Jet Star 2


Location: North Midway
Built by: Anton Schwarzkopf Company
Model: Jet Star 2
Built in: 1974
Installed: 1976
Duration of the ride: 1 minute 30 seconds
Top Speed: 45 mph
Length of Track: 1,919 feet
Tallest Point: 45 feet
Ride Capacity: 1680 riders per hour
Car Capacity: 6 - 8 riders
Height Requirements: Riders under 50" in height may not ride.
Special Rule: No single riders allowed
Aggressive Thrill

Jet Star 2 is Lagoon's oldest steel roller coaster currently in operation.

Ride Details

Jet Star 2 is a steel roller coaster built by Anton Schwarzkopf. It is the only Jet Star 2 model of roller coaster currently operating in the United States.

The ride features a spiral lift hill that keeps the ride compact, while also giving riders 360° views during the ascent. The ride travels through a series of sudden drops and tight helices. The layout of the cars is not that of a standard roller coaster, but more like a log flume. Each car has three long seats that fit two to three people. Riders sit single file, and it is required that at least two people sit in each seat. There is no single rider line, so you must have a partner to ride. The inline seating means that the car is quite slim, which allows it to perform some very tight turns and banks.

The ride's final brake section brings the car to a very abrupt stop. Reactions to the brake section like those posted in the POV video below are typical. Jet Star 2 is the only roller coaster at Lagoon that loads and unloads from two different locations.

Background

The Jet Star 2 was originally opened as the star midway attraction of Expo '74, the 1974 world's fair held in Spokane, Washington. At the time, the ride was considered world-class and proved extremely popular with fair-goers. When the fair ended most of the midway was moved overseas, but the Jet star 2 was purchased by Lagoon. It began operation in Utah in 1976.

The coaster's predecessor, the Jet Star, can be found at various parks around the world. There has never been a Jet Star at Lagoon.

Ride Changes

Color Schemes

The ride has had several color schemes since it was built.

Era	Track	Supports	Cars
At the '74 Expo	Orange	Tan	Blue & white stripes
1976 opening until about 1980	Orange	Light Blue	Blue & white stripes
About 1980-2004	Orange	Yellow	Stylized yellow, blue and orange stripes
2005-present	Yellow	Red	Black with purple, red and yellow gradient flames.

1998 Control System

In 1998 the ride's control system was completely redesigned and rebuilt by Setpoint.

2004 Re-manufacturing

At the end of the 2004 season Jet Star was closed and dismantled. Parts of the ride, including some track pieces were re-manufactured and repainted. The ride remained under refurbishment until the middle of the 2005 season when the ride was reopened. The ride is said to run much more smoothly after being refurbished. The new paint job makes the ride stand out prominently on the north midway.

Commemorative Beer

No-Li Brewhouse in Washington state produces a beer called "Jet Star Imperial IPA" as part of its Expo Series. The beer commemorates Jet Star 2's time at the World's Fair. The back label of the beer reads:

Remember that first thrill ride and mind altering experience? Jet Star Imperial IPA shatters your senses in a way that has not been seen since Spokane's '74 World Expo. Jet-Star is a roller-coaster ride of double dosed hops, packing 90 IBU's and 8.1% alc/vol. One heck of a flashback.

Gallery

Ride with a previous paint scheme in the late 1990's

Video

Click "Expand" to see an On-ride video. Possible spoilers.

Jet Star 2 On-ride Car Mount (HD POV) by deathbyillusion