Sky Wheel Review, Belle City Amusements Classic Ferris Wheel | Is This a Thrill Ride?

[@rtfe83able]

Wonderful memories of the Sky Wheel, ride it a lot in the late 70’s Early 80’s at the local carnival.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Glad I finally got to try one.

[@debracarter9935]

Double Ferris Wheels are SOOO much fun!!!!!! They put a tickle in you tummy like no other ride carnival ride.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I wish they were more common.

[@michaelharle722]

This popped up today, so a little behind the times. I rode the Space Wheels (two of these beasts placed side by side) that Royal American Shows toured with back in the early '70's. Great ride. Well worth the price of admission. When you came to the front of the lower wheel just before the arm goes vertical that is quite the arc from near bottom dead centre of the ride to near top dead centre followed by the deceleration experienced as the small wheel rotation counters the continued arm sweep. Great ride. It's smooth. It sways. You experience acceleration and deceleration. And a great view. Great ride.

[@CanobieCoaster]

That sounds cool having 2 side by side.

[@jerryhubbard4461]

In my home town of Columbia South Carolina, I think 1972 at our state fair, they had two side by side. What a beautiful site. I loved riding the Sky Wheel and it for sure my all time favorite ride.

[@marchingbandtakemebythehan1887]

It looks gorgeous! I wish all rides looked like that

[@CanobieCoaster]

The lights were great.

[@markvolpe2305]

I remember Strate's Show has/had one not too long ago and it show up a couple time at my local fair. I think I've been on one when I was very young, but I vaguely remember it.

[@CanobieCoaster]

At least you've been on one. They are so rare.

[@TheKurtsPlaceChannel]

Very entertaining and fun to watch. My ride on one was quite fast. Thanks for posting this.

[@CanobieCoaster]

You're welcome.

[@rlynch1980]

The Strawberry Festival is amazing. Glad you finally made it!

[@CanobieCoaster]

We were glad to experience it.

[@AggroCEC]

I’m not sure where it was but there used to be a supersized version of this, but with the wheels facing upwards like an enterprise and its called the Tumbler from a obscure manufacturer. Cool ride!

[@CanobieCoaster]

That sounds cool.

[@sherryoglesby148]

I first rode a double Ferris wheel in 1969 at a fair in Chattanooga, TN when I was 8 years old. I already loved rides by that age as I spent a lot of time at our local park Lake Winnepesaukah, but I remember being pretty scared. At that same fair, my dad also talked me into riding my first Chance Skydiver and the Zipper, both of which I found REALLY scary. Many years later, Lake Winnie installed a double wheel. Even as a teenager, I still found the double wheel quite the thrill and one of the "creepier" rides around.

[@CanobieCoaster]

It definitely is a bit unnerving, but I like it.

[@Ricardo-x1t1n]

Me too. Same age as you are

[@8bert9]

I remember the zipper too. They changed the name of it to the "chain saw" in the early 1990's at my local state fair. The cages were a little claustrophobic to me but I still loved it. We used to go to the Augusta, GA state fair when I was a kid in the 70's and I have such great memories of going each October. Most of Augusta is in a big valley so when we used to top the hill we could see the fair from about 10 miles away. What great memories for a kid.

[@ricardojunior3118]

As a child i was very scary and now that I’m older I WISH I would have rode this. I hope that I come across it one day.

[@CanobieCoaster]

The Florida Strawberry Festival is the one spot that seems to have one annually.

[@Ricardo-x1t1n]

Me too

[@ricardojunior3118]

@@CanobieCoaster I may have to take a trip down. lol

[@blossom1643]

Oh wow!! This ride sure brings back memories! Me & my Dad use to ride it when I was only 9 years old. It was our special thing at the fair ( Mom wouldn’t go near it) I guess it’s kinda laid back compared to what they have today but it sure was Scary for me!!✌️

[@CanobieCoaster]

It still has some thrills.

[@VinceKeytsman]

i have never seen this ride and now that i see it it actually looks fun

[@CanobieCoaster]

It's quite fun.

[@Ricardo-x1t1n]

If you only knew

[@jerryhubbard4461]

This is the most beautiful ride ever built and it is and was a great ride. So smooth and take you stomach several times each ride. Not being able to board more than 32 people at the time and taking too long to load and unload made the ride less profitable that most of the other rides that can load 40 in 30 seconds. Sad to see it go but I will never forget it.

