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Always looking to be on the cutting edge of thrill rides, Six Flags
turned to INTAMIN for something that was new and exciting, and never
seen before.
The first of the Freefall rides were installed at Six Flags Over Texas
and Magic Mountain for the 1982 season and proved to be such a hit, they
were added to the rest of the Six Flags properties the following
season. The original ride's orange and yellow towers were often used in
brochures and advertising for Six Flags parks.
The company developed an award winning ad campaign featuring stuntman
Dar Robinson performing a jump from a tall building and landing in an
air bag, with the line "What's it like to jump from a 13 story
building?". The ad was part of popular culture at the time and was
even spoofed on morning radio shows.
Freefall was built on the site of three attractions which were removed
or relocated. The Rotor was relocated to the site of the Rail Road
which had been removed two seasons earlier.
The Tilt-A-Whirl moved across the park to the Hernando's Hideaway
area. The rides which were originally designed for portability were
relatively easy to move.
A shooting gallery that had been located on the site was torn down
completely.
To promote the opening of Freefall at Great Adventure in the spring of
1983, a stunt man performed a jump for the media into an air bag in New
York Harbor.
Freefall was one of three new attractions added to Great Adventure for
1983 as the park's attendance blossomed. Also added that season were
the Parachuter's Perch which was another INTAMIN ride which offered a
thrilling experience, and the Great Lake Grandstand and ski show to
round out the park's offerings and increase capacity.
Freefall opened to huge crowds who waited on long lines for the very
brief ride, who would often get off and get back on line for another
ride. |
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The large queue for Freefall was covered with a pergola to help provide
some shade for the long lines of guests. Waiting guests could look up
to the tower as the cars would drop, further building the
anticipation. Guests passed under the run-out track and brakes on
their way to the loading station.
Guests entered the station boarding the cars as they advanced through.
The guests would be secured with simple shoulder harnesses giving a
feeling of freedom and further adding to the fear of falling.
The anticipation built as the cars continued to advance towards the lift
with guests unable to see when their car would be lifted until it
entered the tower shaft.
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For the 1992 season the section of the park became Action Town and the
following season Movietown, with all the rides in the section receiving
new names and theme elements. Freefall got a fresh coat of paint in
more industrial gray and blue, and received the name Stuntman's
Freefall.
Next to Freefall, the new Stunt Arena took shape, and at the the other
end a new restroom facility was constructed.
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For the 1997 season, the area in
front of Freefall was made over completely with the addition of Batman &
Robin: The Chiller.
Freefall's entrance was moved down the path and closer to the ride's
exit with an additional sidewalk being added to bring guests into the
existing queue house and allowing for the construction of the new
Snowy's Snacks building. |
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Technical Information
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Manufacturer: |
INTAMIN AG, Switzerland |
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Ride Model: |
Free Fall |
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Opening Date: |
Spring 1983 |
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Height: |
130 feet (39 meters) |
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Required Space: |
217 x 39 feet (66 x 12 meters) |
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Weight of Ride: |
120 tons |
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Power Requirements: |
800A
480VAC |
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Approximate Ride Time: |
One minute 20 seconds |
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Length of Drop Time: |
2 seconds |
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Length of Fall: |
96 feet (29.5 meters) |
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Maximum Speed: |
54.5 mph (88 km/h) |
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Number of Gondolas: |
8 |
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Riders Per Gondola: |
4 |
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Capacity: |
Approx.1200 guests per hour |
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Safety Features: |
State of the art computer braking systems
using 103 electric
sensors |
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Safety Restraints: |
Over the shoulder locking harness with
padded headrests. |
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Estimated Cost: |
$3 million |
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Perhaps the most lasting memory
for riders on Freefall was the anticipation as the car reached the top
of the lift and slowly rolled out toward the edge. The view out to
the end of the track and towards Showcase Theater took a backseat to the
view straight down through the floor grate. The car would sit for just
a second at the end of the track as the track locked in preparation for
the drop. Finally after what seemed like an eternity to most people, a
buzzer would sound and the car would plunge, pulling the riders down the
100+ foot drop for the approximately 2 seconds of true freefall before
hitting the curved section and the brakes staring skyward. |
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Watch Video Of
Freefall
In Action:
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As time passed and bigger and more modern rides were added to theme
parks, the INTAMIN first generation freefalls began disappearing. One
of the first to go was Six Flags Astroworld's Sky Screamer, with parts
going off to other Six Flags parks. The Sky Screamer cars sat in the
park's maintenance yard for many years, never being used on Great
Adventure's ride.
Over time first generation INTAMIN freefall rides began suffering more
and more downtime as more parts began to wear out and require
replacement. As costs mounted for keeping them running the writing was
on the wall for all the remaining rides, with parks trying to sell them
as rides or as scrap metal if no buyers were found.
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Watch The Freefall Commercial
From Six Flags Great Adventure:
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Throughout the 2006 season Freefall suffered long periods of downtime as
the problems increased and budgets shrank. By midway through the
summer, Freefall was listed as "Closed for the Season", but was
sporadically reopened for the last two months.
Increasingly it was looking as though Freefall would be leaving the
park, and after the park had closed for the season, the ride was
demolished and sold for scrap. The spot which had so long been one of
the park's most recognizable landmarks was now vacant with no budget for
a replacement attraction in sight. |
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The former Freefall site became a landscaped barrier between the park
and the backstage areas of the park. With the removal of Freefall and
then the removal of The Chiller the following season, the area of the
park became very quiet. The former queue are became a patio for
Snowy's Snacks. Eventually it is anticipated the area will be
redeveloped with new attractions. |
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