Eyerly Aircraft Company


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 that occurred on a ride built by the company.

Aircraft manufacturing

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 first was the Whiffle Hen, a plane which only burned two US gallons of fuel per hour of flight. The second was 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. The Orientator was produced commercially and eventually renamed the Acroplane.

Amusement rides

A salesman approached Eyerly about selling them to carnivals and parks as an amusement ride after noticing several Acroplanes 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. Eyerly developed and patented numerous amusement rides which would become staples of carnival midways, including The Loop-O-Plane, the Roll-O-Plane, the Fly-O-Plane and the Rock-O-Plane. Perhaps their most popular design was the Octopus, 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.
Although Eyerly’s manufacturing business became amusement rides, the name of the company remained Eyerly Aircraft Company.
A partial list of the Eyerly Aircraft Company rides and their locations follows.
NameModelParkOpenClosedDetails
Monster1962 Seattle World's FairAppears similar to a Monster, but only had 5 arms instead of the typical 6.
Rock-O-PlaneRock-O-PlaneAll Star Adventures
SpiderSpiderAll Star Adventures
SpiderSpiderAll Star Amusements
Freddie the FishBulgy the WhaleArnolds Park
Rock-O-PlaneRock-O-PlaneArnolds ParkUnknownOpen
Roll-O-PlaneRoll-O-PlaneArnolds ParkUnknownOpen
SpiderSpiderArnolds ParkUnknownClosed
Rock-O-PlaneRock-O-PlaneBig Amusements
Monster!MonsterBlackpool Pleasure Beach1968
Dragon LoopsLoop-O-PlaneBlue Sky Amusements
Killer WhalesBulgy the WhaleBoardwalk Amusements 2017Trailer mounted; new whale vehicles.
Monstrous MambaMonsterBusch Gardens Tampa1976After removal the ride was sold for scrap.
OctopusOctopusC&L Shows
LobsterMonsterCalifornia's Great America1976
SpiderSpiderCamden ParkRemoved after incident hospitalized three riders.
FuryMonsterCanada's Wonderland1981Originally named Shiva's Fury. Sat in storage after removal. Ultimately sent to Kings Island for spare part usage on their similar Monster.
Black WidowMonsterCarowinds1973Originally named The Witch Doctor. Relocated within park in 1977. Replaced with Cinema 180.
SpiderSpiderCastle Park
MonsterMonsterCedar Point1970Refurbished in 2014 alongside renovated Gemini Midway.
MonsterMonsterConey Island 1968Relocated to Kings Island after park closure.
Rock-O-PlanesRock-O-PlaneConey Island 2007Relocated from LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park. Following removal, listed for sale on Rides4U for $19,000.
Clown FishBulgy the WhaleDeggeller Attractions, Inc.
WhalesBulgy the WhaleDelGrosso's Amusement Park
MonsterMonsterDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom1995Removed for addition of Dominator in 1998, but refurbished and returned to operation in 2000.
MonsterMonsterEsselWorld
SpiderSpiderFun Spot America Theme Parks
Black SquidSpiderGeauga Lake1970Relocated to Kings Dominion; sat in storage but never operated.
MonsterMonsterGhost Town Village1992Ride did not reopen with park in 2007.
Bulgy the GoldfishBulgy the WhaleGilroy Gardens
OctopusOctopusHammerl Amusements
MonsterMonsterHersheypark1972Replaced by Tilt-A-Whirl.
Dancer's FishBulgy the WhaleHoliday World & Splashin' SafariPreviously named Salmon Run. Relocated within park for 2014 season.
Paul Revere's Midnight RideSpiderHoliday World & Splashin' Safari1978Originally named Spider Ride. Removed due to dependability issues.
Green MachineLoop-O-PlaneHydro Free Fair1980s
Loop-O-PlaneLoop-O-PlaneIdora Park1936
MonsterMonsterIdora Park1972
Flying OcotpusOctopusIdora Park1938Acquired from Great Lakes Exposition in Cleveland.
