Great Gasp facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Great Gasp |
|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Great Gasp's presence was immediately noticed when you entered the park.
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Ride statistics | |||||||||||
| Manufacturer | Intamin | ||||||||||
| Designer | Intamin | ||||||||||
| Model | Paratower | ||||||||||
| Height | 225 ft (69 m) | ||||||||||
| Vehicle type | Parachute | ||||||||||
| Vehicles | Parachutes | ||||||||||
| Rows | 1 | ||||||||||
The Great Gasp was a super tall "Parachute Drop" ride at Six Flags Over Georgia. It stood 225 feet (about 68 meters) high, like a giant landmark, for nearly 30 years! This exciting ride was taken down in 2005.
History of the Great Gasp
The Great Gasp opened in 1976. It was inspired by the famous Parachute Jump ride at Coney Island in New York. Engineers from a company called Intamin, based in Switzerland, designed this amazing ride. When the managers from Six Flags Over Georgia saw it, they knew it would be perfect for their park.
Building the Great Gasp cost $1.5 million, which was a lot of money back then! Other similar "Parachute Drop" rides were also built at Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags St. Louis.
When it first opened, the Great Gasp had 12 parachutes. Later, some changes were made, and four of the stations allowed riders to stand up. Over time, these stand-up chutes were removed. As fewer people wanted to ride, the number of working parachutes also went down.
As the ride became less popular and it was hard to find parts to fix it, the Great Gasp's time came to an end. On August 14, 2005, Six Flags Over Georgia announced the ride would close forever. On its final weekend, riders received special "Last Gasp" pins to remember the legendary ride. Within three weeks, the Great Gasp was taken apart and removed from the park.
How the Great Gasp Worked
The Great Gasp started with 12 parachutes, but later this number was reduced to 8. Each seat could hold two riders. For safety, every seat had a seat belt and a bar that held riders in place.
Strong cables kept each parachute steady and in the right spot. Another cable pulled the seat up and down. Inside the tall tower, there was a heavy counterweight for each parachute. This helped the ride move smoothly.
The ride had a smart control system. It could tell if a seat was empty or if it had too many people. If something wasn't right, it would stop the ride from starting. A special wind sensor at the top of the tower also helped. If the wind blew too hard, the system would prevent the ride from operating to keep everyone safe.
Inside the tower, a small elevator allowed workers to reach the motors and winches at the very top. The tower also held antennas for the park's radio system. The Great Gasp was even a part of New Year's Eve celebrations in 1990! A huge "1991" sign was put on it, and fireworks were launched from the top. A "Peach" was also dropped, just like the famous one still dropped in Atlanta.
Some parts of the Great Gasp were sent to Six Flags Over Texas. These parts were used to help keep their similar ride, the Texas Chute Out, working for a few more years. The Texas Chute Out closed in 2012 and was replaced by the Texas Sky Screamer, which is much taller.
Images for kids
-
A "Last Gasp" pin
