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| Park: |
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California's Great America (travel info) |
| Ride Type: |
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Steel Coaster |
| Status: |
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Operated from 4/1/2000 to 9/2/2003 |
| Production: |
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Vekoma Flying Dutchman |
| Category: |
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Flying |
| Builder: |
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Vekoma Inc. |
| Cost: |
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$17,000,000 |
| Length: |
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2781' |
| Height: |
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115' |
| Max Speed: |
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51 mph |
| G Force: |
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4.3 |
| Inversions: |
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3 |
| Duration: |
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1:50 |
| Arrangement: |
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Two 6-car trains that hold 24 riders/train. |
| Visits: |
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88 |
| Rating: |
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| More About This Ride |
Ride Restrictions:
| Minimum height restriction: |
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54 in. |
| Maximum height restriction: |
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80 in. |
Features:
Elements: 66' tall vertical loop, twin corkscrew, horseshoe.
History:
Opened in 2000 as the world's first flying coaster.
Closed in 2003 to make room for the new Boomerang Bay waterpark.
Tagline: "World's First Flying Coaster."
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Ad Info
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| Reviews |
JBInvert
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 61
View Park/Ride Count
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An incredible ride. While a bit rough at times, the experience is so unique... it's just awesome. I'm very surprised PGA moved this attraction... and I'm also surprised that B&M has taken over the flying coaster market and left Vekoma... well, haven't really heard much from them recently.
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| 11-17-05 11:17:43 |
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Chris L
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 7366
View Park/Ride Count
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I rode Stealth when it opened for its first summer in 2000, which was also my first and only ever visit to Paramount's Great America. As I walked up to the queue entry I expected a long line, and sure enoguh there was, but I didn't realize the slow load/unload process would actually mean I'd have to wait more than 2 hours before getting on.
It was the first and only Flying coaster in the world at that time, so everyone else, like me, really had no idea what to expect from the ride. The odd reclining seats were bizarre to me even though I had seen the coaster on Discovery Channel months earlier. When I was finally on the ride going up the lift hill backwards and facing up at the sky, I was really unsure as to what I was about to experience.
To get to the point, the ride was rather intense, but did not "wow" me or blow me away. I remember asking myself afterward if the 2 hour wait was worth it, but I justified it by saying "well, I just rode the world's first Flying coaster."
It had very low to no re-ridability but was very intense in some parts and very disorienting throughout the ride.
However, I didn't really get a "sensation of flight" as the ride and park promoted and promised, because there were too many moments where riders are turned onto their back for long periods of time, which is not thrilling nor did it enhance the feeling of speed, height, or flying.
I rode X-Flight in Ohio two years later, and had the exact same opinions and feelings about it, which shouldn't be too suprising since X-Flight's layout is based off of Stealth's.
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| 5-17-06 22:09:00 |
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