Rock-O-PlaneRock-O-PlaneIdora Park1976
SpiderSpiderIdora Park1973
Clown FishBulgy the WhaleJames H. Drew Exposition
SpiderJolly Roger at 30th Street
Loop-O-PlaneKeansburg Amusement Park
Loop-O-PlaneLoop-O-PlaneKennywood
Monongahela MonsterMonsterKennywood1979
Roll-O-PlaneRoll-O-PlaneKennywood1950
MonsterMonsterKings Dominion1975Originally named Bad Apple.
MonsterMonsterKings Island1972Relocated from Coney Island after park closure. Maintained with parts from The Fury at Canada's Wonderland.
Rock-O-PlanesRock-O-PlaneKissel Entertainment
SatelliteRoll-O-PlaneKnoebels Amusement Resort
Bulgy the WhaleBulgy the WhaleLagoon1956
Fly-O-PlaneFly-O-PlaneLake Winnepesaukah2000Ejected two riders in 2016.
MonsterMonsterLakemont Park
OctopusOctopusLakemont Park
Loop-O-PlaneLoop-O-PlaneLakeside Amusement Park
Rock-O-PlanesRock-O-PlaneLeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park1949Received new cars in 1990. Relocated to Coney Island after park closure.
MustekalaMonsterLinnanmäki1979After removal the ride was scrapped and replaced with a similar, more efficient model.
SpiderSpiderLuna Park, Melbourne1983Head 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.
Willie the WhaleBulgy the WhaleMichael's Amusements
BulletLoop-O-PlaneMiracle Strip Amusement ParkThis ride was sold to Sylvan Beach, New York's Amusement Park after Miracle Strip permanently closed, but later transformed into a Rock-O-Plane.
SpiderMonsterModern Midways
Rock-O-PlaneRock-O-PlaneOaks Amusement Park
SpiderSpiderOaks Amusement Park
Ahuna Thrill Ride, TheOctopusPacific Ocean ParkOriginally named Mrs. Squid. Dual Tub Octopus with a squid decor in the center.
Mr. OctopusOctopusPacific Ocean Park
SpiderRace City PCB
Bulgy the WhaleBulgy the WhaleSanta Cruz Beach Boardwalk
MonsterMonsterSilverwoodReplaced by Trabant.
Black DragonMonsterSix Flags AstroWorld1968
Jolly MonsterMonsterSix Flags Magic Mountain1973
SpiderSpiderSix Flags New England1968
Crazy LegsMonsterSix Flags Over Texas1973
MoMo the MonsterMonsterSix Flags St. Louis1973Replaced by River View Racer.
Bulgy the WhaleBulgy the WhaleSkerbeck Family Carnival
MonsterMonsterSunshine Amusements 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.
Rock-O-PlaneRock-O-PlaneSylvan Beach Amusement Park
BomberRoll-O-PlaneSylvan Beach Amusement Park
Bulgy the WhaleBulgy the WhaleTinkertown Family Fun Park
Rock-O-PlanesRock-O-PlaneUpper Clements Parks
MonsterMonsterValleyfair1977Using the former Octopus at Worlds of Fun for spare parts.
Bulgy the WhaleBulgy the WhaleWade Shows
OctopusOctopusWhalom Park
Funnel WebSpiderWonderland Sydney1985Removed and placed in storage; current whereabouts unknown.
OctopusMonsterWorlds of Fun1973Originally 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.
GuppiesBulgy the WhaleWyandot Lake
BarracudaRock-O-PlaneWyandot Lake
Black SquidSpiderWyandot Lake
Little RacersMidge-O-RacerPlayland, Fresno, CA1955OpenRide 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 donationby a local car dealership. It is one of only two rides made by Eyerly that are know to be still running!

Closure

Eyerly Aircraft Company continued to produce amusement rides until 1985. A fatal accident occurred at a Florida fair in 1988, where an arm of an Octopus ride snapped along an existing crack that was paint-covered and missed in inspections. A 17-year-old female died of head injuries when the basket she was riding in collided with another as it fell to the ground. A wrongful death lawsuit was brought against the ride's owner and county fair operator for failure to properly inspect and reinforce the ride. In the wake of the lawsuit, Eyerly Aircraft filed for bankruptcy and closed its doors permanently in 1990. The intellectual property rights to their rides were later purchased by Oregon Rides Inc.