Skycoaster

A typical Skycoaster's entire structure, including the lifting towers and the main arch

The A-frame tower of the world's tallest SkyCoaster in Kissimmee, Florida

Skycoaster is an amusement park ride, produced and managed by Skycoaster, Inc., owned division of Ride Entertainment Group. On the ride, riders in groups of 1 to 3 are winched to the top of a launch tower and then dropped towards the ground, swinging from a cable tether back and forth until brought to a rest. Sky Coasters can range from 100–300 feet (30.5–91.4 m) in height. Skycoaster is an upcharge attraction at most installations, an additional fare is charged to riders who have already paid general admission to the park, and so must pay again for each ride. Names for the ride include variations of Skycoaster, along with Dare Devil Dive (at Six Flags parks), RipCord, and Xtreme Skyflyer (at Cedar Fair parks).

History

William Kitchen, founder of Sky Fun 1 Inc., and Ken Bird originally came up with the idea of the Skycoaster in 1992. They wanted to find a way to let others experience the thrill of jumping out of a plane. They wanted a ride with the same thrills of bungee jumping but with the safety factor of a merry-go-round. Sky Fun 1 Inc. was later sold to ThrillTime Entertainment International Inc. for $12 million.^[1]

The Ride Entertainment Group^[2] has owned Skycoaster since 2005. Skycoaster has grown their award-winning safety program in that time and remains one of the most popular and safest "extreme ride" in the amusement industry.^[1]

Production

The company is based in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. Parts are manufactured throughout the United States, with the attractions assembled on site.

The two most common types of Skycoasters are lattice and monopole. Lattice Skycoasters were manufactured in a variety of sizes, but the 173-dual arch and 100-foot single arch were the most common. Monopole Skycoasters were manufactured in a variety of sizes, 100-foot single, 100-foot dual, 180-foot single, 180-foot dual, and one 300-foot unit. Earlier Skycoasters have some unique tower structures that do not fall within these categories.

Flight cables are made of ⁵⁄₁₆ inch (7.9 mm) galvanized steel, which supports 9,800 pounds (4,445 kg), or stainless steel, which supports 9,000 pounds (4,082 kg). However, the maximum weight for a flight is 850 pounds (386 kg), mainly due to the winch. The 3-ring release system used on the Skycoaster is the same kind 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).

There are two types of Skycoaster loading systems:

• 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.

Amusement parks with Skycoasters

Defunct Skycoasters

References

External links

• Official website
• The Ride Entertainment Group
• A YouTube video of the Skycoaster experience