Magic Flyer

Last updated
Magic Flyer
Previously known as Little Dipper (1941-1971) Clown Coaster (1971-1984)
Wile E. Coyote Coaster (1985-1998)
Goliath Jr. (2001-2007)
Percy's Railway (2008-2010)
Six Flags Magic Mountain children area.jpg
Magic Flyer, when it was known as Percy's Railway.
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Park section Whistlestop Park
Coordinates 34°25′29″N118°35′45″W / 34.424861°N 118.595918°W / 34.424861; -118.595918
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 29, 1971
Beverly Park
Coordinates 34°07′18″N118°25′05″W / 34.12167°N 118.41806°W / 34.12167; -118.41806
StatusRemoved
Opening date1946 or later
Closing date1970
General statistics
Type Steel  Kiddie
Manufacturer Bradley and Kaye
Designer Chance Rides
ModelLittle Dipper
Track layoutOval
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height10 ft (3.0 m)
Length350 ft (110 m)
Speed10 mph (16 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration0:30
Max vertical angle
Capacity360 riders per hour
G-force 2.1
TrainsSingle train with 3 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 12 riders per train.
Height Restriction54 in (140 cm) or shorter to ride
Magic Flyer at RCDB

Magic Flyer also known as Percy's Railway, is a small, oval-circuit steel roller coaster made by Bradley and Kaye that opened in 1971. The coaster is located in the Whistlestop Park area of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. It was an unknown-named coaster at the former Beverly Park prior to operating at Magic Mountain.

Contents

Magic flyer SFMM Magic Flyer 2.jpg
Magic flyer

History

Magic Flyer was originally located at Beverly Park in the 1940s, known as the Little Dipper. [1] It was relocated to Six Flags Magic Mountain in 1971 where it began operation as Clown Coaster. In the 1984-1985 off-season the ride was renamed and rethemed to Wile E. Coyote Coaster to suit the theme of the nearby Bugs Bunny World. [2] [3]

In 1998, the roller coaster closed and was disassembled. In 2000, the coaster was redesigned to look like the larger Goliath roller coaster, located in the same park, and relocated near to it. The old supports were replaced with supports that resembled those found on the Goliath and the trains were rebuilt from the chassis up. It was repainted with Goliath's color scheme and given the name Goliath Jr. (Goliath Junior) to reopen in 2001. [2] [3]

In the 2007-2008 off-season Goliath Jr. was rethemed to Percy's Railway to match Six Flags Magic Mountain's new kids zone, Thomas Town. Similarly to the Goliath Jr. makeover, the cars were rebuilt to resemble Percy the Small Engine (the leading car) and his Troublesome Trucks (the two following cars), all from the television series Thomas & Friends . [2] [3] [4]

In late 2010, Six Flags began the process of removing licensed theming from attractions. They terminated several licenses including that for Thomas the Tank Engine . The Thomas Town at Six Flags Magic Mountain has been renamed and rethemed to Whistlestop Park which reopened on March 19, 2011. [5] Percy's Railway was now again rethemed and renamed to Magic Flyer. The coaster saw very little change aside from Percy's face being removed and the red stripes painted over. [6] [7]

Ride

The train exits out of the station and directly ascends the 10-foot-tall (3.0 m) lift hill. The track then makes a small dip before navigating a 180° turn to the left. A second small dip is followed by another ascent before making a second 180° turn to the left and returning to the station.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wooden roller coaster</span> Type of roller coaster

A wooden roller coaster is a type of roller coaster classified by its wooden track, which consists of running rails made of flat steel strips mounted on laminated wood. The support structure is also typically made of wood, but may also be made of steel lattice or truss, which has no bearing on a wooden coaster's classification. The type of wood often selected in the construction of wooden coasters worldwide is southern yellow pine, which grows abundantly in the southern United States, due to its density and adherence to different forms of pressure treatment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters</span> Roller coaster manufacturer

Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) is one of the oldest existing roller coaster manufacturing companies in the world. Based in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, it was established in 1904 by Henry Auchey and Chester Albright under the name Philadelphia Toboggan Company. The company manufactured carousels, wooden roller coasters, toboggans and later, roller coaster trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Six Flags Magic Mountain</span> Theme park in Valencia, California

Six Flags Magic Mountain, formerly known and colloquially referred to as simply Magic Mountain, is a 209-acre (85 ha) amusement park located in Valencia, California, 35 miles (56 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles. It opened on May 29, 1971, as a development of the Newhall Land and Farming Company and Sea World Inc. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added "Six Flags" to the park's name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolliger & Mabillard</span> Swiss roller coaster manufacturer

Bolliger & Mabillard, officially Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers, Inc. and often abbreviated B&M, is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by engineers Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, both of whom had worked for Giovanola.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman: The Ride</span> Roller coasters at seven Six Flags parks

Batman: The Ride is an inverted roller coaster based on the DC Comics character Batman and found at seven Six Flags theme parks in the United States. Built by consulting engineers Bolliger & Mabillard, it rises to a height of between 100 and 105 feet and reaches top speeds of 50 mph (80 km/h). The original roller coaster at Six Flags Great America was partially devised by the park's general manager Jim Wintrode. Batman: The Ride was the world's first inverted roller coaster when it opened in 1992, and has since been awarded Coaster Landmark status by the American Coaster Enthusiasts. Clones of the ride exist at amusement parks around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypercoaster</span> Height class for roller coasters

