Defunctland: The History of the Worst Six Flags Coaster, Green Lantern: First Flight

amusement and theme park rides are often divisive what is beloved by one fan might be despised by another there are endless debates on whether any given ride is good or bad thrilling or uncomfortable fun or boring but every now and then the stars align and a majority opinion emerges and fans critics and casual guests alike all come together in their shared love or hatred of an attraction and in six flags case there is no coaster in recent history that has been so widely rebuked as Magic mountain's Green Lantern first flight on May 29th 1973 a neighborhood of Santa Clarita California opened with 38 listed attractions of those three were created by intamin a swiss-based ride designer and manufacturer that had opened just a few years prior another designer and manufacturer the california-based Aero development famous for its contributions to Disneyland would provide four rides to Magic Mountain including the parks signature coaster Gold Rush er this combined with the Bradley & K Little Dipper kiddie coaster meant that the park would only operate two coasters in its first year but this would soon change over the next three decades the park would gain an additional 15 coasters lose three of them for a grand total of 13 by 2000 this put Magic Mountain which had since been bought by Six Flags and renamed to Six Flags Magic Mountain in striking distance of Cedar Point Amusement Park strive on records it is almost a requirement for parks to have at least one ride that can boast being the tallest fastest longest or first of its type but the record for the most coasters in a single Park is an especially coveted title Six Flags Magic Mountain announced in late 2000 their intention to add two additional coasters bringing Magic mountain's total to 15 and beating out Cedar Point by one one of the rides would be a record-breaking bukhoma boomerang named deja vu and the other would be a coaster unlike anything on earth arrow which had become arrow haas and then aerodynamics now had three coasters operating at Six Flags Magic Mountain and they were partnering with the park to create a one-of-a-kind coaster using a design patented in the mid 90s by John F mares an attorney that apparently just patents coaster designs in his free time arrow and Six Flags Magic Mountain set out to build the first-ever fourth-dimension roller coaster a fourth dimension coaster is characterized by the addition of a horizontal axis in which the cars can turn and spin guests perpendicular to the track this can create additional inversions or even keep guests upright as the vehicle inverts Arrow's coaster designed by engineer Alan shulkie used for Rails rather than the standard to two rails would keep the Train on the tracks and the other two would use a rack and pinion gear to control the spin of the seats so while the coaster would appear to spin freely the rotation would be controlled and the same for every guest as the train made its way along the track the coaster was an innovative concept from aro who had lost significant ground in the industry since their heyday decades prior the coaster titled simply X or sometimes Xtreme was planned to open in the summer of 2000 but this would not be the case design issues and miscalculated construction costs would delay the build months with previews taking place in December and the ride finally opening on January 12th 2002 the ride would put Six Flags Magic Mountain at fifteen coasters one more than Cedar Point awarding Magic Mountain the coveted title however the rides debut was not the celebration that it should have been for arrow or Magic Mountain arrow lost millions on the coaster the unique design was supposed to put them back on the map but it instead forced them into bankruptcy on top of this Six Flags frustration over the delays and mechanical issues led them to sue arrow which was the final nail in the coffin for the company meanwhile Magic Mountain was doing their best to keep the attraction operating through constant mechanical issues which caused delays in opening every day and multiple down times the dispatch rate of the unique design was slowed as well and wait times could be as long as five hours the reception of the ride itself was generally positive ignoring these inconveniences but it was clear that the ride was not functioning correctly in early June of 2002 after only six months of operation Magic Mountain closed X for repairs in the meantime Cedar Point was able to win back the title of most coasters operating in a single park with their edition of wicked twister this would be brief as X would be up and running again in August resulting in a tie between the two parks arrow and its assets would be sold to the Utah based manufacturer SNS which created SNS arrow to continue the company's legacy however SNS seemed to be only interested in the fourth dimension coaster and using X's design SNS arrow would build the world's second fourth-dimension coaster named ed Jenica at fuji-q highland in japan this coaster had a few design differences that fixed many of the issues of X which was still struggling at Magic Mountain after years of issues delays down times and even periods of closure for maintenance Six Flags bit the bullet and revamped the ride in December of 2007 X closed for renovations opening back up on May 24th 2008 as x2 or x squared a new color scheme new effects new trains and critically a new loading system was implemented x2 operated more efficiently and was better received by guests despite all the issues with the initial fourth-dimension coaster the promise of the concept did not go unnoticed rival manufacturer intamin began designing their own fourth-dimension coaster in the mid-2000s debuting their version named the intamin zack spent in 2007 to Zacks benz were created here new and linen maki and finland an inferno at terra medica and spain despite being fourth dimension coasters giving riders the ability to flip on a horizontal axis there were significant differences between intimate & Arrows design first the Zacks bins track is laid out vertically resulting in a very small footprint and compact design second while x2 had seven cars to a train with two guests on either side of a car and all 28 guests facing the same direction the Zacks Ben had a single vehicle with four guests on either side two facing one way and two facing the other this resulted in difference number three the axis of the rotation was not centered to the riders rather it was centered to the car and finally and most importantly the Zacks been models were free