get more coaching, and they went far beyond that, the amount a free knowledge I gained from TK and the staff here was unreal, Aswell u have jumpers there from all around the world visiting.I would definatley recomend this DZ for newer jumpers looking to progress. Not once did i wait to get on a load, i could land, have the packers repack my rig, and be up on the next load all in 20 min. I plan on going back time and time again.

did my entire AFF there, everyone was always extremely helpful, prices are just like any other DZ so you know what to expect. Great packers, if your willing to pay. camping is free, always a plus. and even showers for you to use. the gear store is pretty good. on site rigging shop definitally a plus, tho personally never had to use it. overall a great place to jump if your in the area. on thing tho is dont try to get them to do anything out of their rules, very stict, and will not deviate from their norm.

This place is a fantastic place, whether you are a student or experienced jumper. Great aircraft, lots of events during their busy season (winter), and great people. The only down side I got with them was that I rent gear and was told I could not do so anymore there for "specialty jumps", particularly their hi alt loads they do there several times a year. For gear, bot the gear shop and DZ were very un-cooperative with that. I used to do those hi alt loads frequently, until they yanked the "gear rental" for them. For specialty jumps ... Bring your OWN gear - Period!

I did my AFF here almost a year ago and am back for my second holiday. This place is just fantastic and it’s what other drop zones should seek to emulate.

The facilities are perfect for skydiving, a large landing area, bar / cafe. I have just bought my first rig from the Sunshine factory onsite shop. I am tosh at packing so the packers are great, fast and friendly.

The social scene is great, lots of other jumpers around which make a difference if you are on your own. Paul M in the bar is hoot.

Highly recommend you give it a try.

It is a great place for fun jumping as long as you do not bring your siblings to do a tandem jumps. Even though you have 1000+ jumps, many with video, you are an aff instructor of the(USPA), IT DOES NOT MATTER! Your brother and sister are students and can not afford a video with their tandem and you willing to jump with them to do the video. DROP zone staff even do not ask you or people you have jumped with to describe your skills. You can not DO THE VIDEO!! They say they do not know you. You DO NOT ask them for a full time job at the airport, you only ask them to make a video for your brother and sister, you bring them a little bit of business and they just do not give a s... about it.I can go somewhere else if I do not like it, so I do. If you wont to make wonderful fun jumps this is a good place as long as you do not want to video your family. Good luck. Till now I have always re-comment this place for friends, especially friends from Europe who did not know where to skydive.
I felt really bad when I experienced it. If I am wrong just correct me with a good reasons I am open and ready to learn.

when my south beach drinking plans went down the tubes due to my bff bailing out last minute I asked my bf if I could tag along on his trip which was the same time frame. In a weeks time I got my ticket, and scheduled myself to take the AFF course during our stay which was 4/19-4/27. Right from the start everyone was great, manifest helped get me in my class,and get everything all paid for. My instructors were the best and to top it off they actually cared about me which made me feel so comfortable during my stay. The learning curve in AFF is an up and down one, when I had my good days I got praised, when I had a very bad experience and cried cause I was so hard on myself, it seemed like everyone on the dz came by to give me pat n encourage me to keep going, from my instructor,to the dzo to the packers and bartender! (luv ya Paul)It was like a family who took me in and made sure I was taken care of, and I definitely was! on the day before our trip was over I had passed lev 7 and it felt like my mom an dad were there to cheer and congratulate me, I got some crazy song sung for me and a magnars to top it off :) I of course bought rounds for everyone like every good grad should and was thankful I had the best people around me. I know know what its like to live, nothing tops flying through the air and nothing made me feel more alive than my trip to Z Hills....Best dropzone ever...I still get teary eyed thinking of the times there and how bad I want to go back, I'm thinking of moving there!!!! That's how great it was!!!!by the way the facilities are awesome,campers to rent,tv/comp building,they have their own bar, wing suit area, just a very very awesome self contained little city, hence "Skydive City" :)

I recently visited Z-hills for Superbowl weekend and I must say that I was really throwm for a loop. The atmosphere of the place was outstanding. Although they were a huge DZ I never felt as if they were just trying to take my money. There were alot of ppl that were willing to do whatever. there were plenty of people who wanted to make different formations. As far as planes go, even though they only reall had the otters to jump they at least had 2 flying back to back for most of the day.

The staff were very professional and friendly as well. I had to do a recurrency and coach jump and my instructor Mark was very helpful.