[@CanobieCoaster]

The loading was unfortunately slow, but I liked the ride experience.

[@8bert9]

Yeah, The double Farris wheel was a great ride imo. Coming over the top when the frame was turning felt like you could be thrown off. It was a blast. They were really popular in the 1970's.

[@llYossarian]

This is the only ride in my life that literally had me screaming at the ride operators to stop and let me off. 10-out-of-10. Would love to ride again.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Lol my wife felt that way.

[@ScottyMania313]

Ilove the Sky Wheel aka the Double Ferris Wheel here in Michigan. It's a rare find like a unicorn, but when you find it, ride it, love it and embrace it. My very first ride on this gem was at Strawberry Festival too, but the Belleville, Michigan. They got this Strawberry pie, delish!

[@micoasters]

That's where I rode it! Do you know who travels with it? I thought I had ridden it at the saline fair, but the belville strawberry festival sounds righ

[@ScottyMania313]

@@micoasters I checked many sites looking for the ride, but to no avail. Sometimes during the Summer, you'll see one or 2 pop upon a random event list. I'll keep my eyes peeled.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Strawberry Festival seems to be the most consistent place to find this ride.

[@DWHardin]

I am so fascinated by the Skywheel that I even ordered an owner's manual from Allan Herschell (from an ad in what was then Carnival Magazine). Imagine my disappointment to find it did not explain how the "boom cable" is threaded so as to turn the boom, nor did it identify the special features of this magnificent device, such as the small "barrel-like" objects affixed on the decks, from which run cables up to the bull wheels (probably to control the tension of the cables running to the bull wheels).

[@CanobieCoaster]

That's a cool purchase.

[@Ricardo-x1t1n]

Me too. It's a marvel.

[@Ricardo-x1t1n]

Wish I had my own

[@cfrankbii9613]

Im an enthusiast, but this is easily The most terrifying thing I've ever been on lol.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I loved it.

[@MrMakoFL]

Oh, I’ve been on a handful of these going back 30 years

[@CanobieCoaster]

I'm glad I got to try one.

[@MrMakoFL]

@@CanobieCoaster BCA is the finest one out there for sure

[@DobieMeltfire]

I was lucky enough to ride on this in Ottawa County Fair in Michigan. I don't recall seeing any single rider restriction back then.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Was it the same company?

[@DobieMeltfire]

@@CanobieCoaster No idea, it was solid green with yellow seats and it has no lighting or decorations. It looked a lot older compared to one seen in this video.

[@Definitely_Diamond]

They took the ride away. Last year (2023) so many people including me and my group noticed the locks not working and we would swing very far backwards almost falling out. It was like leaning back in one of those chairs and going farther back that intending. But we actually went too far back. I loved the ride, that and the ring of fire is gone bc (same year) the ride continued to get stuck upside down. Sadly I was on one time and got stuck for about 1-2 mins upside down.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Took the ride away? I rode it this year.

[@LMJIDDU]

Strawberry Fest is certainly on my bucket list!!!

[@CanobieCoaster]

It was a cool fair.

[@Ricardo-x1t1n]

One of the best ever

[@CanobieCoaster]

I enjoyed it a lot.

[@micoasters]

0:44 will you do a review of the moonraker and the magnum that was at this show?

[@CanobieCoaster]

I don't plan to.

[@kenrutherford1109]

This is a fascinating video

[@CanobieCoaster]

It's a fascinating ride.

[@verybighomer]

Looks great, it is nice to look at and provides great views. It's a pity those rides are disappearing. There are not many rides that combine great views and thrill. Maybe there is some ride engineering company that could come up with a quick loading solution as the general concept of this ride is still not outdated IMHO.

[@CanobieCoaster]

My hope is Zamperla can make a larger and wilder version of their Nebulaz.

[@reanierwesseos7126]

What abour the big ferris wheel that is there as well

[@CanobieCoaster]

I didn't ride it.

[@matthewrobertson95]

Who else remembers this from RCT3?

[@CanobieCoaster]

I do.

[@aldoparise1224]

I believe Cedar Point had one at the front of the park.

[@micoasters]

By the station for they sky way

[@CanobieCoaster]

Very cool! Wish it were still there.

