Share a Memory
Use the form below to share your remembrances and stories of JZ. This section is similar to Social Media in that you can comment on or contribute to other postings. Collectively filling in the blanks. Lets try to keep it clean though as this page will be available for general viewing. Offensive posts will be removed.
17 replies on “Share a Memory”
A few years back Jim and I flew down to New Orleans to meet the girls as they were driving back from Florida. That’s when I discovered that Jim and I were both history buffs. After the girls got back on the road we spent the day touring the World War II museum.
Whenever I went to a hang gliding event I would look to see if JZ was there. JZ always had great advice and stories to share. Even if I just walked by to say hello, I felt “JZ is here, now things can get going”.
NK and I miss you so much JZ. The 1st time I met you was when Nick talked me into going to the 1989 manufacturers league meet in Bend Oregon – you, Mike, Fob and NK flew there (and came close to ‘landing out’) – I drove there with some other gal in the mountain queen. One of the 1st nights there we went to the Bend bowling alley where you were trying to swing dance with everyone. I remember laughing so hard with all of you I almost cried. So many adventures with you and Amy and the green team.
The boys flying to Bend in Mike Smiths plane
Wow! Where to start? JZ was such a large part of my hang gliding life, although I was probably just a footnote in his.
OK, here’s one:
I was one of the organizers of the Sandia Classic hang gliding contest in the 1990s. One of the things I spent a huge amount of time on was the rulebook. For many years, rules in hang gliding were often simplistic, contradictory and sometimes confusing. I vowed to write a rulebook that fixed all of that. Everything was detailed, cross-referenced with the (then) USHGA Competition Rules and the FAI Sporting Code.
The day after the pre-contest pilot briefing, JZ approached me with that famous “JZ Glare” in his eyes. Waving his obviously well thumbed copy of the rulebook, he snapped, “What the hell is this shit? I spent all night going over it and I CAN’T FIND ANY WAY TO CHEAT!”
Then he laughed, smacked me on the shoulder and said, “Good Job.”
What a guy. They obviously broke the mold before they made him.
It’s 1988 and we are in Australia for the World Hang Gliding Championships (Mt. Buffalo, Victoria, AUS). JZ is US Team Coach. At one of the pilot briefings, a representative from the Australian Department of Communications (like our FCC) is there to tell us that illegal use of 2 meter Amateur Band (HAM) radios will not be allowed and users found with illegal equipment or found to be operating without call sign identifiers, or use of private repeaters or….yada yada yada will be penalized with fines and confiscation of equipment. The US Team radios are in a different bandwidth that is specifically disallowed in Australia. JZ said to just ignore the dude.
The next morning, JZ gets a call from the Meet Director warning us that the DOC is at Meet HQ specifically to seize the Americans’ radio equipment. Quickly, all handheld radios are hidden and the base station units removed from Team vehicles.
We roll into Meet HQ all innocent-like and the DOC is all over JZ, demanding to see our stuff. JZ piously explains that all equipment has been removed, packed up and sent back to Sydney for shipment back to the US, as we would NEVER contemplate violating Australian regulations. The DOC representative asked who took the equipment to Sydney. JZ, thinking quickly (but not well) replies, “An Australian friend of ours, Paul Hogan, took care of it.”
We realized that JZ had really stepped in it this time. For those of you who don’t remember, Paul Hogan was an Aussie film and television star, known for playing the lead in the “Crocodile Dundee” movies of the time and was also the equivalent of Johnny Carson for his talk show. It was not possible that any Aussie over the age of three wouldn’t have known that name.
The DOC gave JZ a “You naïve Yank liar” look and said coolly, “That was a wise move.” He left, and we ganged up on JZ, asking how he could be such a dumbass for trying to pass off “Paul Hogan” as our courier. JZ snapped, “What’s the deal? I just made up a name!”
We tried to convince him that that PARTICULAR name was not going to fly with the Aussies. He didn’t believe us, and spent the whole day asking every Aussie, “Who’s Paul Hogan?” After about the fiftieth identical reply, JZ finally admitted he might have screwed up just a tiny little bit.
And we immediately pulled out the radios, reinstalled the base units in the cars and used them for the rest of the Championships. Never heard another peep from the DOC.
The hang-gliding world draws in many wonderfully independent and out of the box thinkers and personalities. And JZ was just such a person. After all, who else would put swimming pool on top of Dinosaur…
I met JZ at a hang-gliding comp in the Owens Valley. It was an XC Classic being run by Rick Masters. It was the mid 80’s and I’d been flying for a few years. So, this older guy shows up like he owned the world. I did not realize it then but in many ways he did. In the end he won that meet.
Jim was many things. A great pilot, a successful businessman, a strong family man, and he had a heart of gold. As I got to know him better, I realized that as tough as he was on the outside, he was one of the kindest persons you could ever know. He would do anything for a friend.
Jim’s formation of the Green Team and its reputation was legendary. But I will leave those stories to the Green Team to tell. No Milk Toast!
All of us remember the first time we met JZ. Even if you weren’t a close friend, JZ made everyone feel special. That’s what happens when you’re lucky enough to stand in the presence of a ‘Renaissance Man’.
I first met him in the Telluride Town Park LZ in 1982 when he was disassembling some kind of green glider. He was experimenting with the first French connection designs, and he was working on some kind of advanced high pressure O2 system, and had fabricated some of his first on-bar compasses. We talked for an hour about flying technologies. He was fascinating.
JZ had an amazing touch and impact on all manner of people, and he was the sort that everyone wanted a piece of…..most everyone wanted to spend more of their life with him…to be richer in soul, and to laugh.
He was the John Wayne of flying.
We need more like him.
