Stunt Pilot (roller coaster)
Stunt Pilot is an upcoming steel roller coaster at Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho. The coaster was manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction and is set to become only their fourth single rail roller coaster to open in the world, and the first of its kind in the Northwestern United States.[1] The coaster will serve as a throwback to Silverwood's airplane history and their daily airshows from 1988 to 1996.[2]
| Stunt Pilot | |
|---|---|
| Silverwood Theme Park | |
| Location | Silverwood Theme Park |
| Park section | Rollercoaster Alley |
| Coordinates | 47.906459°N 116.707939°W |
| Status | Under construction |
| Opening date | 2021 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Single-rail |
| Manufacturer | Rocky Mountain Construction |
| Designer | Alan Schilke |
| Model | Raptor – Prototype |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 113 ft (34 m) |
| Drop | 100 ft (30 m) |
| Length | 1,800 ft (550 m) |
| Speed | 52 mph (84 km/h) |
| Inversions | 3 |
| Max vertical angle | 90° |
| Trains | 2 trains with 10 cars. Riders are arranged 1 across in a single row for a total of 10 riders per train. |
| Stunt Pilot at RCDB Pictures of Stunt Pilot at RCDB | |
History
On September 3, 2020, Silverwood officially began teasing a major new attraction on their social media.[3] It was later alluded to be residing on an unoccupied plot of land between Tremors and the Roaring Creek Log Flume, which had previously housed temporary scare mazes. On September 17, the ride was unveiled in the form of Stunt Pilot; a major new single rail steel coaster. The ride's theme would be modeled after the Pitts Special biplanes, and it would commemorate Silverwood's rich flying history.
As of February 2021, Stunt Pilot is well under construction and is set to meet the projected 2021 opening. Track pieces began to show up from the nearby Rocky Mountain Construction plant in February 2021.[4]
Ride information
Ride experience
The ride begins by exiting the station and immediately ascending the 113 feet (34 m) tall chain lift. The train then banks left into a 180 degree turn and entering the signature 90 degree drop, diving and reaching speeds of up to 52 miles per hour (84 km/h) before entering a dive loop. The train then rises up into an airtime hill and a banked upwards turnaround, where it proceeds into a hairpin turn to the left and another drop. Riders immediately hit a cutback, followed by a corkscrew. The train dips through a quick over-banked turn popping up into the brake run.
Model
Stunt Pilot is a Raptor coaster from Rocky Mountain Construction, a local rollercoaster firm based in Hayden, Idaho. The company had previously worked with Silverwood to install and test their then-prototype "topper track" system on nearly 700 feet of Tremors in 2010.[5] The coaster uses a monorail-esque track system that lets the train run along a single 15.5" thick rail.[6] This will ensure a very smooth and unique ride experience.
Layout
The actual layout will be a complete clone of RailBlazer at California's Great America in Santa Clara, California, and a mirror image of Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, Texas. These are considered to be the basic Raptor prototype layouts, although Stunt Pilot is a somewhat modified unit.
Location
Stunt Pilot is being constructed on a small unoccupied plot of land in between Tremors and the Roaring Creek Log Flume. The area was previously home to several temporary scare mazes for Silverwood's annual Scarywood event. It will also be incorporated into Silverwood's existing Rollercoaster Alley area, which includes the Aftershock, Timber Terror, and Tremors roller coasters. [7]
Trains
Stunt Pilot will utilize two 10 passenger trains, unlike Railblazer and Wonder Woman, each of which utilize 3 trains of 8 passengers. Riders are seated inline, with 1 per row, to create a streamlined experience. [8] This will also mark the first instance of Silverwood utilizing more than 1 train on a coaster.
Historical context
Stunt Pilot is a throwback to Silverwood's rich flying history, as the park was located on and around the site of the former Henley Aerodrome airfield, which was in service from 1973 to sometime between 1998 and 2003 [9] The park also ran daily air shows from 1988 to 1996, but grounded their planes after several close calls and a crash during an air show at Fairchild Air Force Base on September 15, 1996. [10] This resulted in the death of esteemed pilot Bob Heale, who had taken part in Silverwood's air shows for years, and served as a major factor in Silverwood grounding their planes.[11]
References
- Weeks, Devin (September 18, 2020). "Ride the skies at Silverwood in 2021". Coeur d'Alene Press. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- Higgins, Katie. "Silverwood - From Airport to Theme Park". Spokane Historical. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- Pettey, Mike; Pettey, Chris (September 17, 2020). "Silverwood Announces "Stunt Pilot": RMC Raptor Coaster for 2021!". Roller Coaster Alley. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- @silverwood4fun (February 5, 2021). "Special Delivery! Our first pieces of track made their way from..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- Rogers, Joel. "Tremors". Coaster Gallery. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- Stilwell, Andrew (August 3, 2017). "Six Flags Fiesta Texas adding Wonder Woman RMC Raptor in 2018". Coaster101. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- Pettey, Mike; Pettey, Chris (September 17, 2020). "Silverwood Announces "Stunt Pilot": RMC Raptor Coaster for 2021!". Roller Coaster Alley. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- Stilwell, Andrew (September 17, 2020). "Silverwood Announces Stunt Pilot RMC Raptor For 2021". Coaster101. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- "Henley Aerodrome (S62), Athol, ID". Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- Coddington, Brian; Drumheller, Susan (September 15, 1996). "Stunt Pilot Ruled The Skies At Silverwood Amazing Aerobatic Performances All In A Day's Work For Bob Heale". The Spokesman Review. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- "Stunt pilot dies after crash at air show". Kitsap Sun. September 16, 1996. Retrieved November 30, 2020.