Sky Glider Turns 50

[Charity Nebbe] For 50 years, the Sky Glider has provided a bird's eye view of the sights, sounds, and people at the Iowa State Fair.

And believe it or not, one local man has kept it running smoothly since the beginning.

So, Tracy, we are starting our ride on the 50th anniversary of the Sky Glider.

The Sky Glider was built in 1975.

[Tracy Shedd] 1975.

[Charity] All right.

How did you get involved?

[Tracy] The brown roof right there, that's where I grew up.

[Charity] Okay.

Yeah, right next door.

[Tracy] It was virtually in my backyard.

I was a 15-year-old kid out of school for the summer and riding bike down here, and all of a sudden we seen what's going on.

So back then, the company was called Odie Hopkins, and Odie Hopkins was in the process of putting the Sky Glider in to the Iowa State Fair.

There was about four of us that lived on the block just north here.

We were down here every day putting it in, trying to help, trying to do whatever we could.

It was something fun.

And then actually, the first day of the fair, two of us actually got put on the payroll.

I've been here ever since.

[Charity] Wow.

What do you think it means to people to take a ride on the Sky Glider?

[Tracy] Well, Iowa is a very traditional fair.

It's a tradition - once people start riding it, they continue to ride it every year.

And as we say, "we see the fair from there."

People just love it.

They enjoy it.

For our company, we have 8 of these right now that we own and operate.

Minnesota State Fair, Illinois State Fair, Ohio State Fair, Wisconsin State Fair.

This is just about the number one for per capita of what rides the Sky Glider.

[Charity] Really?

[Tracy] Originally this was put in, it had 10 towers and we had 67 chairs on it.

In 2005, we relocated 3 towers and added another tower.

And then we actually increased the chairs to 90 chairs.

And now we're to the point that it'd be nice to have another 20 or 30 chairs.

[Charity] Hey, how are you?

Good, Jerry, it's good to see you having a good time with retirement.

[Jerry] Yeah.

[Charity] Have fun.

That's my former veterinarian.

[Tracy] No, is it?

[Charity] You never know who you're going to meet up on the Sky Glider.

I know it's a job, and I know you've been at it a long time.

What about this brings you joy?

[Tracy] Seeing all the people, the people that we've grown up together here, working at the fair.

That is what I call the fair family.

We take a lot of pride in how much training we do, how courteous our employees are, and we get a lot of compliments on that.

[Charity] Well, Tracy, thank you so much for taking me for a ride and for 50 years of the sky.

[Tracy] 50 years.

Yes.

[Charity] It's hard to imagine the state fair without a Sky Glider.

[Tracy] That's why I'm here.