Flyin Phil

Hi everyone,

Flyin Phil has returned to the skies over Six Flags Great Adventure & Hurricane Harbor, and I will be using this topic to post various park updates whenever I have a chance to overfly the park.  My website, www.flyinphilsphotos.com, is also back online after switching to the GoDaddy platform, and I will be keeping it updated with these latest park additions as well as all content that was available on my previous site...

Let's Fly !!!

Great Adventure - May 2, 2024

Midway Area centered between the four striped tent/buildings near the carousel

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BUSgUPvDzVTFQfQLAULGGXRztr_PZSEy?usp=sharing

New building/loading area near the original Safari entrance

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cNKDBRdmJsOsyfbpPcxYqzmT_DGAV5F9?usp=sharing

Safari Off Road Adventure - New addition / revamping within the Safari itself

For reference, this is what it looked like on August 11, 2013 (photos 3, 4, and 6)

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QtQsFUpDbOoyY_GYyhtSOHeoV0Msh1b1?usp=sharing

And this is what is looked like during construction on February 5, 2024:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/162QOiiif6itRG-qM_A6YGij_M8btJNDF?usp=sharing

Sorry, but I didn't shoot any photos on my recent May 2nd flyover, but will do so on my next flight !

Hurricane Harbor - May 2, 2024

Splash Island

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YzmIa8Gy90s7TvD71qxG6kxDjesP9cw7?usp=sharing

As I always say, I hope you enjoy the view from above 

Below is a link to Aerial Photos I shot on Thursday (5/2) of FLASH's construction progress...It's coming along nicely !

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cyQ4tYrr0LYqFuAwB0SZ9OwuIWaFz-qs?usp=sharing

Enjoy !

Hi everyone....My website, FlyinPhilsPhotos, is back online and now secure, running on GoDaddy...

I have just added the following Aerial Photo galleries showing the area that FLASH will occupy both before and after construction started:

November 15, 2023

February 5, 2024

March 8, 2024

I plan to provide additional galleries as I overfly Great Adventure on future flights...

Enjoy !

I just heard the unfortunate news about our good friend, Harry Applegate.  I would always see him at the park's Media Days and my heart indeed sank when I saw the notice on the Great Adventure History website.  I was actually thinking of writing him this Spring to ask if the park still holds these Media Days for their newest attractions, but I was too late...

So sorry for your loss, Tom...I sure hope you can keep Harry's legacy alive by continuing to run and host the website !!!

Seems strange that Six Flags would choose an outdated picture for their big Welcome Back campaign which features a coaster (Rolling Thunder) that is not even at the park any longer...

I'm still grounded, but am hopeful to be back in the air by mid May...I'll post a park fly-over update to my BLOG if/when that flight takes place...

I'm still grounded and waiting for a chance to do another fly-over () of the park, and when I do, I'll post an update to my BLOG with a link here 

I could see the theme park "possibly" opening soon, but Hurricane Harbor...I doubt it.  Who is going to ride water slides or swim in the wave pool with a mask on?  And with everyone's close proximity in these waters, I just can't see any water park or public pool venue opening until there is a vaccine/cure for COVID.  That's just my opinion, of course.

Now, as for the theme park, IF everyone is required to wear a mask, and IF the park takes precautions like double spacing the queues, wiping down certain rides after each run and limiting the number of riders/guests in the park, then I can see them opening in late May or early June.  Look at what's happening in Europe when the restrictions are relaxed...New COVID cases are spiking.  I think Great Adventure will be opened later than sooner, unfortunately...

After looking through all of my Great Adventure photos I found enough for (6) new Boneyard galleries.  They have all been added to my Great Adventure page.  In one of the galleries you can spot The Enterprise remains very clearly (arm, cars and spokes)...

Thank you so much for posting ALL of these photos of how I like to remember Great Adventure.  That was the time of my youth at the park, and these photos brought back some really happy memories.  Great post !!!

I understand...Thanks XENITH for clarifying.

