Flying scooters at Camden Park

I was just poking around Camden's website and the park map shows flying scooters (along with a "new" icon) on the site previously occupied by the tilt-a-whirl. There doesn't appear to any mention of this elsewhere on the site.

Very interesting and I wonder where they came from.

Years ago, and I'm talking early 60's Camden had a Flying Scooter. We always called it the Butterflies, (did they?) and it sat straight across from the main gate where the Spider is now. The Caterpillar was also there. It looks like the Tilt has been moved next to the Kite Flyers. Maybe Camden has purchased a new Scooter- I doubt they are resurrecting that old one.

I visited Camden last summer after probably 30 years. I did a quick tour, and it was amazing how many things were the same. Even though the rides and buildings had lost most of their flash, a lot of the original painted artwork was still visible. Memories came flooding-I had completely forgotten about the female tamer and the panther painted over the Whip.

The Whip, incidentally, was so incredibly fast- bout kicked my ass. And the dark ride was a gas, too.

A rag tag little park, but worth the stop for me.

Hmmmm I may just have to go back there this summer.

It's nice that the park has been adding rides every few years to the park recently

The Tilt was rehabbed and moved next to the Kite Flyer for the 2005 season.

Flying Scooters at Camden? Oooooh! I wonder if they are park model, road model, or Larson...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I wonder the same thing and I found it odd that there is no mention of this anywhere on the website (with the exception of the park map). There's even a "New for 2006" section but all it talks about is the educational bat exhibit!

It's been a few years since I've visited but I might have to make the trip this year. :)

Well, if they got them used, there was Euclid Beaches Scooters on Ebay about 8 months ago and Gulf Shores Amusement Park had a park model, and they were planning on closing in 2004, so who knows.

Are Americana's Flyers still up?

Well, now! Looks like I'll have to make a stop on the way home from opening weekend at Beech Bend, and Holiday World.

They Flying Scooters are new Larson/Zamperla model. Also Wild West World opening in 2007 has purchased a set.

Camden has come around in the past couple years and seems to be turning the corner, It's getting cleaned up and new attractions every year. Also this year is a Bat exihibit.

Lesourdsvilles Flyers are still there, Even though he closed early in 2002, all rides were taken down and stored. Unlike when Coney just left everything sit in the weather.

Chuck, who still thinks of Lesourdsvilles as second only to Knoebels. The 20 minute long rides might have something to do with that :)

John, Euclids were purchased by Knoebels and will be used to keep Knoebels flyers there for years to come. They needed spares badly.

^What Chuck said. lol. I am SO happy that the park has come along so well in the last couple of years. I live about 35 minutes from the park but I don't visit that often.

With so many small mom and pop parks going under nowadays it is refreshing to hear about another park doing so well.

I am hoping Camden will get a lot of attention from out-of-towners during Holiwood Nights. I will be there Memorial Day on my way back home! Come on out! The Whip will be THEE best Whip you will ever experience in your life! I will show you guys around!

-Tina

*** Edited 3/29/2006 12:07:10 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

Has anyone gotten pictures of, or rides on, for that matter, of the new Scooters?

I'd like to see how they look.

I made the 6 hour drive from Urbana, Indiana last
year to visit Camden Park. I had a great time.
They could use some additional landscaping. Overall
I give the park a big thumbs up and I’d stop again
if I were passing close by.

The Euclid Flying Scooters, as well as several other Euclid rides, landed at Old Indiana in the late 80's/early 90's. A gentleman from Kentucky (?) (E.B. Gevedon sticks in my head) purchased them at auction. He wanted to open a small family park somewhere down there. Anyway, at least I know where they are now!

TWENTY MINUTE FLYINGSCOOTER RIDES!?!?!?!?!?!?!
I'd love that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Closest i had to a twenty minute ride was at CLP when, lasted about 5 minutes.

We actually got some 20 minute plus flying scooter rides on the second best set in the nation in 2002. Lesourdsville Lake!

Sadly it still sits SBNO.

I wonder if Lesourdsville will ever re-open. At this point, there has been a huge explosion of subdivisions opening up all around the park, and the land it's sitting on has to be getting pretty valuable. I've seen the figure of 6 million as what the current owner wants back out of it - at that price, with what needs to be done to the park, is it a viable price? And, the acreage of the park, complete with a fairly recently redone pool could become a community pool for some development, is there any hope a buyer could be found that wants to use it as a park?

I'd love to see it re-open, but at what point do enthusiasts say, "How about relocating the coaster?" If the owner suddenly decided tomorrow to sell it to some developer, would anyone have time to mount a campaign to convince some park to move it?

If I won the lottery tonight (please please please! ;) )could I hope to at least recoup the interest on an investment? (at least 2-4% a year, if I put 6 million into buying it, and 6 mil into rehabbing and acquiring new rides, etc). I don't think you'd find many investors out there willing to put money into something they didn't think would at least break slightly more than even.

Sorry to jump topic, it was just a random thought about LeSourdesville... *** Edited 5/10/2006 5:23:16 PM UTC by Isca***

IMHO if he's just open it with a little advertising on radio and one or two group sales people The park would thrive.

Chuck, who's like the rest. Still hoping but unless Jerry wants to really open it and don't think he'll loose money, It's not gonna happen.

Okay kids...

I talked with the park yesterday, and it turns out that the Flyers opened up this past weekend for the first time. I asked if they would be able to update their website with a picture, but since the site is built and maintained outside of the park, it would be a matter of time.

Still hoping to get back down there again this year.

^ ...since the site is built and maintained outside of the park, it would be a matter of time.

I get teased for being "technophobic", but even I can take a digital picture and e-mail it...LOL!

P.S. Really need to get to Camden...a good set of scooters will likely make that happen faster.. :)
*** Edited 6/2/2006 2:20:58 AM UTC by rollergator***

Don't kill me for asking this but.... What is a Flying Scooter? Are there any on the west coast?