What is the History of Chair-o-Planes?

One fairground installation that never fails to draw the admiration of onlookers is the Chair-O-Planes ride. You might know it as the 'chair swing ride', or perhaps the 'chair carousel' or 'wave swinger', but whatever name it goes by, the design is a classic: a giant carousel that rises dozens of metres into the air, hung with chairs on chains. Pop yourself into one of the chairs, strap in, and enjoy the sensation of flight as the whole thing rotates at speed. It's a beloved experience that thrills whilst still feeling totally safe - even relaxing!

But when did this amusement park staple first lift off? It might surprise you to know that the modern amusement park has its roots in medieval fairs, going way back to the 1100s. Over time, by the Victorian Age, the fair became a place of fun and entertainment, complete with magic tricks and acrobatics - not too dissimilar to the funfairs of today. Find out more about the history of funfairs here!

The Earliest Chair O Planes

But what we're really interested in are the funfair rides - particularly the traditional Chair-O-Plane. We can trace its ancestors back to to those modernised Victorian fairs, where new mechanical carousels were beginning to prove very popular. The merry-go-rounds we know and love today were actually inspired by jousting tournaments that took place hundreds of years ago, with knights galloping in circles whilst playing catch!

But where do flying chairs come into all of this? Reminiscent of something from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the Chair-O-Planes were designed back in 1904 by the inventor Harry Guy Traver. At that time, as leaps were being made in aerial technology, the sensation of flight was a tantalising promise. After all, the Wright brothers had made their famous first flight only a few months previously, in December 1903. The public just couldn't wait to experience life in the air!

And so the new 'Traver Circle Swing' brought that very experience to them. It looks very precarious compared to the slick and secure carousels of the present day, but by all accounts the public loved the ride, and it became a fixed feature of amusement parks for the rest of the 20th century - and right up to today.

Modern Chair O Planes

It wasn't until the 1970s that the first portable set of Chair-O-Planes was designed by Zierer, with a modern version of the funfair ride built by Franz Schwarzkopf in 1972 and a portable version in 1974. Now the possibilities were endless - you could finally bring all the flying fun of the fair right to your own doorstep. As astronauts walked on the Moon, passenger planes approached the speed of sound, and jets achieved accelerations once thought impossible, the Chair-O-Plane ended becoming a much gentler pursuit. By staying the same it managed to adapt perfectly to our joy-seeking needs - the mark of a true design classic. For different reasons, down the decades and across the generations, it has always managed to remain an absolute favourite for the millions that visit amusement parks every day.