Proposal

To design and develop an installation inspired by an old amusement park ride called the “Pair-a-chute” that existed at Chicago’s Riverview Park in the ’50s and ’60s. (Several similar rides are still in existence around the world). Quite simply a pair of riders were fastened into a seat suspended under a huge parachute and lifted several hundred feet into the air. At the apex there was a pause and then the parachute was released to fall back to the ground. It was thrilling to ride, and wonderful to watch.
The proposed installation will consist of a fanciful winged creature, two passengers and, of course, a parachute. There will be a work crew operating a hoist mechanism to lift the creature, passengers and parachute from its landing pad to the atrium ceiling. The action will be similar to the old ride. Once lifted to the ceiling and after a slight pause the winged creature, passengers etc. will be released to fall during which time the creature will flap its wings in an effort to assist the parachute break the speed of the descent. Secondary elements involving lights, rotating elements and possibly sounds are also planned to capture some of the feeling of an amusement park, but subdued enough to be appropriate to the location.

Size
A mounting structure will run the length of the wall and project slightly beyond. and will be approximately 18' long, 24' wide and 30' high. The winged creature, passengers and parachute will be 12' long 10' high and 9' deep, the parachute being 9' in diameter. The workers will be slightly over 5' in height and the hoist mechanism and workers will occupy a space about 10' high by 10' long by 3' deep.

Materials
The required components will be produced using a variety of materials carefully selected for durability and for being appropriate to their intended use. For instance, the winged creature, passengers and parachute to be hoisted to the ceiling need to be kept as light as possible to reduce the loads involved, yet they need to be able to hold up under repeated lifts and drops. Consequently lightweight, strong materials such as so-called aircraft plywood (multi-ply birch plywood), glass reinforced polymer resins (fiberglass), and lower density hardwoods such as basswood, will be used. All exposed hard surfaces will be painted with high performance, catalyzed urethane type finishes or comparable quality materials to be durable and easy to clean. Structural and mechanical components will be aluminum or when necessary for extra strength, steel. The parachute canopy will be fabricated from rip stop nylon. Other elements in the installation will be treated similarly with the materials used chosen for durability, suitability for the intended use and cleanability. All mechanical and electrical components will be selected keeping a long service life and ease of future replacement in mind. Appropriate safety factors will be used throughout the design and specification process.