Eyerly's Contributions To Amusement Rides Still Evident On Carnival Midways

Through his interest in airplanes, Army Air Corps veteran Jack Eyerly produced several portable amusement rides that became, and still are, mainstays on modern carnival midways.

Eyerly, 83, died in early June in Salem, Ore. His son, Jon Eyerly, 60, worked for his father and is now in his sixth year with Ron Burback's Funtastic Shows in Portland, Ore.

Jack's father, Lee Eyerly, started Eyerly Aircraft in the 1930s. "What my grandfather contributed to the business was the creation of the one-truck ride," said Jon Eyerly.

Jack Eyerly took over in 1948.

The family started making rides after converting a device used to train pilots in instrument flying into an attraction complete with stick, rudder and pedals.

"I guess you could call it the first simulator," Jon Eyerly told AB.

"It had an electric motor with a propeller. The back part would rotate. The cross shaft moved it up or down and the yolk [foundation] was on a spindle, moving left or right."

Eyerly Aircraft built 60 of those rides before creating the Loop-O-Plane, Octopus, Roll-O-Plane and Fly-O-Plane. In 1949, the Rock-O-Plane debuted.

"During that same period, we developed two kiddie rides, Bulgy the Whale and the Midgeo Racer. My dad was also working on the Monster, a large, six-armed, 24-passenger ride."

The Monster was first featured at the World's Fair in Seattle in 1962, moving on to New York and the 1964 World's Fair. "At that time, it was considered a super major."

In 1968, Eyerly started production of the Spider, a variation of the Octopus and Monster.

"The Octopus device became a standard for the industry. There are very few midways where you will not see that ride. It's the same with the Tilt-A-Whirl."

Jon Eyerly took over the business in 1986 during the height of the liability insurance crisis. He relinquished the reins in 1991 and the company became Oregon Rides.

"There's a lot of history there," he said.