Richdent13
Thursday, June 24, 2010 9:53:29 AM
Does anyone still have a Ski Jump? I've also heard them called "Flying Coasters," although I've also heard some people claim that was a different ride. The last one I saw was on the Gooding's midway around 1971. It seems to be one of those once-common rides that just vanished overnight.
Flying Coaster
Thursday, June 24, 2010 9:58:35 AM
Same ride, the only remaining operable one in the states is the Kangaroo at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, PA. There may be one or two rusting away in the weeds in someones lot, but I don't know of any.
All Skywheels should be yeller.
Flying Coaster
Thursday, June 24, 2010 5:42:17 PM
Here's a video of it operating. Doesn't have quite the same effect as the gas powered one I used to ride, but a very nice ride.

http://www.joyrides.com/kennywood/kangaroo.htm 
http://www.nfa.dept.shef...story/rides/coaster.html 
Here's a video of one in Australia-


All Skywheels should be yeller.
Bill P
  •  Bill P
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  • Operations Foreman
Thursday, June 24, 2010 5:53:52 PM
Waldameer park in Erie, PA had one until about 1993. Saw parts of it in their backlot a couple years later but that was before they built the big new coaster back there.

Strates ran a Flying Coaster thru the 1979 season.
Flying Coaster
Friday, June 25, 2010 1:48:59 AM
Last one I saw was on the south side of Kankakee, IL in about 1983 or so. May have been Dennis Wall's.
All Skywheels should be yeller.
Benjibear
Friday, June 25, 2010 2:37:50 AM
That one from Australia looks awesome.

Didn't a domestic manufacturer come out with something similar a few years ago?
It is what you learn, after you know it all, that counts.
Flying Coaster
Friday, June 25, 2010 3:19:07 AM
Majestic Catch-N-Air.
All Skywheels should be yeller.
Sue
  •  Sue
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  • Operations Foreman
Friday, June 25, 2010 3:23:06 AM
I've ridden the one at Kennywood and it is a fun ride. Lots of air time, it gives a much better ride than the Majestic repro but at least they tried.
Does the one at Kennywood look like it has a higher dropoff than the one in the Australian video?
here's 2 pics I took:
http://www.flickr.com/ph...n/set-72157600682103878/ 
http://www.flickr.com/ph...n/set-72157600682103878/ 
Did Eyerly make this? I didn't think so but the one in Australia says Eyerly, I am assuming they mean the mfg.
I found info online that Norman Bartlett? was the mfg of the one at Kennywood.
Flying Coaster
Friday, June 25, 2010 3:50:58 AM
Norman Bartlett was the inventor of the ride. It was built by Aeroaffiliates Corp. Versions were also built by Lowell Stapf of Amarillo Texas, and Lang Wheels. Still other slightly different versions were built by Mack and Pollard. I've heard that Eyerly may have had a hand in the center unit at some point. The Aussie one has some sort of "catch ramp" after the hill, (possibly for safety reasons in case an air damper were to fail) giving the illusion that it's not as high.
And yes, it's a fun ride, old school iron at its finest.
Victor Canfield has a page on it with info, I don't have a link though. Maybe he'll chime in.
All Skywheels should be yeller.
Benjibear
Friday, June 25, 2010 3:53:57 AM
The australian one looks like it has a ramp where Kennywoods just drops off to the ground. Probably for safety reasons.
It is what you learn, after you know it all, that counts.
Carnie_Joe930
Friday, June 25, 2010 8:05:47 AM
Harley Wentzel(Wentzel's Amazements) had a few of them. He usually kept one on the road and used the others to savage parts.
Bill P
  •  Bill P
  • 81.66% (Honored)
  • Operations Foreman
Friday, June 25, 2010 8:22:55 PM
Somebody said Bartlett used Eyerly Octopus centers for his Flying Coasters.
Flying Coaster
Saturday, June 26, 2010 5:34:45 AM
Quote:

quote:


Originally posted by Sue

I've ridden the one at Kennywood and it is a fun ride. Lots of air time, it gives a much better ride than the Majestic repro but at least they tried.




The Catch-N-Air was a nice looking ride, the double sided ramp allowed for reverse movement and trailer mounting it was a great idea because the F.C. was kind of a pig to move. I think the air time was really what made the F.C. though, such a simple concept but very cool and with today's pneumatics and hydraulics it's a shame it wasn't incorporated into the Majestic ride. I'd still like to ride one of them though, just none around here.
All Skywheels should be yeller.
vcanfield
Saturday, June 26, 2010 2:21:23 PM
http://www.personal.psu.edu/vac3/flying.html 

It's more park- than carnival oriented. Since the main source was Billboard, information post 1960 is sparse. The page hasn't been updated since Google Books added Billboard (1942-1960).
Casino1
Monday, June 28, 2010 6:18:53 AM
As Carnie Joe said Harley Wenzel of Wenzels Amazements has a couple.
He had one out on his route till about 1990. I used to up and down that one in the mid 80's. It was a gas motor job and we used to call it the flying greaseball. It was a fun ride to run except for a few quarks. No matter where you stopped it one of the tubs would be on the jump. So you either had to run an empty tub, load the other tubs and move the ride so you could load the last tub that was on the jump. Or like Harley had us doing, have the customers get up on a chair so they could crawl up in the tub. The tubs on that ride were huge. You could pack the largest pair of land whales or a half dozen kids in one. I don't think I ever saw any one get off that ride without a smile on their faces, every one loved it. As far as upping and downing it. All I can say is every one is allowed to be a sucker once, what a nightmare. They don't call that show Wenzels Amazements for nothing. I was always amazed that show went up and down with out killing any one.