Travolta's $3.5 million mansion sits atop eight wooded acres overlooking the runway at Jumbolair, near Ocala, Florida. The housed is designed to look like an airport terminal, the 21,000-square-foot structure is topped with a mock control tower of blue glass. The main house is flanked by a pool, eight apartments above a 10-car garage, and open hangars for the actor's 707 and Gulfstream II jets.

Although the report says "hangers", I'd say they were more like "carports" that accommodate merely the noses of the 707 & Gulfstream II Jets. But that's quibbling with "grandiosity" :) See photo below.
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Thanks to Anthony Ghezzo

HIGH FLYING

A lot of neighborhoods don't allow the owners to park Boeing 707s outside their homes, which is why actor John Travolta moved to Jumbolair, near Ocala.

South West Florida Herald Tribune
A N.Y. Times Regional Newspaper
By Christopher Lloyd
January 1, 2004
 
 
 

OCALA -- It's not just another housing development, as you can tell by the 1.4-mile airstrip and the Boeing 707 parked next to one of the houses.

Located in the Central Florida town of Anthony, just north of Ocala, it's called Jumbolair, and it's the new home of John Travolta -- '70s TV phenom, film superstar, Oscar-nominated actor, sex symbol, accomplished pilot, doting husband and father.

After several years of whispers about his building a house here, the 49-year-old actor has taken up residence in his nearly completed mansion.

Travolta is flying daily from Ocala to Tampa to shoot "The Punisher," an action movie based on the comic book, set to be released next summer.A lifelong love of aviation holds the key to Travolta's decision to build at Jumbolair...

[Travolta owns at least two jets, a Gulfstream and a huge Boeing 707B.

Simply put, there aren't very many non-commercial airstrips where planes of that size can take off and land. Jumbolair, with its long landing strip and massive jet wash berms at either end, is one of them.

About a decade ago, Travolta had a home in a fly-in community near Daytona, but was sued by neighbors who claimed his jet airplanes were too big and noisy for their facility.

The very layout of his new house is testament to Travolta's love of flying. It's located immediately off the main airstrip, and is designed so his jets can taxi right up to two outbuildings connected to the main structure, which is shaped like a squat air-control tower. Travolta literally can walk out his door, under a canopied walkway and into the cockpit, open the long mechanized gate and be airborne in a matter of minutes.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration pilot database, Travolta is qualified in several types of single- and multi-engine aircraft, and has the highest pilot medical certification possible.

"We know that Travolta's an accomplished pilot. .... A lot of people fly for the pleasure of it, and he's one of them," said John Clabes, an FAA spokesman. "If you have this many ratings on these types of high-performance aircraft, you're obviously a good pilot."

In layman's terms, Travolta has enough experience flying large multi-engine jets that he could easily switch to piloting commercial airliners for a living.

'Down to earth' guy

Through his intermediaries, Travolta has declined media requests for interviews. But the star of "Pulp Fiction," "Grease" and "Face/Off" has been anything but reclusive. He has been spotted eating at local restaurants, working out at a public gym, even shopping for groceries.

According to numerous people who have met and spoken with him, Travolta has been very friendly, even gregarious, toward his new neighbors. Rather than living in a remote estate behind multiple layers of security, or smack dab in the searing public spotlight of Hollywood, the actor seems to enjoy interacting with regular folks.

Ask Charley Marcum. The classified advertising manager for the local newspaper, the Star-Banner, flies an ultralight -- a lightweight, open-air aircraft that resembles a hang glider with a seat and motor. Last month he (met) John Travolta."I asked him, 'What brings you to move to a place like this?'" Marcum said. "He said he loves aviation, and he enjoys being around people who share that enthusiasm."

Marcum admits to being a little overwhelmed and starstruck -- at one point calling his daughter on his cell phone to let her speak with the actor, who cheerily complied -- but describes Travolta as very down-to-earth and friendly.The trio chatted for nearly an hour, mostly about planes.

Added visibility

.. according to Jude Hagin, who heads up the Real Florida Film Commission, which covers Marion and Alachua counties, "Mr. and Mrs. Travolta moved here because of that airstrip, and it's our good fortune to have them as neighbors," Hagin said. "It probably gives us a little more visibility",... (but) the lack of seasoned film crew members and large buildings are the biggest impediments to attracting a major film shoot to Ocala, Hagin said... "

The "Mrs." refers to Travolta's wife of 12 years, Kelly Preston, a well-known actress ("Jerry Maguire," "Twins") in her own right. They have two children: Ella Bleu, 3, and Jett, 11. Their Ocala property is incorporated under the name Jett Bleu Estates, a combination of their children's names.

Star sightings

Whatever private concerns Travolta and Preston keep for their home, the actor has hardly been reticent to wander beyond the gated borders of Jumbolair.

Travolta has been spotted dining at a number of Ocala-area restaurants, including Hops, Red Lobster and the Ocala Ale House. Usually, the actor shows up late in the evening, alone or with a single companion. Occasionally, his presence has sparked an excited frenzy...

This past summer, Travolta caused a big stir when he entered the Red Lobster on State Road 200. By the time he had finished his meal, a large crowd had formed in front of the restaurant, and police had to smuggle him out the back. Travolta was about to depart, but paused when he heard the story of MaKenzie White.

White, a 14-year-old freshmen at Belleview High School, had a bad experience a couple of years earlier when a con man fooled her family into thinking he could introduce her to Travolta. White and her parents waited for hours at Ocala International Airport, and the girl was crushed when she learned it was all a hoax.
"Somehow (Travolta) had gotten wind of the fact of what happened to my daughter," said White's father, Phil White. "He knew what had happened, and he felt terrible about it."

Travolta took a few minutes to meet MaKenzie and have his picture taken with the young fan. "I can't even describe it. It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing," she said.

'Show him respect'

A calm, friendly demeanor is universally described by those who have interacted with Travolta.

"One thing that impressed me about Travolta in the few times I've met him is that he doesn't put on a big facade. It's nice to see a star of his caliber who doesn't put on a big air," said Tony Piccione, owner of the Ritz Historic Inn, a popular Ocala entertainment venue. "He just seems to have a very friendly spirit about him."

That good nature, however, has occasionally been strained by overly arduous fans eager to see the famous star now shedding his light on Ocala. Travolta and his family have been forced to leave several area events because of a crush of fans -- something that worries film commissioner Hagin.

"We wish for people to just allow them their dignity, to live their life and raise their children," she said.

Ritz owner Piccione, who recently chatted with Travolta while the actor enjoyed a hamburger at Hops, echoes Hagin's caution, though he understands people's reactions.

"We're all the same. We're all intrigued by someone who's achieved that degree of stardom," Piccione said.

"But it's a shame people can't show him the respect of just nodding to him to say hello rather than mauling him. If we don't treat this guy with the respect he deserves and let him have his life, he's going to leave."

Additional Photos at:
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