Flying Coaster

Botton Brothers had amassed a variety of rides and attractions by the time they took over Pleasure Beach in 1954, thanks to their time catering to fairs across London and the South East. In 1965, they took over Butlin's Grand Parade amusement park in Skegness, which they renamed Botton's Pleasure Beach. This increased their ride collection and rides were regularly moved between Great Yarmouth and Skegness. One ride, which had opened in Skegness in 1962, was called Flying Coaster and this made a short-lived appearance at Great Yarmouth's Pleasure Beach in 1967 and 1968.

The Flying Coaster ride at Pleasure Beach in 1967.
Image reproduced with permission of University of Sheffield.

Flying Coaster was a simple affair. A trailer-mounted central axle had eight radial arms attached with bench-seat cars at the end. The cars were supported by a pneumatic tire which rode on a track which featured a 'jump-hill'. This provided a more abrupt experience than offered by the similar Caterpillar ride, although perhaps less intense overall.

The first machine was built by Aero Affiliates of Texas, US, and imported by Billy Butlin for use in his Skegness amusement park. This is the ride that would go on to operate at Pleasure Beach. Whilst the ride was at Pleasure Beach, Botton Brothers built a small backflash featuring artwork on a skiing theme, and today these rides are commonly known as Ski Jumps, with the term flying coaster applying to a particular type of roller coaster instead. 

Another view of the ride at Pleasure Beach in 1967.
Reproduced with permission of University of Sheffield.

34 of these rides were built in Britain between 1961 and 1984 by companies such as Bennett, Lang Wheels and Maxwell. Some still operate at travelling fairs, although the modern equivalent, the Jump and Smile is now more common. Flying Coaster went back to Skegness in 1969 and operated there until 1973 before travelling UK fairs, which it did until 2008.