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| {{Infobox ride
| | #REDIRECT [[Flight Tutor (1)]] |
| | name = Flight Tutor
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| | othernames = Aerotrainer, Orientator
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| | type = Rotating ride
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| | parksection = Midway, North
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| | built = 1931
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| | opened = 1931
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| | closed = 1931 (Sales company went out of business)
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| | manufacturer = Springfield Welding and Supply Company<br />Air Craft Appliance Co.
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| | designer = W.E. Hoffman
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| | height = 20 ft. (6.1 m)
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| | vehicletype = Airplane
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| | numvehicles = 1
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| | numriders = 1
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| | inversions = Varies
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| }}
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| The first '''Flight Tutor''' (sometimes called an '''Aerotrainer''' or '''Orientator''')<ref>"New Concern to Make 'Orientator' to Teach Flying Without Planes." ''Springfield News-Sun (Springfield, Ohio). 9 June 1929. Pg. 23. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107108977/new-concern-to-make-orientator-to/</ref> was one of two devices at Olentangy Park that was designed after flight simulators used by the U.S. Flying Service at the time.<ref name="invention">"Circus Thrillers: Army's 'Green' Flyers Get Stunt Training Near the Ground." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' 6 October 1929. Pg. F9.</ref><ref name="teacher">"On the Rialto: Flight Teacher." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' 3 April 1931. Pg. 22A.</ref><ref>"Sunday Only." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' 11 April 1931. Pg. 8.</ref><ref name="new">"New Flight Machine." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' 17 April 1931. Pg. 2B.</ref><ref name="another">"Another Tutor Picked For Park." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' 19 April 1931. Pg. 60.</ref><ref>"Dressed Up: Features Added to Airplane Which Goes Nowhere." ''The Dayton Herald (Dayton, Ohio).'' 23 April 1929. Pg. 2. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107108176/dressed-up-features-added-to-airplane/</ref><ref>"Mechanical Flight Tutor Recent Development At Field 'Real Instructor'". ''Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio). 28 April 1929. Pg. 4. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107108369/mechanical-flight-tutor-recent/</ref>
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| It was added to the park for the Easter Sunday opening of the park in 1931 and was the first of its type to be installed as a permanent ride. Prior to this, the device was only available at four other places as temporary fair rides.<ref name="feature">"Flying to Be Park Feature." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' 5 April 1931. Pg. 10D.</ref><ref>"Leviathans Play at Olentangy." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' 20 April 1931. Pg. 10A.</ref><ref>"On the Rialto." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' 24 April 1931. Pg. 20A.</ref>
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| Invented by Wright Field aeronautical and mechanical engineer W.E. Hoffman in 1929,<ref>"How to Fly Without Flying." ''The News-Herald (Franklin, Pennsylvania).'' Photo. 29 June 1929. Pg. 12. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107109257/flight-tutor-photo-and-details/</ref> it looked like a wingless plane with a fuselage body, with rudder, elevator, and aileron control surfaces, mounted on a steel<ref>"Flight Tutor Gives Student 'Safe' Thrills." ''Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Arizona).'' 8 September 1929. Pg. 26. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107109482/flight-tutor-gives-student-safe/</ref> double-tripod frame 20 feet (6.1 meters) tall.<ref name="invention" /> The propeller in front was controlled by 15-horsepower electric motor and a circle of fins behind it blew air onto the rider to simulate an airspeed of 70-150 mph (113-241 kph).<ref>"New Concern to Make 'Orientator' to Teach Flying Without Planes." ''Springfield News-Sun (Springfield, Ohio).'' 9 June 1929. Pg. 23. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107108977/new-concern-to-make-orientator-to/</ref> Stairs led up to a nearby platform where riders could board the ride using a gangplank held by one of the two ride operators. Riders would get strapped in and control the plane with realistic controls to do loop, spin, roll, dive, and stall without risk.<ref name="teacher" /><ref>"First Sunday at the Biggest Park." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' 5 April 1931. Pg. 62.</ref><ref name="feature" /><ref>"Western Band." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' 8 April 1931. Pg. 16A.</ref><ref>"Another Sunday At Olentangy Park." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' 13 April 1931. Pg. 12A.</ref><ref name="shifting1">Raper, Tod. "Shifting Scenes." The Columbus Dispatch. 15 April 1931. Pg. 2B.</ref><ref name="another" /> The inventor claimed a half hour in the tutor was equal to three hours in the air.<ref>"How to Fly Without Flying." News-Herald (Franklin, Pennsylvania). Photo. 29 June 1929. Pg. 12. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107109257/flight-tutor-photo-and-details/
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| </ref>
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| It was installed near the entrance to the [[Red Devil]] at the south end of the [[Midway]].<ref>"Flying to Be Park Feature." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' 7 April 1931. Pg. 14A.</ref><ref name="shifting1" /><ref>"That Busy Place, Olentangy." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' 10 May 1931. Pg. 56.</ref> Its success led to a [[Flight Tutor (Second)|second version]] of the ride being installed further north.<ref name="new" /><ref name="another" /> The rides were manufactured by the Springfield Welding and Supply Company and Air Craft Appliance Company (both in Springfield, Ohio) and sold through the Aircraft Appliance Sales Corporation (in Delaware). <ref>"Entertaining the Multitude." ''Springfield News-Sun (Springfield, Ohio).'' 13 April 1931. Pg. 12. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107183824/entertaining-the-multitude/</ref> The Army Flying Corps later found it obsolete and that it had little if any practical value<ref>"Air Corps in Need of More Ship Pilots." ''The Times (Shreveport, Louisiana).'' 13 November 1932. Pg. 7. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107184439/air-corps-in-need-of-more-ship-pilots/</ref> and the sales company went out of business in 1932, so this ride was only at the park for one season.<ref name="feature" /><ref>"AIRCRAFT APPLIANCE SALES CORPORATION." ''Open Corporates.'' https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_oh/145885</ref>
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| == See Also ==
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| * [[Flight Tutor (Second)|Second Flight Tutor]]
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| == References ==
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| <references />
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| [[Category:Rides]]
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| [[Category:Rotating Rides]]
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| [[Category:Midway]]
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