Skycoaster
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Skycoaster, most commonly also named Ripcord (in Cedar Fair, L.P.-owned theme parks) or Xtreme SkyFlyer (in former Paramount-owned theme parks), is an amusement park ride, produced and managed by Skycoaster, Inc.. On the ride, riders in groups of 1 to 3 are winched to the top of a launch tower and then dropped to the ground, swinging from a cable tether back and forth until brought to a rest. Sky Coasters can range from 100–300 feet (30–91 m) in height. In most cases, riders who already paid admission to the park must pay again to ride the Skycoaster.
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[edit] Notable facts
- The first Skycoaster ride opened in 1993; since then, Skycoaster, Inc. has opened more than 108 rides, all around the world.
- Flight cables are made of 5/16 inch (0.8 cm) galvanized steel, which supports 9,800 pounds (4,445 kg), or stainless steel, which supports 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg). However, the maximum weight for a flight is 850 pounds (385 kg), mainly due to the winch.
- The 3-ring release system used on the Skycoaster is the same as that used on parachutes.
- The flight suits worn are similar to hang gliding suits, and are made by a parachute company to support weight of up to 10,000 pounds (4,535 kg).
- Each flight lasts about 5 minutes.
- The 300 foot tall Skycoaster is located in Kissimmee, Florida. It's the tallest SkyCoaster in the world.
[edit] Sky Coaster Operation
- Sky Coaster Operations are strictly followed from the Sky Coaster Owners Manual. This is published each year.
[edit] Positions
- Customer Representative: This position is generally the cashier. They are responsible for answering general questions about the ride and selling tickets.
- Video Person: This person is the one that video tapes the fliers on the ride.
- Flight Suiter: A flight suiter is the first trained person according to the Owners Manual. The Flight Suiter is responsible to suit all fliers in their flight suits. There are 5 sizes of flight suits.
- Expediter: This crew member is responsible for helping the flight crew. This position is not used at locations with rolling board platforms.
- Assistant Controller: The assistant controller hooks the fliers to the Flight Cables and the Launch Release System.
- Controller: This is the person that winches the fliers to the top of the tower.
- Site Controller: This position is the most trained of all the crew at Sky Coaster. They receive over 24 hours of training. They are also certified by Sky Coaster, INC.
- Senior Site Controller: This is a title more than a certification. They are responsible for the training and overall operation of the ride.
[edit] Types of Sky Coasters
There are two types of sky coasters:
- Rolling boarding platform: A cart is rolled out to and from flight line in order to help the flyers on and off the ride
- Scissors lift: An elevator-like platform is raised up and down to allow flyers on and off the ride.
[edit] Sky Coaster Convention
- A yearly convention takes place. The senior site controller from each site is required to attend.
[edit] Amusement Parks with Skycoasters
Park Name | Ride Name | Location | Height | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fun Spot USA | Skycoaster | Kissimmee, Florida | 300 feet | |
Parque de la Costa | Vertigo eXtremo | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 213 feet | |
Skyborne | Skycoaster | London, England | 200 feet | |
PlayCenter | Skycoaster | São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil | 197 feet | |
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor | Sky Coaster | Arlington, Texas | 190 feet | |
Wild Adventures | Geronimo Skycoaster | Valdosta, Georgia | 190 feet | |
Worlds of Fun | RipCord | Kansas City, Missouri | 189 feet | |
Michigan's Adventure | RipCord | Muskegon, Michigan | 183 feet | |
Kennywood | Skycoaster | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 180 feet | |
Lake Compounce | Skycoaster | Bristol, Connecticut | 180 feet | |
Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort | Sky Coaster | New Braunfels, Texas | 180 feet | |
Valleyfair! | RipCord | Shakopee, Minnesota | 180 feet | |
Darien Lake Theme Park Resort | Skycoaster | Darien, New York | 180 feet | |
Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom | Skycoaster | Louisville, Kentucky | 180 feet | |
Six Flags Over Georgia | Fearless Freep's Daredevil Dive | Austell, Georgia | 180 feet | |
Ultimate Rush Speed & Thrill Park | Ultimate Rush | Reno, Nevada | 180 feet | |
Hopi Hari | Hadikali | Vinhedo, São Paulo, Brazil | 174 feet | |
La Ronde | La Catapulte | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | 173 feet | |
Canada's Wonderland | Xtreme SkyFlyer | Vaughan, Ontario, Canada | 170 feet | |
The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom | Sky Coaster | Lake George, New York | 175 feet | |
Seoul Land | SKY-X | Seoul, South Korea | 165 feet | |
Oakwood Theme Park | Vertigo | Pembrokeshire, Wales | 164 feet | |
Elitch Gardens | XLR8R | Denver, Colorado | 160 feet | |
Six Flags Magic Mountain | Dive Devil | Valencia, California | 153 feet | |
Kings Dominion | Xtreme SkyFlyer | Doswell, Virginia | 153 feet | |
Carowinds | Xtreme SkyFlyer | Charlotte, North Carolina | 153 feet | |
Great America | Xtreme SkyFlyer | Santa Clara, California | 153 feet | |
Six Flags Great Adventure | Dare Devil Dive | Jackson, New Jersey | 153 feet | |
Six Flags Over Texas | Dive Bomber Alley | Arlington, Texas | 153 feet | |
Six Flags St. Louis | Dragon's Wing | Eureka, Missouri | 152 feet | |
Cedar Point | RipCord | Sandusky, Ohio | 152 feet | |
Lagoon Amusement Park | Skycoaster | Farmington, Utah | 143 feet | |
Six Flags New England | Sky Coaster | Agawam, Massachusetts | 128 feet | |
Wet N' Wild Emerald Pointe | Skycoaster | Greensboro, North Carolina | 125 feet | |
Enchanted Village | I-5 Sky Dive | Federal Way, Washington | 125 feet | |
Kings Island | Xtreme SkyFlyer | Warren County, Ohio | 125 feet | |
Six Flags Great America | Dare Devil Dive | Gurnee, Illinois | 125 feet | |
Blackpool South Pier | Skycoaster | Blackpool, UK | 120 feet | |
Bell's Amusement Park | Dive Devil | Tulsa, Oklahoma | 113 Feet | |
Frontier City | Geronimo | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 113 feet | |
The Track Family Fun Center | Skycoaster | Gulf Shores, Alabama | 110 feet | |
Karasyk | Skycoaster | Ayia Napa, Cyprus | 110 feet | |
Zero Gravity | Skycoaster | Dallas, Texas | 110 Feet | |
Big Kahuna's | Skycoaster | Destin, Florida | 110 Feet | |
Tusenfryd | Skycoaster | Oslo, Norway | 110 feet | |
Parque Mundo Aventura | Skycoaster | Bogotá D.C., Colombia | 110 feet | |
Cici Waterpark | The Skycoaster | Acapulco, Mexico | 100 feet | |
Ratanga Junction | The Slingshot | Century City, Cape Town, South Africa | 100 feet | |
Nascar Speedpark | Skyflyer | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina | 100 Feet | |
Ozark Mountain Skycoaster | Skycoaster | Branson, Missouri | 100 Feet | |
Joyland Park | Sky Coaster | Wichita, Kansas | 100 feet | |
Extreme World | Skycoaster | Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin | 100 feet | |
Indiana Beach | Sky Coaster | Monticello, Indiana | 100 feet | |
Morey's Piers - Adventure Pier | Sky Coaster | Wildwood, New Jersey | 100 feet | |
Morey's Piers - Surfside Pier | Sky Coaster | Wildwood, New Jersey | 100 feet | |
Funtown Pier | Skycoaster | Seaside Heights, New Jersey | 100 feet | |
Royal Gorge Park | Royal Rush | Royal Gorge, Colorado | 100 feet | |
Seacoast Fun Park | SkyMax | North Windham, Maine | 100 feet | |
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom | Skycoaster | Vallejo, California | 100 feet | |
Mitsui Greenland | Parachute Drop | Arao-shi, Japan | ?? | |
Tokyo SummerLand | ?? | Tokyo, Japan | ?? | |
Al Jeewanah Trading Co. | Fadheel, Kuwait | ?? | ||
Parque de las Americas | ?? | Bogotá, Colombia | ?? | |
Superland | Sky Coaster | Rishon LeZion, Israel | ?? | |
Six Flags America | Skycoaster | Prince George's County, Maryland | ?? | |
Defunct Skycoasters | ||||
Geauga Lake | Ripcord | Aurora, OH | 100 feet | |
MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park | Sky Screamer | Las Vegas, Nevada | 250 feet | |
Six Flags AstroWorld | Barnstormer | Houston, Texas | 151 feet | |
Six Flags Fiesta Texas | Sceamin' Skycoaster | San Antonio, Texas | 180 feet | |
Six Flags New Orleans | Sky Coaster | New Orleans, Louisiana | 180 feet | |
American Adventure Theme Park | Skycoaster | Ilkeston, Derbyshire | 200 feet |