Lightnin' Loops were two individual Shuttle Loop roller coasters located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson. Manufactured by Arrow Development, the ride opened on May 23, 1978, with a unique feature at the time. Both tracks interlocked at their vertical loop element. The ride's popularity declined in the mid-to-late 1980s, and a fatal incident occurred in 1987. The ride had limited operation when it reopened later that year and was eventually dismantled in 1992.
History
Lightnin' Loops was built in 1977 and opened in 1978 at Six FlagsGreat Adventure. Six Flags had acquired the park in 1977 and Lightnin' Loops was planned by the prior ownership as far back as 1976. It was the second looping roller coaster on the east coast, although several full circuit looping coasters were in operation as far back as 1975. The coaster was located on the west side of the park that is currently occupied by Movietown,, and Nitro. Lightnin' Loops was the first roller coaster to feature interlocking loops, a feature that would eventually be repeated on Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and the Orient Express at Worlds of Fun. However Lightnin' Loops was the world's only interlocking dual shuttle shuttle loop coaster. Lightnin' Loops featured a launch system that propelled the train downward into the loop and to another launch station at the same height as the loading station. Then the train was launched backwards returning to the loading station. This coaster continued to be the star attraction at the park throughout the 1980s, although other coasters such as Rolling Thunder, Sarajevo Bobsleds and Ultra Twister also were major coasters. The popularity of Lightnin' Loops faded in 1989 when the bobsleds were replaced with a multiple looping full circuit then-state of the art roller coaster called the Great American Scream Machine, which featured seven inversions, three of which were loops. Also unpopular was the high stair-climb to reach the Loops loading station. By 1990, the area that Lightnin' Loops was occupying became a dull area of the park due to the lack of theming. Nearby, however Adventure Rivers would be added in 1991. A new stunt show arena was built next to Lightnin' Loops, and the area was transformed in "Action Town". In May 1992, management announced that Lightnin' Loops would close at the end of July, and it was dismantled in August. One of the loops would be sold to Funtime Parks, the other loop would move to the site formerly occupied by Ultra Twister and construction of "Batman The Ride" would begin on the site of the space occupied by Lightnin' Loops. Batman: The Ride lead to the conversion of the area into Movietown. At the end of 1992, however, it was decided that the both tracks of Lightnin' Loops would be sold to Funtime Parks. Lightnin' Loops was then sent to two different parks then owned by Funtime. The one track was sent to Frontier City near Oklahoma City. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1994 and now known as the Diamond Back. It still operates there today. The other track was sent to Adventure World in Largo, Maryland. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1994 as the Python. Funtime Parks was coincidentally sold to Premier Parks in 1995. In 1998, Premier would buy Six Flags, bringing these two tracks formerly known as Lightning Loops back into the Six Flags family. Adventure World was renamed Six Flags Americain 1999, and the Python was disassembled and put in storage to make room for more modern roller coasters and attractions. Frontier City was sold along with several other smaller Six Flags parks to PARC Management. Diamond Back still operates as the only Lightnin' Loop track still in operation. The track that was sold to Six Flags America and became Python was scrapped in 2005 after nearly 5 years in storage. Diamond Back was the Lightnin' Loops shuttle with the lower loop, while Python was the shuttle in the upper loop.
Accidents
On June 17, 1987, a 19-year-old woman from Chester, Pennsylvania fell to her death as a result of not being properly secured by the over-the-shoulder harness. She was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital with Basilar skull fracture suffered from the fall. Early reports indicated that the woman tried to board late after the safety harness was locked and the attendant couldn't stop the train. An investigation found the ride itself to be operating properly, but that an error was made by the ride operator, who started the ride without ensuring all passengers were secured. The park was fined the state maximum of $1,000, and the ride reopened on October 10, 1987.
