Skytrak : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Skytrak

Former roller coaster

53°28′41″N 2°15′26″W / 53.478128°N 2.257115°W / 53.478128; -2.257115StatusRemovedOpening dateOctober 1997 (1997-10)Closing date1998 (1998)General statisticsTypeSteel – FlyingManufacturerSkytrak InternationalHeight50 ft (15 m)Length1,282 ft (391 m)Speed28 mph (45 km/h)Capacity240 riders per hourG-force2.5Height restriction55 in (140 cm)Skytrak at RCDB

Skytrak was a flying roller coaster located at Granada Studios Tour amusement park in Castlefield, Manchester, England. Opened in October 1997, it was the first flying roller coaster in the world,^[1] in which riders were tilted forward to experience the sensation of flying. It was named after an event from the Gladiators television series,^[2] and was the only roller coaster constructed by Skytrak International, a subsidiary of Fairport Engineering.^[3]

The ride was a "solo coaster" having only one person per car, which along with a complicated boarding process limited capacity to between 200 and 240 riders per hour.^[2]^[4] Issues with the ride delayed its opening by several months, and it continued to suffer reliability issues.^[2] It closed in 1998, with the park closing soon after. The ride was eventually removed and scrapped.^[4]

References

^ Sehlinger, Bob; Testa, Len; Bleiberg, Larry (2011). The Unofficial Guide to Britain's Best Days Out, Theme Parks and Attractions. Wiley. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-470-68313-2. OCLC 829995870.
^ ^a ^b ^c Grimsditch, Lee (2022-10-01). "Skytrak: The lost Manchester 'flying' rollercoaster that only lasted a year". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
^ Marden, Duane. "Skytrak International". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
^ ^a ^b Marden, Duane. "Skytrak (Granada Studios Tour)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 5, 2017.