Industry | Manufacturing and design |
---|---|
Founded | 1930 |
Founder | Lee Eyerly |
Defunct | 1990 |
Headquarters | , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Products | Aircraft, amusement rides |
Eyerly Aircraft Company was an amusement ride manufacturing company in Salem, Oregon, founded by Lee Eyerly in 1930. The company originally intended to design flight simulators for the aircraft industry but shifted to amusement rides after an early simulator, called Orientator, became a popular pay-per-ride attraction with the public. The company manufactured rides until 1985 and went bankrupt in 1990, following a fatal accident in 1988 on a ride built by the company.
Lee Eyerly founded Eyerly Aircraft Company in 1930 to manufacture two inexpensive ways to train pilots which he devised when the Great Depression hit: the Whiffle Hen, [1] a plane which only burned two US gallons (8 L) of fuel per hour of flight, and a ground-based flight training device patented under the name "Orientator". The Orientator consisted of a small airplane suspended in what looked like the tines of a giant tuning fork. Air from the electrically driven propeller passed over the wings and rudder, and the operator controlled the movements of the plane in a manner similar to a real aircraft. [2] The Orientator was produced commercially and eventually renamed "Acroplane".
A salesman approached Eyerly about selling Acroplanes to carnivals and parks as an amusement ride after noticing several stored on the lot outside Eyerly's shop. While Eyerly was initially skeptical, he agreed to a deal which led to selling about 50 Acroplanes as an amusement ride. The following year, Eyerly changed the company's focus from aircraft to amusement rides based on the successful sales. [2] Eyerly developed and patented numerous amusement rides which would become staples of carnival midways, including The Loop-O-Plane (1933), [2] [3] the Roll-O-Plane, [4] the Fly-O-Plane and the Rock-O-Plane (1947). [5] [6] Perhaps their most popular design was the Octopus, [4] which resulted in later variations: the Spider and the Monster. Two of the company's kiddie carousel rides were the Midge-O-Racer and Bulgy the Whale. [7]
Although Eyerly's manufacturing business became amusement rides, the name of the company remained Eyerly Aircraft Company. [7]
A partial list of the Eyerly Aircraft Company rides and their locations follows.
Name | Model | Park | Open | Closed | Details | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Monster | Unknown | 1962 Seattle World's Fair | Unknown | Closed | Appears similar to a Monster, but only had 5 arms instead of the typical 6. | |
Rock-O-Plane | Rock-O-Plane | All Star Adventures (Wichita, Kansas) | Unknown | Open | [8] [9] | |
Spider | Spider | All Star Adventures (Wichita, Kansas) | Unknown | Open | [10] [8] | |
Spider | Spider | All Star Amusements (Showman) | Unknown | Unknown | ||
Freddie the Fish | Bulgy the Whale | Arnolds Park | Unknown | Open | [11] | |
Rock-O-Plane | Rock-O-Plane | Arnolds Park | Unknown | Open | [12] | |
Roll-O-Plane | Roll-O-Plane | Arnolds Park | Unknown | Open | [13] | |
Spider | Spider | Arnolds Park | Unknown | Closed | [14] | |
Rock-O-Plane | Rock-O-Plane | Big Amusements (Showman) | Unknown | Open | ||
Monster! | Monster | Blackpool Pleasure Beach | 1968 | 1995 | [15] | |
Dragon Loops | Loop-O-Plane | Blue Sky Amusements (Showman) | Unknown | Open | [16] | |
Killer Whales | Bulgy the Whale | Boardwalk Amusements (Daytona Beach, Florida) | 2017 | Closed | Trailer mounted; new whale vehicles. [17] | |
Monstrous Mamba | Monster | Busch Gardens Tampa | 1976 | 1995 | After removal the ride was sold for scrap. [18] | |
Octopus | Octopus | C&L Shows (Showman) | Unknown | Open | [19] | |
Lobster | Monster | California's Great America | 1976 | Closed | [20] | |
Spider | Spider | Camden Park | Unknown | 2011 | Removed after incident hospitalized three riders. [21] | |
Fury | Monster | Canada's Wonderland | 1981 | 2003 | Originally named Shiva's Fury. Sat in storage after removal. Ultimately sent to Kings Island for spare part usage on their similar Monster. [22] | |
