People riding an upside-down rollercoaster

The Jersey Devil in Jackson Township, New Jersey

Courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure

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Here Come the Coasters!

Check out new roller coasters opening to thrill seekers this year

May/June 2021
By Jeanette Ferrara

Many people look forward to a return to normal after the Covid-19 pandemic. Some have their sights set on hitting the road this year for amusement park thrills. Many parks delayed the opening of new rides until 2021. Because of safety risks, many theme parks were closed for long periods of time. 

But the minds behind each of these new and exciting rides have not taken a break! The roller coaster engineers at Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) in Idaho have been working nonstop. The design company has three coasters opening this year in parks around the United States. 

Many people are excited for life to be normal again after the Covid-19 pandemic. Some plan to travel to amusement parks this year. Several parks delayed the opening of new rides until 2021. Most theme parks were closed for long periods of time because of safety risks.

But the people who design new and exciting rides have not taken a break! The roller coaster engineers at Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) have been working nonstop. RMC is a design company in Idaho. The company plans to open three coasters this year. The new rides will be located in parks around the United States.

“We’re always looking to push the envelope with new ideas,” says Jake Kilcup, one of RMC’s designers. But the most fun part of creating coasters? “Our team always gets to test ride them first!” he says.

“We’re always looking to push the envelope with new ideas,” says Jake Kilcup. Kilcup is one of the designers at RMC. What’s the most fun part of creating coasters? “Our team always gets to test ride them first!” he says.

Courtesy of Silverwood Theme Park

Courtesy of Silverwood Theme Park

Once completed,Stunt Pilot will be 106 feet tall.

The Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho, sits on the site of an old airfield. So to create a new ride, RMC engineers drew inspiration from the park’s past. The result: a roller coaster named Stunt Pilot!

Actual stunt pilots don’t just fly planes, they perform exciting and challenging maneuvers for an audience. RMC wanted riders of the new coaster to feel like they are stunt pilots in the cockpit of their own planes. 

The ride climbs 106 feet before dropping and zooming 52 miles per hour (mph). Riders face loops, sharp turns, and even a corkscrew!

The Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho, was built on an old airfield. The park’s past inspired RMC engineers to create a new ride. The result is a roller coaster named Stunt Pilot!

Actual stunt pilots don’t just fly planes. They perform exciting and difficult maneuvers for an audience. RMC wanted riders of the new coaster to feel like they are stunt pilots. The roller coaster will make it seem like riders are in the cockpit of their own planes.

The ride climbs 106 feet. Then it drops! It zooms at 52 miles per hour (mph). Riders go around loops. They make sharp turns. Riders even go down a corkscrew spiral!

Courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure

The Jersey Devil dives at a top speed of 58 miles per hour.

As of press time, the Jersey Devil is expected to be open at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey this year. It’s named after a legendary creature that supposedly roams the pine forests of southern New Jersey.

The coaster is on track to be the tallest single-rail coaster in the world. The Jersey Devil drops riders from a 13-story height into a nearly 60 mph fall.

Most roller coasters have two-rail tracks, explains Garcia. The Jersey Devil has only one. This makes the coaster easier to manufacture and install in a park. The coaster will also have two inversions, meaning riders go upside down twice!

The Jersey Devil is expected to open this year. It is located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. It’s named after a legendary creature named the Jersey Devil. The Jersey Devil is said to live in the pine forests of southern New Jersey.

The Jersey Devil roller coaster will be the tallest single-rail coaster in the world. It drops riders from a 13-story height. Riders fall at nearly 60 mph.

RMC engineer Amy Garcia explains that most roller coasters have two-rail tracks. The Jersey Devil has only one. This makes the coaster easier to manufacture and install in a park. The coaster will also have two inversions. That means riders will go upside down twice!

Courtesy of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Iron Gwazi reaches a speed of 76 miles per hour.

“People are really going to enjoy Iron Gwazi,” says Kilcup. “It’s tall, fast, and has a few elements you won’t see coming.” The brand-new, crocodile-themed ride at the Busch Gardens park in Tampa Bay, Florida, is 206 feet high. It sports steep drops and hits a max speed of 76 miles per hour. 

Iron Gwazi is a hybrid roller coaster, meaning its construction is a combination of steel and wood. The designers at RMC chose to reuse the structure of the original wooden Gwazi coaster they had been asked to replace.