spinning while arrows designed predetermined rotations intimates varied depending on weight distribution the first two Zack spins were rather short in length in 2009 a slightly larger Zacks been in gröna lund in Sweden named insane would debut two years after that intamin would create a fourth Zacks been identical in layout to insane this would be the first Zack spent to debut in North America and it will be located at none other than Six Flags Magic Mountain on October 20th 2010 Six Flags Magic Mountain announced the addition of two new coasters a relocated kiddie coaster from Six Flags New Orleans and a new Zacks been themed to the green lantern titled Green Lantern first flight Six Flags which used to be owned by Time Warner until 1998 still had a close relationship with the Warner Brothers movie studio holding the long-term licensing rights to many of their classic characters and DC Comics heroes the new ride would take the synergy one step further as the news Axman was set to debut at the same time of the Green Lantern film starring Ryan Reynolds which was scheduled to open June 15 2011 this was somewhat appropriate as both be received similarly green lantern first flight would be located in the westernmost section of the park which at the time was named the Gotham City back lot it will be renamed to DC Universe to accommodate Green Lantern's edition the ride would take over a small section of land that at the time held trees lunch tables and a Gotham City statue construction began in early 2011 and continued into the early summer however the ride would miss its opening date being delayed two weeks past the movie's premiere testing began in June and there were a few kinks to work out in reality this was probably just caused by someone not tightening the lid on the water test dummies but never ignore an omen the ride had the same specs as insane it was 107 feet tall and reached speeds of 35 miles an hour he was celebrated as the first ever completely vertical pattern zigzag roller coaster featuring 360 degrees spinning seats in North America what took them so long most importantly for marketing it was a record-breaking coaster technically the coaster itself broke no records as a fir mentioned it was a clone of insane however the existence of the coaster broke arguably the most important record which is of course the most coasters in a park Green Lantern first flight would be the park's 18th coaster beating Cedar Point 17 now with the most coasters on the planet Kobe goes Six Flags Magic Mountain this was just in time for Magic mountain's 40th anniversary and the park touted that they now had the most comprehensive collection of thrilling coasters anywhere in the world a media event was held for the ride on June 30th 2011 the grand opening ceremony was star-studded Aquaman was there Wonder Woman was there and of course the Green Lantern himself was there in brightest day in blackest night in spandex that hide nothing from sight [Music] the following day the ride was open to the public yes would approach the ride viewing the coaster a large Green Lantern power battery and a large green lantern illustration they would pass under a sign for Ferris aircraft where courage takes flight the fictional aircraft company where Hal Jordan the Green Lantern himself was a test pilot it would pass by a model of a plane and more information on Ferris aircraft as yes entered the queue building they would be met with Abin SURS wrecked starship the next room would feature a Green Lantern power battery and a pre-show video of animated green lantern illustrations next they would be greeted by a sign featuring the Green Lantern oath the line would then be split so that guests could board on both sides of the track yes would be seated eight to a vehicle four in each car with two passengers facing forward and the other two facing back the ride began and the spin was unlocked giving riders their first preview of what was to come they would lock in position as guests began their ascent resulting in guests climbing the lift Hill at a number of angles depending on weight distribution yes would them brave the 107 foot or 33 meter lift Hill before beginning their zigzag descent along the 828 foot or 252 meter track the most intense section was the final element which whipped guests up and over a steep curve before locking the cars upright and returning guests to the boarding area s would exit the ride on the backside of the Q building the entire experience was about 60 seconds reviews of green lantern first flight were generally positive out of the gate and fans and critics praised the coaster as an intense and thrilling addition to Magic Mountain compacting some of the unique experiences of x2 into a small footprint some critics were underwhelmed calling it a glorified flat ride but overall reviews were good the ride had a maximum capacity of around 800 people an hour the Magic Mountain almost always ran the attraction with fewer than the maximum amount of vehicles resulting in the capacity being closer to 500 an hour guests a man for the small coaster was not as overwhelming as the larger attractions but it seemed the Green Lantern first flight was a solid thrilling addition to Magic Mountain however guests opinions were about to do a 180 as it turns out Zak's pins are much more about the spin than the Zak it was reported that the maximum amount of 360 degree rotations the free spinning cars on Green Lantern 1st flight could accomplish was 3 with the minimum beam 0 but many reported in the early months accomplishing four or five or even six the amount of rotations depended on the weight distribution of the car and reportedly how much the cars were allowed to spend the latter rumor purported that there was a friction mechanism that the park or ride operators could control so while the cars would still be free spinning and capable of 360 degree rotations the amount of force necessary to make a full rotation could be much greater depending on the setting but this has not been confirmed weight distribution on the other hand definitely plays a huge role supposedly right operators in European parks where the other three Zach's been coasters resided make an effort to maximize the number of rotations by purposefully picking heavier riders and pairing them with lighter ones of course six flags would not make the same effort resulting in varying ride experiences fewer rotations leading to a less thrilling ride was not even the real problem the biggest issue was the experience that fewer rotations could cause not only is going upside down fun but on the Zach's bends intense a zig-zag