UFO

UFO was an unusual ride, built by Spanish manufacturer Robles Bouso, that operated at Pleasure Beach for only two seasons in 1982 and 1983. It was located south of the Scenic Railway.

The ride concept developed from the Enterprise, which itself was developed during the 1970s. Eight gondolas, each seating two people, one in front of the other, were arranged in a ring which spun, pinning riders into their seats by centrifugal force, as the cars swung outward on pivots. Enterprise rides use a hydraulic arm to lift the ring of spinning cars nearly vertical. UFO went a step further and the ring of cars was mounted on an arc of track and driven from one side to the other and back again.

UFO ride at Pleasure Beach. This photograph was taken on 15 August 1983.
Reproduced by permission of the University of Sheffield.

After it’s time at Pleasure Beach and a season at Hayling Island the following year, the ride toured Britain’s fairs, firstly with Freddie Rose, then with the Rose Brothers. Unfortunately, the ride was not a success. It had a large footprint for the ride it offered, and was heavy to move and expensive to maintain. It was scrapped during the early nineties. The video below shows one in operation, although it's not clear if any survive today.