Looking a lot more like Kentucky or Virginia than Florida, Ocala calls itself the “heart” of the state because it’s centrally located just an hour northwest of Orlando, two hours from Tampa Bay, and a short drive from Daytona and Jacksonville. The lush green fields and gently rolling hills are dotted with over 600 Thoroughbred horse farms and racehorse training facilities. Recent Derby winners like Smarty Jones, Funny Cide, and Giacomo were born here, prompting locals to describe the area as “The Horse Capital of the World”. This idyllic setting is also the home of Jumbolair Aviation Estates, one of the country’s most exclusive residential airparks, and the luxury B & B, the Inn at Jumbolair, one of the best-kept secrets of the jet set.

Situated on over 500 acres, Jumbolair was once home to heiress Muriel Vanderbilt Adams, Miami drug czar Jose Antonio Fernandez, and Nautilus fitness guru Arthur Jones. Adams buried her beloved horse and dog on the property, and Fernandez buried his ill-gotten gains, a stash of hundred-dollar bills that workers discovered years later. Jones dug into the earth to build one of the country’s largest private runways, a 7550-foot FAA approved strip that can handle everything from helicopters to commercial airliners.

It was this feature that attracted the estate’s first, and most famous, homebuilder, actor and avid aviator John Travolta. In fact, he viewed the estate when it was put on the market following the divorce of Arthur and Terri Jones, and he suggested the idea of an aviation community to Terri. She and her current husband, Sarasota businessman Jeremy Thayer, bought out Arthur Jones’ share and began planning the 125-site pilot-friendly estate with personal hangars and taxiways for every resident.

The Inn at Jumbolair

In 2002, the Thayers moved out of the 8500 square-foot Southern mansion and converted it into a luxury, 5 suite B & B. Sitting in the gazebo near the pool or rocking in the porch swing that hangs from the old oak tree behind the Inn, you can watch planes taking off and landing, against the peaceful panorama of horses grazing in a nearby paddock, or sneak a tantalizing peek at Travolta’s 707 parked in front of his house on the opposite side of the tarmac.

While the suites vary in size, all are furnished with beautiful antiques, whimsical art deco lamps, sumptuous beds, and private baths filled with amenities, including plush Jumbolair his- and- her bathrobes. Artfully hidden in the luxurious décor are all of the high tech bells and whistles upscale travelers demand, including high-speed internet access, premium cable with VCR, and a stereo/CD player. The 5 suites are each named after a treasured animal that lived on the property: Micky the Silverback Gorilla, Bumper the African Rhino, the baby elephant Shupa rescued from Zimbabwe, the world’s largest saltwater crocodile Gomek, and Terri’s favorite Paint stallion Bolero, a gift from her friend Bo Derek.

Guests receive a full breakfast, use of the fitness center, swimming pool, and billiards room, and complimentary parking for their vehicle, whether it has wings or wheels. The well-stocked kitchen offers sodas, bottled water, juices, coffee, cordials and wine around the clock, and more often than not, fresh-from-the-oven cookies and tarts are perched on the counter in silent invitation. The Inn’s stable houses several horses available for guided trail rides, or you can ride the property the way residents do, by golfcart. The Innkeeper is your personal concierge if you need a masseuse or car rental, prefer to have a private dinner cooked and served for you in the dining room, or have any questions or special needs.

A Taste of the High Life at Fly-In Brunch
On the first Sunday of the month, Jumbolair hosts a Fly-In Brunch, attracting between fifty and seventy private pilots, as well as earthbound visitors. Guests dropping in from the sky are picked up on the runway by golfcart and whisked to the 9000 square-foot ballroom for a medieval-sized feast. The groaning board includes an omelet station, French toast, blintzes, bacon, sausage, quiche and other breakfast items, along with a lunch selection that features a carving station with beef and pork roasts, lasagna, chicken, side dishes and an array of salads. The $25 brunch also includes a beverage and dessert, and non-aviators will enjoy listening to the pilot chatter as they dine at beautifully appointed banquet tables. After brunch, take a relaxing horse-drawn carriage tour of the estate in one of Ocala Carriage’s unique rigs, or chat with the Thayers about the growing aviation community.

