Jet Star 2 (Lagoon)

Jet Star 2
Jet Star 2 in April 2010
Lagoon Amusement Park
Location	Lagoon Amusement Park
Park section	North Midway
Coordinates	40°59′13″N 111°53′37″W / 40.98694455357574°N 111.89356595277786°W / 40.98694455357574; -111.89356595277786
Status	Operating
Opening date	1976
Cost	$500,000
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Anton Schwarzkopf
Model	Jet Star 2
Height	44.3 ft (13.5 m)
Length	1,913.3 ft (583.2 m)
Inversions	0
Height restriction	50 in (127 cm)
Trains	Single train with a single car. Riders are arranged 1 across in 6 rows for a total of 6 riders per train.
Jet Star 2 at RCDB

Jet Star 2 is a Schwarzkopf steel roller coaster at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah. It opened in 1976.^[1]

History

Jet Star 2 was designed by Anton Schwarzkopf and originally operated at the 1974 World's Fair in Spokane, WA. After the fair ended, Lagoon purchased Jet Star 2 and relocated it to the park in 1976. Since its relocation to Lagoon, the ride has been located in the park's North Midway. Jet Star 2 has suffered many mechanical problems in the past, but its systems have been overhauled in recent years to be more reliable.

Previously, Jet Star 2 had a lighted sign at the top of its lift hill. This sign was removed when the ride was repainted with its current red and yellow color scheme in 2006. Before 2005, the colors on Jet Star 2 were reversed, with red track and yellow supports. In 2012, Jet Star 2's loading platform was remodeled slightly so that its capacity could be increased.^[2]

Jet Star 2 had a large enough impact on the local residents of Spokane during the 1974 World's Fair that local brewery NoLi Brewhouse named one of their brews "Jet Star" after the ride.^[3]

Experience

The ride starts with a spiral lift, which is sometimes referred to as the "hot rail" or "power track". Once at the top of the lift, the train descends a hill, then takes a left turn, another right turn, and another smaller drop. The ride then enters a series of drops and turns before hitting the final reduction and staging brake run, and stopping at an unloading station. After unloading, the vehicles return to the loading station.

Jet Star 2's trains are unique in that they do not have lap bar restraints like a traditional roller coaster. Instead, the restraints are much more like seat belts in a traditional automobile that allow for more freedom among riders. Riders may have to ride on the laps of larger riders if they wish to ride together. Each train has three of these large seats available, allowing for up to six riders at a time. Lagoon's policy is that no single riders may ride on Jet Star 2 and that two riders are required in the front section of the train, allowing a maximum of 8 riders per train.

References