batmanrobinchiller Posted September 1, 2011 Report Share Posted September 1, 2011 The 2011 repainting of the parachute ride is not that great. It needs its clasdic colors back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafreak Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 heres a cool link to the first ever "parachuters perch " on GA's property http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675044068_Amelia-Earhart_guy-wires_parachute-jumping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAcoaster Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 That's a GREAT find! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAcoaster Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 So, it's official that Texas Chute Out at SFOT is closing and being removed, making Parachuter's Perch the last of the operating parachute rides in the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafreak Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 wow, i hope ours isnt on the chopping block, i dont think it would be as its still a popular ride for families Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted August 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2012 Six Flags Texas Chute Out Floating Down To Earth By Ryan Crowe, CBSDFW.com August 2, 2012 10:57 AM ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) - Picture an 8-year-old standing in the shade of 100 degree heat at Six Flags Over Texas, in line for the most terrifying theme park ride he can think of. No, it wasnt a roller coaster, it was a parachute-type ride, and the boy was about to step into the basket and fly up into the air. The ride, called the Texas Chute Out, would raise you up to the heights of the Arlington sky, and would linger at the top just long enough to catch a glimpse of an outbound plane from DFW or a look inside Arlington Stadium. If you remember your screams turning into laughter as you floated back to earth, then you have just over a month to say goodbye to your old friend. The Texas Chute Out will be gone after September 3, altering the Arlington skyline. The neighboring Flashback, an equally terrifying but thrilling roller coaster that arrived in 1990, will also be closing. Both are being dismantled this fall to make way for a new yet-to-be named attraction. Six Flags spokeswoman Sharon Parker said she expects the news the ride is going away will come as a surprise to fans of the park. SInce the ride has been here 36 years, we anticipate some nostalgia, we know that many people are going to want to visit and reflect on the ride before its taken down. News of both rides coming down brought out emotion in many North Texans. On Six Flags facebook page Thursday morning, fans reflected on life moments that happened on the ride, and about their memories of sitting on the chair side, trying to race friends or using the time in the air to steal a kiss. Parker said the announcement was definitely one of those things that has pulled on the heartstrings of people. She also added the park will work with places like the National Roller Coaster Museum to help preserve the history of the two rides. Im sure there will be a couple of things that will be saved, she said, adding that the park would also work on preserving the memory of the rides. But, when asked what would be going in place of the rides, Parker would only say Stay tuned. And we will. This really stinks for SFOT. I hope for them that they are getting something really nice to replace their Parachutes. Hopefully we can benefit from some of the parts left behind from the dismantling of the Chute Out so that Great Adventure can still keep this now unique ride alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest racinggal17 Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 This really stinks for SFOT. I hope for them that they are getting something really nice to replace their Parachutes. Hopefully we can benefit from some of the parts left behind from the dismantling of the Chute Out so that Great Adventure can still keep this now unique ride alive. Where is that ride located? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Up_Up_and_Away Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 Where is that ride located? Six Flags Over Texas, aka SFOT. This really stinks for SFOT. I hope for them that they are getting something really nice to replace their Parachutes. Hopefully we can benefit from some of the parts left behind from the dismantling of the Chute Out so that Great Adventure can still keep this now unique ride alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest racinggal17 Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 Six Flags Over Texas, aka SFOT. What are they gonna put in that spot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafreak Posted September 3, 2012 Report Share Posted September 3, 2012 if you read the entire press release it says stay tuned, meaning nobody knows... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted December 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 Just found out a new tidbit of news about the parachutes. When the ride was initially built in St Louis it was constructed with eight chutes. (It was originally believed that the ride has 12 chutes in SFOMA and it was reduced down to 8 chutes when it was relocated to NJ.) This was a first for this third of three parachute rides installed by Six Flags with the first two rides at SFOT and SFOG each having 12 chutes. As stated in the Spotlight, the number of seats was reduced because the close proximity of all the cables, counter weights, and limit switches impacted the ride's performance. I recently acquired a press kit for the 1978 Sky Chuter at Six Flags Over Mid America which I will share as soon as I scan it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted January 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 Click the press kit cover below to view media material for Parachuter's Perch when it was introduced at Six Flags Over Mid America in 1978 as Sky Chuter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daved Thomson Posted January 5, 2014 Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 Some quick, interesting tidbits regarding Six Flags Corp. are apparent in this press kit