Comments from generalenigma

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generalenigma
generalenigma commented about Airport Drive-In on Jan 27, 2007 at 11:57 pm

I worked at AIRPORT KIDDIELAND in the summer of 1966, the summer before my senior year in high school. There were no teacups. The rides were almost all completely from the Herschell Carousel Company in North Tonawanda, NY (yes, the same company which made all 6 of the Triple Cities Carousels donated by the Endicott Johnsons in the 1930s — the company had an entire division CALLED Kiddieland with all these small kiddie-size rides) Airport Kiddieland was owned & operated by Dr. Naim N. Khuri. He built & opened it in the 1950’s simply because he loved children. I had myself ridden all those rides there as a child !! Airport Kiddieland did a booming business in the 50’s & early 60’s but by the late 60s & early 70’s business had fallen off. Dr. Khuri also started the Airport Drive-In with, I believe, 2 other partners in the early 60s & soon the 2 businesses complemented & bosltered each other’s business. Airport Kiddieland started out & maintained 8 rides: a small carousel, a rocketships ride (they went around in a circle & there was a lever I used to raise & lower the altitude of the circle path & they had guns on the front for the kids to shoot), boats (they went around in a circle on real water & had bells on the fronts the kids could ring with a little rope), a cars ride & a tanks(also with guns on the front to shoot) ride (both of which went around in a circle), a small ferris wheel, a small roller coaster, and the TRAIN. All of which I ran for the kids during the summer of 1966. I also helped maintain the rides & the train tracks. It was just like a miniature railroad with real tracks & ties & spikes!! There was also a small 9 hole miniature golf course in the train’s tracks front loop. In about 1965, the Kolba family added a bumper cars unit into the park. I have absolutely no pictures of Airport Kiddieland or the Airport Drive-In & wish that I did. (Anyone out there have any ??) Many many fond memories of Airport Kiddieland (and Dr. Khuri) as a child AND as a teenager entertaining a new generation of kids myself. Jim Macumber, Binghamton, NY