descent it is often necessary to avoid whiplash cars that are inverting with the curves of the track have the force of each sharp turn distributed more comfortably but if the car remains upright the whole time riders are violently pushed pulled raised and dropped banging around in their restraints defeating the enjoyment and purpose of the ride plus as previously mentioned Zach's pins placed guests off the horizontal axis in which they spend exacerbating the whiplash effect as each guest is essentially catching up with the movement of the ride the restraints were also less than comfortable with many guests complaining of pain in the shoulders and in some cases hits below the belt to put it delicately it was a pelvic nightmare this tainted the ride for many guests but the complaints were minimal during the rides opening months it wasn't until early 2012 that the ride would develop its reputation among coaster fans and regular guests as one of if not the worst Six Flags coaster in operation through late 2011 and early 2012 the ride experienced a few breakdowns leaving riders either facing the sky or upside down for an extended period of time this was either a prevalent issue or something Six Flags wanted to avoid entirely as an adjustment was made to the rides design to prevent this from happening the vehicles which prominently displayed fins that appeared in the formation of a throwing star or give an additional metal filling in the gaps resulting in a solid structure reportedly this weighed the vehicles down and significantly reduce the amount of possible rotations and after this change riders reported a much worse and much more painful experience some called the ride neutered fitting considering that others began reporting that this is what the ride did to them this is not merely to engage in the immature humor of the classic low blow the only ballbusting going on here was that of the ride the reports of crotch Boches plagued the rides reputation the ride was advertised as an attraction capable of quote squeezing a lifetime of action into 90 seconds but many riders claimed after the change that it only squeezed ones ability to make a life out of them in 90 seconds the rides bad reputation would only grow throughout the years and a palpable hatred was brewed in July of 2014 green lanten first flight and all of the intimates axman's were closed out of caution after an 18 year old man died after falling out of the inferno Zak's men in Spain it was soon revealed that the park had modified the attractions restraint without the knowledge of intimate and the others axman's were reopened the following year a new fourth dimension free-spinning coaster would open at Six Flags Fiesta Texas named Batman the ride but this would not be developed by intamin rather SNS arrow which had since been acquired by sansei technologies the company had built one additional fourth dimensional coaster an x2 style at China dinosaurs park named Dino Conda but this would be the last of its kind that S&S sansei would develop Batman the ride was similar to exact spin but different in a few key ways that solved many of the problems that intamin x' design had first riders were separated into cars of two rather than four and the axis was centered on the seats more specifically the rider stomachs resulting in a more comfortable experience and a somersaulting effect second the cars use a magnet and fin mechanism that allowed for forced spins in key areas while allowing free spinning during the rest of the ride this concept again designed by Alan silkie was a huge success and a total of nine SNS free spins had been installed throughout the world to compete intamin announced a new generation of their free spin model that shared more than a few similarities to SNS his version although so far none have been installed as fourth-dimension coaster spread throughout the world green lantern first flight continued to disappoint the amount of negative reviews for the attraction cannot be overstated it was truly despised by many while there was a minority of people that enjoyed the attraction and thought everyone else was not tough enough for it many more Magic Mountain visitors actively avoided the ride and then suddenly in July of 2017 Magic Mountain closed the coaster giving no explanation as to why rumors circulated that a woman had hurt her back on the ride and was suing the park but nothing official ever surfaced in early 2018 trim brakes were installed leading many to believe that the ride was just being modified for reopening however this was not the case the ride remained closed for the rest of the year in early 2019 Magic Mountain guests noticed that the ride was being tested however this time the rumor was not that the ride would reopen rather the coaster was being tested before it was to be sold were moved this most likely was the case as it was soon revealed that LaRonde a Six Flags park in Montreal Quebec Canada was to receive the ride which would be renamed to be pair Six Flags Magic mountain's official reasoning for removing the coaster was to make way for new development no progress has begun on the area and the queue still remains in tact the coaster was dismantled in late 2019 and transported to LaRonde where it was to open in 2020 but the Cova 19 outbreak has indefinitely delayed the rides opening green lantern first flights replacement was rumoured to be an RMC rapture single rail coaster plans were filed with le county but the parks closure also due to Cove in nineteen will postpone and potentially canceled these plans luckily the removal of green lantern first flight would not affect Six Flags Magic mountain's title of the most coasters in a single Park more coasters had been added since green lantern first flights debut and Magic Mountain now has a - coaster lead over Cedar Point with Magic Mountain a 19 and Cedar Point at 17 although many fans would argue quality over quantity Green Lantern first flight was about as universally hated as a coaster could get it was not without its fans but the majority of guests seemed to agree that it was not worth the whiplash most disappointingly the ride was received well before the modifications it is possible that the coaster could have lived on with a much different reputation if six flags had not made the change it is not often that the removal of a ride of any kind is cheered but if there's a silver lining to be had unsuspecting guests will no longer be subjected to the pain and whiplash caused by green lantern so long as they don't watch the movie [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] McDonnell undergo as enough