I happened to have been there for Superbowl Sunday and they had their own Superbowl Party. The only downside is that I had to pay for my own beer but hey the food was rocking and the atmosphere was grt.

Another thing that was cool was that there were a few guys who used to jump back in the day and had a DVD of jumps he had done for companies and there commercials.

I wish they had a bunkroom you could sleep in but all in all it was a great place to jump and the weather was great all weekend long. I would recommend Z-hills to anyone.

I spent 3 days in Z-Hills on a recent trip to Orlando. I REALLY liked this DZ.

Facilities:
This place is a DZ you can live/camp at for a long time, tons of camping spots and RV hookups, as well as City Hall, the Hard Dock Cafe, Sunshine Factory Store, etc. The facilities are right up there with Eloy and Perris!

Aircraft:
They had 3 nice Otters while I was there. I think this is what puts them behind places like Eloy and Perris as they do not have any selection in aircraft. Also, I do not like that they do not use bench seating on all of the planes...sitting on the floor sucks That said, the planes were nice and appeared to be well maintained.

Vibe/Fun:
The DZ had a LOT of RW jumpers when I was there and they had oraganizers every day....so if you love to do RW (2-10way), this is your place.

Personally, I prefer wingsuiting and they have perhaps the biggest wingsuit group of any DZ. Chuck Blue was organizing on one of the days I was there and I had a great time on every flight.

Z-Hills is a top tier DZ that seems to put a lot of focus on having organizer's in RW and Wingsuits. I think they should consider getting a Skyvan (I mean..with all of those wingsuiters...they really need a Skyvan...OK...a CASA would be OK too) I do think they were a bit slow to utilize the second otter(at least on my visit) and they could have gotten several more loads up if they were better at recognizing when it makes sense to run multiple aircraft.

All in All, my visit yielded some awesome jumps and I can't wait to go back soon!

I hear they throw some good parties too!

If you're reading this, here is why you should jump at Z-Hills:

The DZO TK is hilarious, the planes are supurb, the pilots kicks ass, the packers are world-class, and the instructors are great. Other perks that come to mind include the bar, the coffee, the showers, and the locals.

Skydive City is one of the great U.S. dropzones, the best of the Florida dropzones for fun jumping and boogies. It's a great place for jumpers from smaller centers to gain experience in any of the leading disciplines - there is a lot of RW, freefly and wingsuit organizing going on for different experience levels. Facilities are quite good now with the addition of City Hall, loads of camping space and excellent shower facilities too. Food is good and inexpensive on the DZ too. I always have a good time at Skydive City, even if TK is a bit of nerd...

I'd love to say it's the best DZ in Florida, but I have yet to visit many others as every time I go there I can't seem to get away due to the good times!

Whether you want to learn or play, Skydive City is a great place to skydive!

I made my first tandem jump at Skydive City - Z-Hills along with my father for his 70th birthday. I was in awe by the professionalism and couteousness of the staff. They made you feel very much at ease! I absolutely loved the experience and would jump again at this DZ anytime. Thanks Z-Hills for a truly awesome experience that will never be forgotten!

I found Zhills 8 year ago while traveling to Florida. Since them I have made it a point to stop there when I travel to the States. Is like a second home DZ for me.
There are always organizers available to bring people together for jumps. The local jumpers are very friendly and make it a point to welcome you. There is always a twin otter available to jump, all year around. Sometimes, there are three. The landing area is huge and they have a swoop pond. There are all the amenities, cafeteria, town hall, bar, rigging loft, skydiving schools, packers and self packing area, sun deck, tent area, showers, rv area. There is also a great pro shop in site, the Sunshine Factory. The DZ is conveniently located next to several manufacturers, like Sunpath and Tony Suits.
There is always something going on a Zhills, Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas boogies. Large formation skydiving and wingsuit events.

Z-hills is the epitome of what a DZ should be: welcoming, fuser-friendly, great services day andnight, great people around you all he time. No big attitudes to get in the way of a good time. John Klueg provdes some awesome freefly coaching. TK runs an efficient operation. The manifest crew is always accomodating and flexible. Their are good places to stay nearby or fun camping on site. The firepit isalways entertaining. he New Year's Eve party can't be beat. Get to Z-hills for your next skydiving vacation. Come join the fun!

I went to z-hills last year for Christmas and I loved it, although we got a bit of rain they get the planes up soon after it stops. Facilities are great and so its the bonfire. Met a bunch of Europeans that were visiting and I can't wait until this year's Christmas boogie, I will be there again.