The Jet Set Years


An accomplished aviator herself, you might say that Terri Jones Thayer is the “captain” of this enterprise. Her roots at Jumbolair are as deep as those of the old oaks on the property, and it was here that she spread her wings as a pilot and businesswoman during her marriage to Arthur Jones.

Terri grew up in a rural suburb of Tampa, and at the tender age of 11, the beautiful young girl began entering local beauty pageants. By the time she was 15, she had quit school to open her own modeling agency, with successful campaigns for J.C. Penney and Pepsi to her credit. She met the worldy and wealthy Arthur Jones at a Miami pageant, and he hired her to be his model for his rapidly expanding Nautilus Fitness company. They married a year later when Terri turned 18, and literally and figuratively, her life took off and remained airborne for the next 9 years.

Arthur Jones taught his wife to fly, and bought her a plane for her 18th birthday. After the move to Jumbolair, she continued her flight training under the tutelage of two retired airline pilots, eager to meet the challenges of flying all types of planes. For the next few years, Terri immersed herself in flying, enrolling in Pan Am flight school to learn how to fly jumbo 747’s, setting a women’s flight record flying solo from Burbank to Jacksonville in 5 hours, 6 minutes, and trying her hand at jet fighter-trainers and aerobatics. Terri says, “ I loved the challenge of flying bigger and faster planes, and I loved the challenge of breaking a record. I flew the cross-country solo, rather than with a co-pilot, so nobody could say I didn’t really do it myself.”

For the next several years, the Jones couple were in the spotlight, making appearances on Johnny Carson, and on Robin Leach’s Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous. When they outfitted and flew their own 707 to Zimbabwe to rescue 63 endangered baby elephants, ABC’s 20/20 went along for the ride. In 1986, Terri set her sights on a 707 around-the-world flight record. Revlon signed on as her sponsor, and offered her a three-year contract to be one of the company’s highly visible “Charlie Girls”. Unfortunately, the international publicity inspired another pilot to attempt the trip, and she was beaten to the punch before she could get off the ground.

Out of Africa
Also an experienced aviator, Arthur Jones had lived in Africa for 19 years, and was passionate about its wildlife. He created the television show Wild Cargo which eventually became the popular Wild Kingdom, hosted by Marlin Perkins. Terri was also an animal lover, so fittingly, Jumbolair became a haven for the exotic animals they rescued from around the world…98 elephants, 3 white rhinos, several crocodiles, and a 400-pound gorilla named Micky. It was Arthur Jones who coined the name Jumbolair, with “Jumbo” from the African word for elephant and “lair” referring to an animal’s den.

Flying into the Future

Today, Jumbolair is a haven for aviation afficianados like John Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston, who want the freedom of having their aircraft nearby and the privacy of raising their family in a laid-back rural community. Terri Thayer says Ocala is a perfect place for both children and planes: “This area is really laid-back. The locals don’t even look twice when they run into John & Kelly in the grocery store. They just immediately fit into the community here, and it’s such a peaceful, down-to-earth place to raise your kids. You can have horses on your property, and a country life-style, but you can also hop in your plane and fly to Tampa to go shopping if you feel like it, something my daughter is always begging me to do”.

The Thayers plan to develop the residential park in phases, adding an equestrian center and eventually converting the B & B into a fulltime residents’ country club. Currently, 21 sites have been purchased, and Terri Thayer says there is no rush to complete the build-out. “We want to preserve the integrity of the land, so we’re being careful not to disturb the older trees or ruin the natural beauty of the countryside. And we want to keep it safe and very down to earth for the residents.”

Terri Thayer’s adventurous and glamorous life is belied by her soft-spoken demeanor and reluctance to be in the spotlight these days. “I’m just a wife and mother” she says, “and that influences everything I do. I even chose my plane, a Cirrus, because it has a built-in parachute and I want my kids to be safe when they’re flying with me.”

Her husband, Jeremy, is now learning to fly and her 13 year-old son is dreaming of lessons, but perhaps her daughter’s shopping lament of “Can’t we just fly there?” sums up the allure of Jumbolair most succinctly. After all, why drive when you can fly?

If You Go:
The Inn at Jumbolair
1201 N.E. 77th St, Ocala, FL 34479
(352) 671-3200
www.Jumbolair.com
Driving and flying directions are posted on the website