Rock-o-Plane

Following on from last week’s post about UFO, this week’s post features another short-lived ride of the early 1980s - Rock-o-Plane.

Rock-o-Plane at Pleasure Beach in June 1982. 
Reproduced with permission of the University of Sheffield.

At first glance the ride looks like a big wheel. The ride experience is rather more intense though, as the enclosed caged cars, which can each seat two people, are free to spin. Each car has a brake in the form of a hand wheel, which controls how freely the car moves, so riders can control the intensity of the ride for themselves. If the brake is applied and released at particular points, the car will tumble upside down on it’s way round.

The ride was invented by Lee Eyerley in 1947. His company, Eyerley Aircraft Company, based in Salem, Oregon, USA, manufactured the first rides. Eyerley set up the company in 1930 intent on manufacturing flight simulators, although their first model, later named Orientator, proved so popular as a pay-per-ride amusement attraction that the company shifted its focus to amusement rides. It built rides until 1985. 

Rock-o-Planes were first imported to the UK during the 1980s and the ride at Pleasure Beach was one example. It only operated at Pleasure Beach for two seasons, in 1982 and 1983, before it was sold to UK showman Swales Bibby. It is still in the UK with showman Gavin Oates, although it is currently in storage. Other British examples were modified to replace each of the caged gondolas with a pair of forward-facing seats, for a really different ride experience. Many still travel fairs and carnivals in the USA.