“People are really going to enjoy Iron Gwazi,” says Kilcup. “It’s tall, fast, and has a few elements you won’t see coming.” Iron Gwazi is a new ride with a crocodile theme. It is located at the Busch Gardens park in Tampa Bay, Florida. Iron Gwazi is 206 feet high. It has steep drops. The ride’s highest speed is 76 miles per hour.

Iron Gwazi is a hybrid roller coaster. That means it’s made from a combination of steel and wood. RMC designers built Iron Gwazi to replace the original Gwazi coaster. The original Gwazi was made only of wood. The designers at RMC chose to reuse the structure of the original coaster as part of the new Iron Gwazi.

MATH TALK

What kinds of angles make for a thrilling roller coaster ride?

MATH TALK

What kinds of angles make for a thrilling roller coaster ride?

Classifying Angles

What to Do

A ray is a straight line with only 1 endpoint. When 2 rays share an endpoint, they intersect to form an angle. We measure angles in degrees (°). We classify angles into 4 types based on their measurements.

Example

What type of angle is marked in the picture below? 

This angle measures about 20°, which we can confirm using a protractor. This is less than 90°.

So this is an acute angle.

Classifying Angles

What to Do

A ray is a straight line with only 1 endpoint. When 2 rays share an endpoint, they intersect to form an angle. We measure angles in degrees (°). We classify angles into 4 types based on their measurements.

Example

What type of angle is marked in the picture below? 

This angle measures about 20°, which we can confirm using a protractor. This is less than 90°.

So this is an acute angle.

RMC engineer Amy Garcia sketched this drawing below while designing Stunt Pilot. What kind of angle is angle A? 

RMC engineer Amy Garcia sketched this drawing below while designing Stunt Pilot. What kind of angle is angle A? 

What kind of angle is angle B? 

What kind of angle is angle B? 



A. Garcia sketched this drawing below while designing the Jersey Devil. These supplementary angles add up to 180 degrees. What is the measurement of angle A?

B. What kind of angle is it? 

A. Garcia sketched this drawing below while designing the Jersey Devil. These supplementary angles add up to 180 degrees. What is the measurement of angle A?

B. What kind of angle is it? 



Garcia sketched this drawing below while designing Iron Gwazi. Classify angle A. 

Garcia sketched this drawing below while designing Iron Gwazi. Classify angle A. 

Classify angle B.

Classify angle B.

Which drop is steeper?

Which drop is steeper?



Continue the Learning Journey

  • Play the game “Angles in Action” (above) to practice working with angles.
  • Rewatch the video “Record Roller Coasters” (above). Then design the ultimate roller coaster! Use the design sketches from the article as inspiration for the drops, twists, and turns of your roller coaster ride. Include at least 2 acute angles and 2 obtuse angles in your roller coaster design and label them. If you have a protractor, you can measure your angles too!
  • Gather at least 2 long, thin objects, like pencils, straws, or toothpicks. On a flat surface, use your objects to create the 4 different types of angles you learned about: acute, right, obtuse, and straight.

Continue the Learning Journey

  • Play the game “Angles in Action” (above) to practice working with angles.
  • Rewatch the video “Record Roller Coasters” (above). Then design the ultimate roller coaster! Use the design sketches from the article as inspiration for the drops, twists, and turns of your roller coaster ride. Include at least 2 acute angles and 2 obtuse angles in your roller coaster design and label them. If you have a protractor, you can measure your angles too!
  • Gather at least 2 long, thin objects, like pencils, straws, or toothpicks. On a flat surface, use your objects to create the 4 different types of angles you learned about: acute, right, obtuse, and straight.
Geometry
Angles
classify

Assign a particular class or category based on shared qualities
airfield

An area of land set aside for the takeoff, landing, and maintenance of aircraft, such as planes or helicopters
engineers

People who often design, build, or work with engines or machines
ray

A straight line that has only one endpoint
manufacture

To make on a large scale using machinery
endpoint

A point that marks the end of a ray or one of the ends of a line segment
nonstop

Done without stopping for a break
protractor

A math tool used to measure angles
install

Place in position for people to use
legendary

Described in traditional stories that are often based in myth, such as the Loch Ness monster
corkscrew

A type of roller coaster track that twists in a spiral motion
angle

Formed when two rays meet at a common endpoint. There are three main types of angles: acute (less than 90 degrees), right (90 degrees), and obtuse (greater than 90 degrees).
push the envelope

Come close to or go beyond the limits of what is possible
maneuvers

Movements or series of moves that require skill and care
cockpit

The area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which the pilot controls the aircraft
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