and release. You'll notice that there is no mention of a GM for this park in the press kit only the term "park officials." Larry Cochran was the GM at SFOMA and had ordered the Parachute Drop for that park, but was named GM of Great Adventure soon after it's purchase and Dave Paltzik had not yet been named to replace Cochran at SFOMA. Interestingly, Norm Howells, noted in the press release as President of Frontier Construction, would be named GM of Magic Mountain a year later when Six Flags purchased that park. Howells would later be named President of Six Flags Corp. when Bally replaced Ned P. DeWitt. Also, Cochran was named Executive Vice President of Six Flags Corp. at that same time and Cochran brought Paltzik to replace himself at Great Adventure. If I recall, the back of this park's brochure refers to GA as Great Adventure (as opposed to Six Flags Great Adventure). Corporate had not yet decided whether the naming would be Great Adventure (a member of the Six Flags Family... As AstroWorld had done) or Six Flags Great Adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted January 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 ^ Yep! The back of the brochure says "When in Houston, visit AstroWorld. When in Jackson, NJ visit Great Adventure. All members of the Six Flags Family." Daved, do you have any insight as to why the parachute ride was removed from Mid America? I heard two stories - one was that they needed the space to install their new rapids ride and the other was that the ride was built in a location in the park that proved too windy for consistent operation. It does seem odd that David Paltzik brought the ride with him at the same time he transferred from SFOMA to Great Adventure especially since ride rotations were not really the thing to do yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daved Thomson Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 (edited) From what I understand the site was needed for their Thunder River. Their rapids ride largely utilized the space and water basin of their (I think it was called The LaSalle River) river boat ride, however, additional land in that area was needed because of the width of the river required for the rapids ride. Also, while Palzik's first full season at GA was 1983, he had actually transferred to GA around July/August of that season when Bally bought the company, ousted DeWitt, made Howells President and Cochran Executive Vice President. Cochran and Paltzik both remained at GA until the end of the 1982 season. Paltzik actually left Mid-America at the end of the 1980 season to become VP Marketing at the Tropicana Resort in Las Vegas. Cochran and Paltzik were friends and talked him into returning to Six Flags by offering him the company's crown jewel at the time -- GA. Cochran, I believe, was responsible for the relocation of the parachutes to NJ. The company really was pouring everything into GA because it held the greatest promise of any of its parks at the time. Cochran had no desire to move to corporate (then located in downtown Los Angeles) and delayed the actual move as long as he could. Edited January 6, 2014 by Daved Thomson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted January 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 ^Oh yeah, I totally forgot all about David coming from the Tropicana! (Here's the article from 1983.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted April 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2014 Wow! Six Flags Over Georgia's Great Gasp didn't have lapbars when it first opened. That must have made it extra exciting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoshi Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 I'm usually against rides having extra restraints that aren't necessary (like Cedar Fair adding seatbelts to their B&M Hypercoasters last week) but the parachutes are 1 ride I'm glad has a lap bar just for extra security. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted August 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 Here is something different - camera footage from atop Great Adventure's Parachute tower taken in 2005. The camera was used by NBC10 News during weather segments. Click below to see the video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Railer Posted June 29, 2015 Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 I have a few good friend's that work's for the State in Trenton (my hometown) in the Elevator Inspections Dept. They do some of the ride inspection's at the Park. But they brought her out on a surprise, "spot" inspection one time (with her dept's I.D.'s, they can walk in the park anytime they want) and they tried to get her to walk the Stair's inside the Tower. She said she looked up the inside, and saw how narrow they were, and would not go up them. Her supervisior went up and did the inspection. But any shot's of the inside of the Tower? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted June 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 No photos but I was in there when I worked the ride. There is a service elevator to the motor room at the top and a 250 ft ladder inside the tower on the wall in front of the elevator. There aren't any stairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Railer Posted June 29, 2015 Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 It was quite a few years ago she told us that story about Chutes. I was always curious to the inside of it. How wide is the Tower? Like 12-15ft diameter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted June 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 The tower is 9 feet in diameter. You can see the insdie of the tower at 3:05 in this video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Railer Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 WOW, 9ft is not that wide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted February 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 This is GA gold to me! I remember seeing this commercial for the first time back in 1983 on the night before I was going to visit the park. I remember how excited I was that it had opened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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