I'm happy you're enjoying my aerials, too.  Many of the photos from the recent galleries I have posted are already contained in my BLOG posts, though sometimes are hard to locate.  And some photos I had never posted before.  I figured since I am updating my site in its entirety I would add these new ride/coaster/attraction galleries to my Six Flags Great Adventure page.

Enjoy !!!

P.S.  I have also added new Dorney Park & Hersey Park galleries as well...They can be found HERE.

For what it's worth, I have a few galleries of Cyborg, one during construction and the other when it was completed.  I only just added these to my website.

If anyone is interested in seeing my Aerial Construction Photos from the 2018/2019 off-season, feel free to check-out my Six Flags Great Adventure page.  I have (6) galleries available for your viewing pleasure....

I know XENITH has posted incredible drone videos of the construction of Jersey Devil, and they are truly unique as I could never fly that low and slow (), but I still want to share my own construction updates with everyone.  I only have one at the moment from 3/11/20, but more are planned.

I have just added a new section to my Six Flags page on Flyin Phil's Photos called Great Adventure's Boneyard...It's located near the bottom of the page and there are (4) galleries from different fly-overs...This should hopefully answer everyone's questions as to just what is stored back there, outside of the white tent, of course.  I can spot the remains of Chaos, Joust-A-Bout, Enterprise and Wiggles World signage, but there's so much more.

Have Fun !!!

Thanks Harry...Nice to be back and updating my site with new photos and galleries.

And speaking of updates, I've just added numerous galleries to my Six Flags Great Adventure page HERE, including new categories such as Great Adventure's Boneyard and the new Adventure Crossings hotel/entertainment complex (under construction) just down the road from the park.

I'll keep everyone updated with the Great Adventure updates here.

Enjoy !!!

Hi Everyone...

My website, www.FlyinPhilsPhotos.com, has finally been updated to be easier to view on a smart phone, though viewing on a PC is still recommended.  All broken links have been restored and the general flow of the gallery pages has been streamlined, including my amusement parks and roller coaster pages.  All galleries have been moved to my Google Drive and thus the FLASH galleries I used to feature have been eliminated.  As I always say, I hope you enjoy the view from above... 

Stay Well...Stay Safe !!!

Good eye there Harry.  I forgot about Chaos and thought it was the Enterprise.  I see some areas I want to concentrate on during my next flyover, but that won't be until July.

Do you remember the Joust-A-Bout, the Enterprise and other rides from yesteryear?  Well, chances are they are still at the park and located in what Great Adventure fans call The "Bone Yard".  It's an area along Route 537 adjacent to the theme park, though it is PRIVATE PROPERTY, so please don't try to investigate on foot.  That's what airplanes are for 

The photos can be found HERE (just scroll down past other areas of Great Adventure that I shot today)...

Enjoy !!!

Flyin Phil here...I was over the park today and shot Wonder Woman in action, along with other areas of the park, including many of the "Bone Yard"...

Enjoy !

See the photos HERE

Here is my OWN version of a "Park Map" from Tuesday (5/8): 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AW5oqw1TdlfluzcbNXotekbYl2zja4wM?usp=sharing

Just a few aerial views of Cyborg from this past Tuesday (5/8):

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1e1Vn4lLuZ8os1T3QzdUSlvDbksmq5rAw?usp=sharing

I was flying over the park this past Tuesday (5/8) and noticed a large swath of trees recently cleared from the back woods, adjacent to the safari area.  Does anyone know what this could be for?  I'm thinking a solar farm?  See the photos below:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F92NfzMh4N_QO8TOBsq2sdxAD_INH7jy?usp=sharing

So, what about the "Virtual Loop" that was advertised??? I guess it wasn't that spectacular since no one even mentioned it in their report (unless I missed it). Seems like an exciting ride, though. I'll post some aerials of this section of the park after my next flyover.

Well, that settles that then. Makes the announcement anti-climatic.

...Unless the announcement includes a selection of FLAT rides or other attractions in addition to the Dark Ride. We can only hope !!!