National Fairground Archive

Paratrooper

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Part 1 - Upright Paratroopers

Quick Facts

Manufacturer(s): Ameco, Bennett, Hrubetz (imported), ARM
Debut year: 1960
First UK produced: 1961
Last UK produced: 1985
Total UK number: app 47
Summary: Gentle ride based on a tilted spinning frame with hanging umbrella covered cars. The upright machines suffered from slow loading/unloading.

The Paratrooper ride established itself as a fairground favourite throughout the 1960s and 1970s, offering an exciting aerial ride with a comfortable rather than white-knuckle experience. The history of the ride splits into two discernible chapters – the upright versions and the later lifting versions, though these two histories are interlinked in many ways. Some upright machines were converted to lifting versions, whilst the lifting version bought about a general re-theming of the ride and an introduction of the term Skydiver to the UK fairground.

AMECO announced the first UK based Paratrooper in World's Fair at the end of 1960, and ran constant adverts for the machine throughout 1961. These adverts expressed that only 12 machines were licensed to be built, and always gave a list of pending owners – describing them as the jet-set of the fairground community. The photograph of the Paratrooper in the advertisements was always the Blackpool machine, and the Pleasure Beach seemed to have some dealings with the company in the same way that they had been tied up with the design and manufacture of Dive Bombers and Octopus through the Lusse company. This first machine debuted in Blackpool in Summer 1960, and actually took the plot that the Dive Bomber had occupied for over 20 years. It was a standard AMECO design with 10 cars, and was marketed as quite a debonair ride for the period.

AMECO kept to their promise of delivering no more than 12 machines, these all being manufactured between 1961 and 1963. The machine proved a winner, provoking various clones, but its eventual demise came through the introduction of the Lifting Paratrooper. However, many of the original 12 still remain. The first machine, after spending 10 years on the Pleasure Beach, travelled briefly in Lancashire with L. Silcock and Joe White, before being purchased by David Cole (who is believed to still have the ride packed up). The second machine set the trend for many others, being bought for a park and then moving on to a travelling life: it spent a brief time in Belle Vue, then Botton's park at Great Yarmouth, before a long tenure with John Collins – subsequent owners included Knightly, Darren Stanley and Braden Holland. Machine number three was bought for Dreamland, but this was converted to an upright by Wards in 1974, and sold to Marshall Herbert. Machine number four was new to Porthcawl before joining the Lancashire Paratroopers regiment under the ownership of S. J. Cubbins – later owners included Jack Strand, Charlie Cotton, Albert Hart and Gary Bradley – the latter owner breaking the ride up for parts. The fifth machine again went to a park and replaced a Dive Bomber, being operated by Corrigans at their small park at Scarborough – 20 years on the park was followed by a string of travelling owners and the machine is now operated by Barry Hudson in Ireland. Paratrooper number six was new to the Greatorex family, and after a few changes in ownership is now in non-guild operation. Number seven was new to Morecambe and had a spell travelling with Chris Morris before a burn out in 1990. The eighth Paratrooper was new for the Kursaal Park, and after various owners is now in non-guild ownership. Number nine was new to J. Wallis and had a string of owners in the Lancashire section before settling with current owner Gary Bradley. Colin Noble bought Paratrooper number ten, and this machine was later exported after travelling with Keith Turner and C. Stokes. The last two Paratroopers were bought by Battersea Park and Arthur Price – the Battersea machine being later owned by Stanworths, Jones, Alldays (Barmouth), Frank Hall junior, before entering into non-guild ownership, whilst the Price machine is now travelled by William Holden.

Jones' Paratrooper (ex Battersea) photographed in 1986

Joe White's Paratrooper - the ex-Blackpool original machine - 1978

The first of the rival machines was quickly assembled for Douglas Codona, this machine being the first to travel, and making a well announced debut for Hull fair in 1960. The story goes that Douglas had considered ordering an AMECO machine, but couldn't afford the waiting period, so (after videoing the operation of the Blackpool machine with the help of a Maxwells draughtsman) commenced building his own machine. This machine was a one-off that later had problems due to the circumference being slightly too small, and was quickly sold to Aberavon Park, before a brief spell travelling with George Godden in the late 1960s (exported around 1967). Its spell at Aberavon proved important, since the manufacturing firm of Ivan Bennett had a hand in the park and soon commenced manufacture of their version of the Paratrooper.