Channel: Defunctland

Views: 2,873,392

Rating: 4.9238262 out of 5

Keywords: defunctland, kevin perjurer, theme park, extinct, abandoned, defunct, history, disney, disneyland, previous, attractions, on ride, lights on, six flags, cedar point, cedar fair, magic mountain, six flags magic mountain, six flags magic mountain history, bad roller coasters, roller coaster failures, theme park failures, amusement park failures, amusement park history, bad rides, bad ride history, six flags magic mountain coasters, six flag coaster history, roller coaster history

Id: L8ZVpv0Y2vI

Length: 19min 28sec (1168 seconds)

Published: Sat May 02 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/TheDeltaLambda]

I think this is the first defunct ride that I've actually experienced. Fond memories of whiplash and ball busting.

[u/TheOnlyBongo]

THERE'S TOO MUCH CONFETTI I CAN'T SEEEEEEE!

Oh my god I had to pause the video, I was laughing way too hard that that. I was already chuckling at the video quality tanking due to the many particulates in the air but that was the cherry on top.

[u/cool-beans-mcgee]

I remember seeing a bunch of sunglasses and hats flung about 20 feet from where the ride very abruptly stopped. Super excited for this episode!

[u/rjdsf1993]

There is another Green Lantern ride in Six Flags Great Adventure which is different but also awful. The ride has you standing the entire time, which puts all the force of the ride on your knees so the ride straight up hurts to ride. It also pushes your pelvis down on the "seat" so it really hurts there too, especially for male riders.

[u/517634]

My Dinoconda don't want none, unless you got full rotations SON.

[u/TundraTerp]

I hated this when I rode it years ago. I have even refused to ride similar rides at other parks. I think I will give them a shot now that I know this one was a one off dog.

[u/stipendAwarded]

I remember suggesting that in a post on this subreddit a while back. I’m glad he picked up on it.

[u/[deleted]]

it do be the worst ride

[u/adamcordo]

I was just a little disappointed that it didn't all tie back to Eisner in the end.