Black Widow | Monster | Carowinds | 1973 | 1987 | Originally named The Witch Doctor. Relocated within park in 1977. Replaced with Cinema 180. [23] | |
Spider | Spider | Castle Park | Unknown | Open | [24] | |
Monster | Monster | Cedar Point | 1970 | Open | Refurbished in 2014 alongside renovated Gemini Midway. [25] [26] | |
Monster | Monster | Coney Island (Cincinnati) | 1968 | 1971 | Relocated to Kings Island after park closure. [27] | |
Rock-O-Planes | Rock-O-Plane | Coney Island (Cincinnati) | 2007 | 2019 | Relocated from LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park. Following removal, listed for sale on Rides4U for $19,000. | |
Clown Fish | Bulgy the Whale | Deggeller Attractions, Inc. (Showman) | Unknown | Open | [28] | |
Whales | Bulgy the Whale | DelGrosso's Amusement Park | Unknown | Open | [29] | |
Monster | Monster | Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom | 1995 | Open | Removed for addition of Dominator in 1998, but refurbished and returned to operation in 2000. [30] | |
Monster | Monster | EsselWorld (India) | Unknown | Open | [31] [32] | |
Octopus | Octopus | Fantasy Farm (Middletown, Ohio) | 1987 | 1991 | Purchased by Nolan Amusements for $17,500 after park closed. [33] [34] | |
Spider | Spider | Fun Spot America Theme Parks (Atlanta) | Unknown | Open | [35] | |
Black Squid | Spider | Geauga Lake | 1970 | 2007 | Relocated to Kings Dominion; sat in storage but never operated. | |
Monster | Monster | Ghost Town Village | 1992 | 2000 | Ride did not reopen with park in 2007. | |
Bulgy the Goldfish | Bulgy the Whale | Gilroy Gardens | Unknown | Open | [36] | |
Octopus | Octopus | Hammerl Amusements (Showman) | Unknown | Open | [37] | |
Monster | Monster | Hersheypark | 1972 | 1982 | Replaced by Tilt-A-Whirl. [38] | |
Dancer's Fish | Bulgy the Whale | Holiday World & Splashin' Safari | Unknown | Open | Previously named Salmon Run. Relocated within park for 2014 season. [39] | |
Paul Revere's Midnight Ride | Spider | Holiday World & Splashin' Safari | 1978 | 2011 | Originally named Spider Ride. Removed due to dependability issues. [40] | |
Green Machine | Loop-O-Plane | Hydro Free Fair | 1980s | Open | [41] | |
Loop-O-Plane | Loop-O-Plane | Idora Park | 1936 | Closed | [42] | |
Monster | Monster | Idora Park | 1972 | Closed | [42] | |
Flying Ocotpus | Octopus | Idora Park | 1938 | Closed | Acquired from Great Lakes Exposition in Cleveland. [42] | |
Rock-O-Plane | Rock-O-Plane | Idora Park | 1976 | 1984 | [42] | |
Spider | Spider | Idora Park | 1973 | Closed | [42] | |
Clown Fish | Bulgy the Whale | James H. Drew Exposition (Showman) | Unknown | Open | [43] | |
Unknown | Spider | Jolly Roger at 30th Street | Unknown | Unknown | ||
Unknown | Loop-O-Plane | Keansburg Amusement Park | Unknown | Unknown | [44] | |
Loop-O-Plane | Loop-O-Plane | Kennywood | Unknown | 1950 | [45] | |
Monongahela Monster | Monster | Kennywood | 1979 | 1989 | ||
Roll-O-Plane | Roll-O-Plane | Kennywood | 1950 | 2003 | ||
Monster | Monster | Kings Dominion | 1975 | 1988 | Originally named Bad Apple. [46] | |
Monster | Monster | Kings Island | 1972 | Open | Relocated from Coney Island after park closure. Maintained with parts from The Fury at Canada's Wonderland. [22] [47] | |
Rock-O-Planes | Rock-O-Plane | Kissel Entertainment (Showman) | Unknown | Unknown | ||
Satellite | Roll-O-Plane | Knoebels Amusement Resort | Unknown | Open | [48] | |
Bulgy the Whale | Bulgy the Whale | Lagoon | 1956 | Open | [49] | |
Rock-O-Planes | Rock-O-Plane | Lagoon | 8 May 1954 | Open | ||
Octopus | Octopus | Lagoon | 8 May 1954 | 1979 | ||
Loop-O-Plane | Loop-O-Plane | Lagoon | 1972 | 1987 | ||
1st. Flying Jets Current Name Flying Aces | Fly-O-Plane | Lagoon | Open | |||
Roll-O-Plane | Roll-O-Plane | Lagoon | 30 Mar 1947 | Closed | Burned Down in fire of 53 | |
Roll-O-Plane | Roll-O-Plane | Lagoon | 8 May 1954 | 1971 | ||
Roll-O-Plane | Super Roll-O-Plane | Lagoon | 1 Apr 1972 | 2002 | metal fatigue caused the arm to bend during the ride cycle when it was rotating horizontally. No one on the ride was injured. | |