I don’t recall how it was I learned that my cousin Jim was a living ‘nearby’ in Monarch/Salida, Colorado but when I did I realized that it had been fifty years since I had last seen him. {I live in Cedar Crest New Mexico which is just outside Albuquerque}. So my wife Cindy and I made plans to visit which we did on several occasions and we brought our son Dylan along who would play the violin for Jim. The party in 2008 was a gas and I was so impressed with the ‘factory’ and the ranch that I made this website. Please enjoy the pictures – they tell the story
http://www.setainc.com/pub/places/Zeiset_Ranch_2008/
JZ’s big heart, smile and generosity were contagious. This was reflected in the super get-togethers he and Amy would host at the ranch. JZ also had a knack for inventiveness and he developed unique ways to grow plants, as well as a way for people to soar in the sky with the eagles. He cared for his family and friends and showed this in many ways. JZ passed on beyond the skies he flew and will be missed by all, especially his partner and wife, Amy. Fly on friend!
There are so many memories…. but I’ll start with when I met J.Z.
It was 1982 most likely. Our home was the Ellenville NY flop house for pilots. At the time, that was a fantastic lifestyle 😉
So this guy from Colorado shows up in a van… with some flying buddies and some green Wills Wing Ducks (and Comets). We met up at the mountain, I introduced myself, and long story short… it was about a week visit before the smoke cleared…
The flying was NOT epic that week as I remember… but J.Z. had a video camera (One of those original, big honking jobs… full size cassettes) … and we watched lots of the footage of these guy’s antics from their “across America flying trip”… It was a fun, fuzzy, toxic week, and a friendship was born.
I’ll toss in one more good “funny” memory … which is pretty representative of how we (all?) behaved back then…
It was at a Telluride festival (I went to about a dozen of those) … and the “Green Team” that year had taken a liking to shooting flare guns… air-to-air… at each-other. I think a ground fire was started as a result, if I remember correctly, but I know the cops were not happy with the antics.
So… on the night of (whatever the flare incident was) we decided to have a bottle rocket war in the town park. We had like 10 people on our team… and I’m sure Jim’s crew was similar in size. It was a spectacular rocket war! Suddenly the police cars arrive (duh!) and the only escape was to run out into these swamps behind town. We all made it up about three blocks worth, and then came out in town, and scurried into a bar, all soaked from the waist down. Many beers later and a couple hours later, everyone retrieved their cars, and I believe no-one got in trouble. We even went back the next day and recovered the fireworks that we hid in the swamp!
We were somewhat younger then 😉
And just so you know…We also COULD be responsible at times. I was the Vice President for the years Jim was the USHGA President… and we did some positive things during that run. No juicy stories…(that I can think of…), but good work none the less…
I feel fortunate that met J.Z., and I miss him.
1988 6th World Hang Gliding Championship, Mt. Buffalo, Australia. I drove for the team ~ JZ gave me the pictured medal. No trouble spotting JZ with his green socks!
JZ, you were such a big influence on me in my formative years. So many years of flying together. I have many memories of climbing up the sides of clouds together with you, climbing up under black domes too, and watching you fly so independently, climbing so bloody well. You were never scared to go deep into a mountain gully to get the best lift. I always worried about your dodgy knees on takeoff & landing though. Your sense of fun and joy for life was infectious. Your generosity unparalleled. So many trips home from goal with you & the green team filled with laughter & banter fueled by super sized drinks, Amy being the most organised and efficient driver in the world!!! You added so much to my understanding of the world JZ and I am so glad I got to spend all that time with you xoxox Tish
I have been looking through my photos like crazy, and I am so mad at myself that for all of the time we’ve spent together, we do not have pictures together! I guess we were just having too much fun to take photos. I have had so many fun memories at the ranch with Uncle Jim and Aunt Amy. They both have always welcomed me into the family even when I wasn’t part of it yet. So many fun campfires at their place. Missing Jim a lot, and looking forward to keeping his spirit alive this July!
I met JZ at the ‘93 Tennessee meet when someone told me he could fix my radio. He didn’t know me from Eve but sat down and took the time and care to fix it for no charge. I was a newbie competitor so JZ took me under his wing and let me hang with him, Amy and the rest of the fabulous Green Team. He became my best hangie coach and was like a father to me. Thanks for all the great memories, Coach!
Jim had time for his friends. He was happy to help out anyone who asked for about anything, anytime. I’d often call him in the middle of the work week, knowing he was probably busy with something. He would ALWAYS make time to shoot the breeze and catch up. He would always pick up. I never crossed wires with Jim. Early on I learned when traveling and flying and being with Jim it was time to ramp it up and do your best, which included post flying partying, which I seemed to excel at.
One memory which shows how much Jim loved to Hang Glide was in 2000 when I got the wildhair to put together a Team to drive to Valle deBravo Mexico for 6 weeks. This was Jims busy time at the manufacturing plant. Mid winter. I didn’t think he could go. I called him and told him of my plan. 6 weeks away in Mexico flying, driving both ways. He said give him a bit and he would call me back. He did call back in 2 hours said he was in and he wanted to take his GMC Suburban. What a great flying trip that was!!
RIP JZ–You are greatly missed.
Nick
Kennedy
Green Team member
“Jim would never say no to a pilot”. Truer words were never spoken. As a young pilot, I learned so much from Jim not just from his words, but from his actions.
As a twenty something pilot, he wanted me to have better gear and soon, without hesitation, he finance my purchase of a new glider and harness… on installments.
While is was a savvy business man, I suspect when it came for his passion for aviators, all business savvy was tossed to the wind. Who in their right mind would finance hang gliding equipment for an inexperienced hang glider pilot? JZ, that’s who.
Thank you Jim for always being there, for all of us.