Aberavon Park, 1963

Codona's machine travelling.

Bennetts made a handful of 10 car Upright Paratroopers before establishing themselves as market leaders with the lifting version, though the early history of these Bennett machines is not clearly established. The debut machine for Norman Print was made in 1963, and this machine is still with its original owner. Stevens had a model built in 1964, which quickly passed through the Chadwick, Anderson, Crick, Pratley, Price and Booth families before its purchase by Henry Scarrott. Charlie Phillips had a machine that quickly passed to B. Cole, D. Mott, Sailor Joe White and finally the Hiscoe family who converted to their Tempest lifting ride. Another machine was built for Jimmy Graham, later owned by G. Morrison and Rueben Slater, whilst a machine built for Porthcawl was purchased by Matt Taylor. This latter machine was instrumental in Matt and Doug establishing the UK's first lifting machine. The chain of owners for other Bennett machines is more difficult to trace – a problematic machine spent a brief period with George Lowe at Crimdon Dene before a return to the manufacturers around 1967, and early postcards suggest a possible machine at Skegness Butlins in the mid 60s with a for sale note in WF at the start of 1969. This could well have been the machine opened by J.G. Botton and later travelled by Tom Cooper, Cullens, McCauley (both Ireland), J. Holmes, G. Rogers and Alfred Miller.

Print's Paratrooper in 1964.

Michael Thompson's Bennett machine, 1990s.

Other manufacturers came in to play later on, but the market had started to dwindle. Jacksons made only one machine – new to Roy Cubbins as early as 1961 but quickly passing to Albert Manning and then Derek Rogers at Southend (currently in store with John Chipperfield). The Webb family had a 12 car version made by Lyle Engineering around 1980 (current whereabouts unknown), whilst a company called Sheffield Engineering built an ingenious 12 car machine for A. Ball in 1981 (this machine passed to H. Smith, W. Gallagher and Terry Wright before crossing over to Ireland). Modern Products made three distinctive machines in the late 1970s – for Alf Ball, Fred Warwick and C. White.

Albert Manning's Jackson Paratrooper, 1968

Webb's strange machine, 1980.

Johnny Fry's 'Sheffield Engineering' built machine, 2001.

Fred Warwick's distinctive Modern Products Paratrooper, 1978.

A handful of Hrubetz machines were imported, with some of these utilising the rim drive mechanism. Benny Irvin took the first (passing to Herchers after a long spell in Ireland), R. Dailey took the second (current whereabouts unknown), the Green family took one (still in their ownership), a well travelled machine was taken by Albie Rogers, whilst rim drive versions were taken by Dobsons and Tom Smith. Following these rim drive machines were three versions manufactured by ARM – David Manning, Swaley Smith and Benny Irvin.

Dobson's Hrubetz machine, 1983.

Remaining machines include a Chance version imported by William Thurston in 1979 (later with James Holland), a Bakker 12 car machine imported by Charles Appleton in 1981 (since scrapped), another 12 car machine imported by David Bishton in 1978 (since exported), a 12 car machine travelled for many years by Searles (later with Paul Day, then at various seaside resorts), and finally a 10 car machine built by Harry Steers for L. Silcock at Blackpool in 1981 which survived for only a few months before re-emerging as a lifting version.

David Bishton's 12-car machine, 1984.

Searle's 12-car machine, 1985.

Part 2 - Lifting Paratroopers

Quick Facts

Manufacturer(s): Bennett, Maxwell, Franklin, Hrubetz (imported)
Debut year: 1971
First UK produced: 1971
Last UK produced: 1987
Total UK number: app 70
Summary: The use of hydraulics created a more thrilling ride and the ability to load / unload in a singular operation. This ease of throughput made the ride popular with the showmen, and saw the early rides develop a strong visual identity of massed light bulbs, setting the trend for other 1980s rides.