Fly-O-Plane | Fly-O-Plane | Lake Winnepesaukah | 2000 | Closed | Ejected two riders in 2016. [50] [51] | |
Monster | Monster | Lakemont Park | Unknown | Closed | [52] | |
Octopus | Octopus | Lakemont Park | Unknown | Closed | [53] | |
Loop-O-Plane | Loop-O-Plane | Lakeside Amusement Park | Unknown | Open | ||
Giant Octopus | Octopus | LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park | 1944 | Closed | ||
Rock-O-Planes | Rock-O-Plane | LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park | 1949 | Closed | Received new cars in 1990. Relocated to Coney Island after park closure. | |
Mustekala | Monster | Linnanmäki | 1979 | 1984 | After removal the ride was scrapped and replaced with a similar, more efficient model. | |
Spider | Spider | Luna Park, Melbourne | 1983 | Open | Head on top of Spider designed by children's book author Leigh Hobbs in 2001. Ride modified to enable all the arms to load and unload simultaneously. [54] | |
Willie the Whale | Bulgy the Whale | Michael's Amusements (Showman) | Unknown | Open | [55] | |
Bullet | Loop-O-Plane | Miracle Strip Amusement Park | Unknown | 2004 | This ride was sold to Sylvan Beach, New York's Amusement Park after Miracle Strip permanently closed, but later transformed into a Rock-O-Plane . [44] | |
Spider | Monster | Modern Midways (Showman) | Unknown | Open | ||
Rock-O-Plane | Rock-O-Plane | Oaks Amusement Park | Unknown | Open | ||
Spider | Spider | Oaks Amusement Park | Unknown | Open | ||
Ahuna Thrill Ride, The | Octopus | Pacific Ocean Park | Unknown | Closed | Originally named Mrs. Squid. Dual Tub Octopus with a squid decor in the center. [56] | |
Mr. Octopus | Octopus | Pacific Ocean Park | Unknown | Closed | [56] | |
Unknown | Spider | Race City PCB | Unknown | Unknown | ||
Bulgy the Whale | Bulgy the Whale | Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk | Unknown | Open | [57] | |
Monster | Monster | Silverwood | Unknown | Closed | Replaced by Trabant. | |
Black Dragon | Monster | Six Flags AstroWorld | 1968 | 1977 | [58] | |
Jolly Monster | Monster | Six Flags Magic Mountain | 1973 | 1981 | [59] | |
Spider | Spider | Six Flags New England | 1968 | 2006 | ||
Crazy Legs | Monster | Six Flags Over Texas | 1973 | 1982 | [60] | |
MoMo the Monster | Monster | Six Flags St. Louis | 1973 | 1994 | Replaced by River View Racer. [61] | |
Bulgy the Whale | Bulgy the Whale | Skerbeck Family Carnival (Showman) | Unknown | Open | [62] | |
Monster | Monster | Sunshine Amusements (Showman) | Unknown | 1988 | Crashed during 1988 Broward County Fair, causing a fatality. After the incident, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission asked all owners and operators of Monster attractions to perform metallurgical inspection of their rides. [63] [64] | |
Rock-O-Plane | Rock-O-Plane | Sylvan Beach Amusement Park | Unknown | Open | [65] | |
Bomber | Roll-O-Plane | Sylvan Beach Amusement Park | Unknown | Open | [65] | |
Bulgy the Whale | Bulgy the Whale | Tinkertown Family Fun Park | Unknown | Open | [66] | |
Rock-O-Planes | Rock-O-Plane | Upper Clements Parks | Unknown | 2019 | [67] | |
Monster | Monster | Valleyfair | 1977 | Open | Using the former Octopus at Worlds of Fun for spare parts. [68] [69] | |
Bulgy the Whale | Bulgy the Whale | Wade Shows (Showman) | Unknown | Open | [70] | |
Octopus | Octopus | Whalom Park | Unknown | Closed | ||
Funnel Web | Spider | Wonderland Sydney | 1985 | 1989 | Removed and placed in storage; current whereabouts unknown. | |
Octopus | Monster | Worlds of Fun | 1973 | 2014 | Originally named Oriental Octopus, then later Tailspinner. Ride was absent from park for 1997 season, but returned in 1998 with new cars. Its pieces are currently used for Monster at Valleyfair. [69] | |
Guppies | Bulgy the Whale | Wyandot Lake | Unknown | 2006 | ||
Barracuda | Rock-O-Plane | Wyandot Lake | Unknown | 1999 | ||
Black Squid | Spider | Wyandot Lake | Unknown | 2006 | ||
Little Racers | Midge-O-Racer | Playland, Fresno, CA | 1955 | Open | Ride was one of the originals when Rotary Playland opened in 1955 on the SW corner of Roeding Park in Fresno, CA. It was called "Midge-O-Racer" but the name was changed to "Little Racers" after a generous donation from a local car dealership. | |