[@Fox_on_a_Rollercoaster]

Man as a german who is used to our heavy duty structures I got kinda scared when I saw the whole structrure of the sky wheel flexing in a twisting direction. Man that looks wonky to say the least. I would feel very uneasy on it, but probably still would give it go xD

[@CanobieCoaster]

My wife felt very uneasy on this lol

[@Fox_on_a_Rollercoaster]

@@CanobieCoasterYeah I bet!^^

[@corbettknowles9942]

Devil Ferris wheels I'm fizzled out over the last 20 years due to the cost of maintenance and most shows will only run their Ferris wheel they won't book other ferris wheels unless it's a major State Fair so for an independent person to own a double ferris wheel it makes it harder to get them booked

[@CanobieCoaster]

I am not surprised they have died out, but it's sad.

[@DWHardin]

@@CanobieCoaster Major carnival companies doing large state fairs should get Drew Exposition to book their Space Wheels (recently restored) at those fairs.

[@clairefunnell8481]

I think it's a really neat ride. Never seen one before. Too cool.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@CanobieCoaster]

They're super rare now.

[@thrillridefreak8884]

The only ride I've been on that's similar to this is a Wisdom Rampage.

[@CanobieCoaster]

That ride looks cool.

[@DWHardin]

@@CanobieCoaster The Rampage (now Wisdom's Stampede) used to be known as the "poor man's Skywheel."

[@tigerrocks503chase8]

Cedar Point had one from 1961-1989

[@CanobieCoaster]

So many have been removed unfortunately.

[@GhostRider50918]

I don’t know lol looks like fun

[@CanobieCoaster]

It was great.

[@GhostRider50918]

@@CanobieCoaster so glad

[@levisimp3860]

this is one of those rides that I doubt I will ever get on but I really want to ride some day, also why are there so many ferries wheels here??

[@CanobieCoaster]

The fair is busy, so I'm guessing for capacity.

[@Coyotek4]

I've been on one of these, but not for a long, long time. Solid ride!

[@CanobieCoaster]

It's great.

[@mackenziefritz8169]

I got to do this flat ride when I visited the Florida Strawberry Festival in 2022. It was initially down for maintenance, but they reopened it midway through the day and I was one of the first riders for the day. I did have to wait for another single rider but I did not regret that one bit. Absolutely spectacular flat ride

[@CanobieCoaster]

Glad you got on it!

[@freddieblue6351]

Yes, it is a scary ride.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Definitely freaky.

[@ComposerConductor]

This ride scares me more than X².

[@CanobieCoaster]

It's definitely a bit freaky.

[@micoasters]

I rode one of these around 2015 (I was 4), it was a super scary ride, when the rotation of the main boom and the smaller wheel sync up you got airtime (the smaller wheel ran downwards unlike this one that ran upwards). This was the unit owned by big rock amusements

[@CanobieCoaster]

Nice!

[@GregBatte]

South Florida Fair in Palm Beach County, Florida had one when I was growing up. I loved it and was upset when it stopped showing up.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Nice! Unfortunately they're quite rare now.

[@rodolfomiranda2676]

5:23 is that a half drop tower?? hello?? 😂

[@CanobieCoaster]

Yeah, the vehicle is a bit odd, but the drop is epic.

[@mackenziefritz8169]

It's a drop tower from Fabbri. They're very strange looking since the tower looks like lift hill track from a roller coaster (complete with anti rollbacks). Very solid ride and pretty comparable to the Larson/ARM drop towers

[@kenrutherford1109]

Why aren't single riders allowed?

[@CanobieCoaster]

I am not sure.

[@louiselanthier5135]

I would like a ride on the Sky Wheel!

[@CanobieCoaster]

It was a bucket list ride for me.

[@louiselanthier5135]

@CanobieCoaster Cool! I understand! It's mesmerizing! I know that I would love it! ❤️

[@jacobselleck9750]

This ride is at the Strawberry Festival every year. Hopefully that continues as long as possible

[@CanobieCoaster]

I hope so.

[@DWHardin]

@@CanobieCoaster KZbin has so many videos of carnival rides being set up; someone should film the set-up of a Skywheel (or, even better, Drew's Space Wheels) before such set-up is strictly a thing of the past.