A hypercoaster is a roller coaster with a height or drop measuring at least 200 feet (61 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman: Escape from Krypton</span> Shuttle roller coaster at Magic Mountain

Superman: Escape from Krypton, originally known as Superman: The Escape, is a steel shuttle roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. When it opened in 1997, it was the tallest roller coaster in the world, and its maximum speed of 100 mph (160 km/h) was tied for the fastest with Tower of Terror II, a similar roller coaster which opened two months earlier at Dreamworld in Australia. Both were the first to utilize Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) launch technology to propel vehicles, although the intended opening date in 1996 at Magic Mountain was postponed due to issues with the launch system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Riddler's Revenge</span> Stand-up roller coaster

The Riddler's Revenge is a steel stand-up roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened as the park's eleventh roller coaster on April 4, 1998, setting multiple world records among stand-up coasters. Originally located in the Movie District section of the park, which later became Metropolis in 2017, The Riddler's Revenge was also the park's single biggest investment at a cost of $14 million. It features a height of 156 feet (48 m), a maximum speed of 65 mph (105 km/h), six inversions, and a track length of 4,370 feet (1,330 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medusa (Six Flags Great Adventure)</span> Steel floorless roller coaster

Medusa, formerly known as Bizarro, is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride debuted as the world's first floorless roller coaster on April 2, 1999. It was repainted and rethemed to Bizarro in 2009. In 2022, it was repainted and renamed back to Medusa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant Inverted Boomerang</span> Steel roller coaster

A Giant Inverted Boomerang is a type of steel shuttle roller coaster manufactured by the Dutch firm Vekoma. The ride is a larger, inverted version of Vekoma's popular Boomerang sit down roller coasters. As of March 2024, four installations of the model are operating, with another one under construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flashback (Six Flags Magic Mountain)</span> Defunct roller coaster

Flashback was a steel roller coaster made by Intamin of Switzerland. The coaster was located in the Six Flags Plaza area of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. The model of the ride, a Space Diver coaster, was intended to be mass-produced, however, Flashback was the only installation.

Amusement rides and stunt shows themed to the Batman franchise its derivative elements are commonly found at Warner Bros. and Six Flags amusement parks across the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny's Forest Flyer</span> Roller coaster

Kenny's Forest Flyer is a suspended family roller coaster at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Road Runner Express (Six Flags Magic Mountain)</span> Steel junior roller coaster

Road Runner Express is a steel junior roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. On November 4, 2010, Six Flags had an investor meeting webcast where they released the new name for the kid's coaster and location in Bugs Bunny World. By April 2011, the entire coaster has finished construction on site. The ride opened on May 28, 2011, for Memorial Day Weekend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whistlestop Park</span> Themed childrens area

Whistlestop Park is a themed children's area with various rides at several Six Flags amusement parks.

This is a list of events and openings related to amusement parks that occurred in 2011. These various lists are not exhaustive.

This is a list of events and openings related to amusement parks that have occurred in 2012. These various lists are not exhaustive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocky Mountain Construction</span> Roller coaster manufacturer

Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) is a manufacturing and construction company based in Hayden, Idaho, United States. The company is best known for its I-Box track and Topper Track for wooden roller coasters. Established in 2001, the company was founded by Fred Grubb and Suanne Dedmon. The company has built over 20 roller coasters. In 2023, amusement ride manufacturer Larson International merged with Rocky Mountain Construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goliath (Six Flags New England)</span> Defunct steel shuttle roller coaster

Goliath was a steel shuttle roller coaster located at Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts. Manufactured by Vekoma, the ride originally opened as Déjà Vu at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2001. The ride was a larger, inverted version of Vekoma's popular Boomerang sit-down roller coasters. In 2021, the park removed the ride from its map indicating it would not reopen for the remainder of the season. In late 2021, demolition of the coaster began.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DC Universe (themed area)</span> DC Comics themed land at Six Flags parks

DC Universe is a DC Comics themed area at several Six Flags amusement parks. First opening at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2011, the themed area has since expanded into multiple Six Flags amusement parks in North America. Although the layout and attractions are not identical and vary at each park, they all thematically connect with each other.

References

  1. Marden, Duane. "unknown  (Beverly Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 Marden, Duane. "Percy's Railway  (Six Flags Magic Mountain)". Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 "Magic Mountain kiddie-coaster makeover". (Percy's Railway arrives at Six Flags, Valencia). Los Angeles Times. 18 January 2008. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  4. Sanchez350 (25 August 2008). "Percy's Railway Offride Clip". YouTube. Retrieved 7 October 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. MacDonald, Brady (25 November 2010). "Six Flags amusement parks prepare for thematic makeovers". LA Times. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
  6. MacDonald, Brady (January 18, 2011). "Five 'new' coasters coming to Six Flags Magic Mountain? Not so fast". News Article. Los Angeles Times.
  7. "Percy's Railway Gets A New Name At Six Flags Magic Mountain". The Coaster Guy. 12 March 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2011.