Rock-O-Plane | Rock-O-Plane | Thomas Amusements (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada) | Unknown | Seasonal | [71] |
Eyerly Aircraft Company continued to produce amusement rides until 1985. [72] A fatal accident occurred at the Broward County Fair in Florida in 1988, when an arm (carrying four rider baskets) of a Monster ride snapped along an existing crack that had been painted over years before, and had then been missed in inspections. [73] A 17-year-old girl died of head injuries when the basket she was riding in collided with another as it fell to the ground, and at least six others were injured. [73] [74] A wrongful death lawsuit was brought against the ride's owner and county fair operator for failure to properly inspect and reinforce the ride, despite Eyerley's warning bulletins recommending maintenance. [75] [74] Following the lawsuit against the operator, Eyerly Aircraft's insurance premiums increased and became unaffordable; the company filed for bankruptcy and closed in 1990. [72] The rights to their rides were later purchased by Oregon Rides Inc. [6]
Lee Ulrich Eyerly was an American civil aviation pioneer and amusement ride manufacturer.
Lakeside Amusement Park is a family-owned amusement park in Lakeside, Colorado, adjacent to Denver. Opened in 1908, it is the oldest amusement park in Colorado still operating in its original location, and is the lone remaining American amusement park to have had the name White City. The park, comprising nearly half of the Town of Lakeside that it was responsible for creating in 1907, features the landmark Tower of Jewels.
Tilt-A-Whirl is a flat ride similar to the Waltzer in Europe, designed for commercial use at amusement parks, fairs, and carnivals, in which it is commonly found. The rides are manufactured by Larson International of Plainview, Texas.
Lake Winnepesaukah, commonly known as Lake Winnie, is an amusement park located in Rossville, Georgia, on the south of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Carl and Minette Dixon opened the park to over 5,000 guests on June 1, 1925. They named it after the Native American word Winnepesaukah, meaning "bountiful waters" or "beautiful lake of the highlands". The park originally featured the largest swimming pool in the southeastern United States, which debuted in 1926 and was later removed. Its Boat Chute attraction, designed by Carl Dixon and opened in 1927, is the oldest mill chute water ride of its kind still operating in the United States.
The Monster is an amusement ride manufactured by Eyerly Aircraft Company. The ride spins while moving up and down at a slow pace. Each car spins while giant arms move up and down in a circular motion. Riders may experience the feeling of weightlessness when going in the air and coming back down to ground level.
The Octopus is a type of amusement ride in the shape of an octopus. Six to eight arms attached to a central axis of rotation and move up and down in a wavelike motion via a counter rotating eccentric, while cars at the end of the arms, either attached directly to the arm or fixed on spinning crosses, spin freely or stay in place, depending on the exact type of ride. Each Octopus ride has the arms attached the middle of the ride. The middle or centric of the ride will move somehow. Most octopus rides require guests to be at least 42 inches to ride without an adult; smaller children must have an adult with them. This is a regular at the annual AGS and AHS fairs in Ateneo de Manila University
Fun Spot Amusement Park & Zoo was an amusement park located in Angola, Indiana. Although it was small in comparison to parks in neighboring states, such as Cedar Point and Michigan's Adventure, it remained one of the largest parks in the region. It also once boasted the only operating roller coaster (Afterburner) with an inversion in the state of Indiana, until Steel Hawg at Indiana Beach opened in 2008. The park closed in 2008.
