Chairoplanes

Chairoplanes

Alton Towers Amusement Park during the 60s

There are few rides that capture the feel of a classic amusement park quite like the Chairoplanes. Offering guests a moment of flight, they might not have been an opening day ride, but by 1965 (or possibly 1964) they had become a star attraction of Brian Collins' amusement park at Alton Towers.

The Chairoplanes originally operated on a site just in front of the Fun House, and moved several times whilst at Alton Towers, but eventually took over a spot in the centre of the Amusement Park, vacated by the Helter Skelter by 1975.

In 1978 it was all change, with many of the longstanding attractions removed from the amusement park to make way for new additions. Along with the neighbouring Gallopers, the Chairoplanes were sold to make way for a short-lived Water Chute that opened in 1979.

But the story didn't end there... after leaving Alton Towers the Chairoplanes went on to tour the UK, but seem to have left circulation at some point in the late 80s. 

In a twist of fate, they were not the last set of swinging chairs to operate in this part of the park. Nearly 30 years later, when Cloud Cuckoo Land opened, the Twirling Toadstools opened on almost exactly the same spot where the Chairoplanes had originally operated in the 1960s.

Attraction Stats


Opened
1965
Closed
1978
Ride Capacity
40

Timeline

1965
Opened in Amusement Park
1978
Closed after 14 seasons
replaced by
Water Chute

Attraction Facts

Type
Chair-o-plane
Opened
1965
Closed
1978