The story goes that Matt and Doug Taylor spotted a Lifting Paratrooper on a visit to one of the big German fairs, and saw the obvious advantages of the quick turnaround in loading/unloading, and the added thrill for the riders in actually lifting from a ground-level position. A self-built machine was constructed in 1971 using a borrowed frame from their upright machine, with a new frame constructed the following season (allowing them to operate both their upright and lifting machines). This debutant scoop was in the character of the enterprising and resourceful Taylor family, and the initial machine had a cog-drive taken from a cement-mixer. Later modifications included a rim-drive followed by a hydraulic rim-drive, making it an early totally hydraulic machine. This original machine travelled later with the Graham family and was recently operated by Rodney Johnstone.

Under the ownership of Grahams, Largs, 1987.

Still going strong in 2001.

Bennetts quickly established themselves as the builders of these machines, though their prototype model was a 12 car machine for a Swedish customer. This machine came back to home soil and, since 1987, has been operating at Bridlington seafront and Seaburn amusement park. The Bennett machine has a distinct style, and machines were quickly built for a number of clients – most of these sold for travelling. Approximately 23 of these 10 car machines were built, with around 14 still active on the mainland and a further 5 in Ireland. The abundance of lighting became part of the spectacle, and showmen such as James Mellors quickly established the Skydiver as a big-hitter.

Mellors' Skydiver, 1983, superbly lit.

Ronnie Bentley's Paratrooper leaves the Bennetts factory.

The last machines were built around 1980/1 and by now they had evolved to include a tubular boom and the more thematic Paraglider hoods. Bennetts remained fairly unchallenged in their dominance of the market, though seven machines were built by famous manufacturer Maxwells between 1972 and 1980. These were large and heavy 12 car machines that featured intricate centre arrangements and a more square style car with stud lights. Operators of Maxwell machines were Bottons Skegness (still in the park and an excellent machine), Pat Evans of Porthcawl (now owned by the Murray family in Ireland), Clacton Pier (still present), Doubtfire (now Anderton and Rowland), Bottons Great Yarmouth, Belle Vue (now at Mablethorpe) and finally Anthony Harris famous Paraglider.

Tony Murray's Maxwell Paratrooper.

Anthony Harris' Paratrooper - as new - 1980.

Harry Steers built two machines – a rebuild of an upright went towards Martin Jennings clockwise turning Paratrooper and George Guyatt bought one in 1981. Three 12 car machines were built by Franklins in 1977/8 – for Stanley Thurston, J. Rowland and J. Remblance (now in Ireland), and the only other home-built Skydivers were the converted upright at Margate Dreamland, a machine travelled briefly by the Hickey family, Spencer Hiscoe's conversion and a Dudley Bowers built clockwise turning machine now resident in Ireland with the Hudson family.

Barry Hudson's Franklin machine, 2004.

Hiscoe's uniquely converted 'Tempest', 2004.

John Turbett's finely turned out machine, 2003.

Post 1980 Skydivers were generally imported Hrubetz machines, with many of these going in to parks. Approximately 13 of these smart machines have operated over here, with the following still evident up to recent years: Johnny Cook (Hunstanton), Gary Marshall (South Shields), Cameron McKay, Richard Smith, Wickstead Park, Butlins (Skegness), Pleasure Island (Cleethorpes) and Baron Cohen. In addition there are Irish machines owned by Warner Wilders (ex Stokes and Portobello) and Caseley (ex Rose, Barker, Crole and Scarrott). The only other European import appears to be a 12 car machine sighted in various Butlins camps, with an example apparently still active at Bognor Regis.

Morecambe's 1981 import, sold later to the Stanworth family.

For an updated and expanded version of this article please see the Fairground Mercury issues 28/1 and 28/2.