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an American amusement and water park located in Dorneyville, Pennsylvania with an Allentown mailing address. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, the park features 64 rides, including six roller coasters, other adult and children's rides, and a waterpark, Wildwater Kingdom, with 19 water rides.
The Scrambler, Twist, Twister, Cha Cha, Sizzler, or Merry Mixer, is an amusement ride in which suspended riders spinning in cars experience centrifugal force, while spinning along two separate axes. Riders are seated in small carriages clustered together and connected by beams at the top to a central point. The clustered vehicles are spun in one direction, while the ride as a whole spins in the opposite direction. There are a number of variations of the design.
The Troika is an amusement park ride designed and manufactured by HUSS Park Attractions in the mid-1970s. The name Troika means "group of three" in Russian, a reference to its three armed design. There are several variations on the design.
Fabbri Group is an Italian amusement rides manufacturer based in Calto, Italy. They are known for producing a number staple attractions for both amusement parks and funfairs, such as the Booster and the Kamikaze Explorer.
The Rock-O-Plane is an amusement park ride designed by Lee Eyerly in 1948 and manufactured by the Eyerly Aircraft Company of Salem, Oregon.
The Loop-O-Plane is an amusement park ride that originated in America. It was invented by Lee Eyerly and manufactured by the Eyerly Aircraft Company of Salem, Oregon, in 1933. The ride was immediately popular with customers and became a staple of amusement parks.
Flying Scooters, also known simply as Flyers, is an amusement ride consisting of a center post with ride vehicles suspended from arms attached to the center post. The ride dates back to the 1930s and 1940s when Bisch-Rocco manufactured the ride. In the early 2000s, Larson International revived the concept. In the early 2010s, Larson partnered with Majestic Manufacturing, Inc. to create a portable version of the ride.
The Roll-O-Plane, also known as the Bullet is an amusement park ride that originated in America. It was invented by the Eyerly Aircraft Company of Salem, Oregon, as an updated and more exciting version of the Loop-O-Plane. The ride is commonly nicknamed the "Salt and Pepper Shakers".
Miracle Strip at Pier Park was an amusement park in Panama City Beach, Florida, owned by Miracle Strip Carousel, LLC. The original Miracle Strip closed in 2004 after 41 years of operation, but a new amusement park using the same name was resurrected and began with moving the carousel from its original location to Pier Park in March 2009. After the success of the carousel, the few remaining rides were purchased and moved as well, opening in March 2010. This retro park reopened with a few new rides, games and food vendors on a much larger 14-acre tract on April 18, 2014. The park closed in 2015. Many of the rides permanently moved to Lake Winnepesaukah.
Frank Hrubetz & Co., Inc. was an American manufacturer of amusement park flat rides. Established in 1939, the company was located near the Salem, Oregon airport. It sold both trailer-mounted and permanent model rides to theme parks throughout the world. Models included the Meteor, Paratrooper, Round Up, and Tip Top. In 1968, the company's estimated business brought in over $1.5 million and its plant space was 25,000 square feet. By the early 1970s, Hrubetz was selling 60 rides each year, making it the second largest manufacturer of amusement rides in the United States. They closed their manufacturing doors in 1992.
North American Midway Entertainment, LLC (NAME) is an American provider of midway services based in Farmland, Indiana that describes itself as "the world's largest traveling outdoor amusement park." NAME provides rides, games and food to over 15 million fairgoers every year in 20 states and 4 Canadian provinces. In 2018, NAME was recognized as the leading midway provider to the top 50 fairs in North America.
Bulgy the Whale is a children's amusement ride manufactured by Eyerly Aircraft Company. It consists of eight whale-shaped ride vehicles traveling in a counter-clockwise rotation, similar to a carousel, while traveling up and down small hills. Although the Eyerly Aircraft Company ceased operation in the 1980s, there are still several Bulgy the Whale rides in operation. Some have had their whales repainted to resemble fish instead of whales, and others have had thematic pieces added, but the general operation and idea remains the same.
Monster is a steel inverted roller coaster at Gröna Lund in Stockholm, Sweden. The coaster was manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard and is the park's largest investment to date, which a price tag of 450 million Swedish krona. Development and construction of the coaster took several years, and a third of the park was redesigned to accommodate it. Monster opened to the public on June 2, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)