Coney Island Parachute Tower

Quite a while back (about a year) there was a story regarding the city rebuilding the tower. Has anyone heard any recent updates of the ride, as to how the construction was going?

Or even better....does anyone have any photographs? That type of ride has always interested me, and I want to see how it has come along since its rehab.

The tower has been repainted and is completely set up again. I saw it back in August when I was there. I suppose I could email you a photo I took, but you would have to give me money

Those rides (along with cable cars) are the scariest rides in any parks. Something just scares me about hanging in the air from a cable. (No, I've never been on a sky coaster) I can handle any roller coaster or thrill ride, but these types of rides just scare me.

Ditto! And I have been on a sky coaster. Hey, just cause they scare me dosen't mean I won't ride them, coasters are a thrill, but don't scare me. Drop rides and the like, however, make me scream like a little girl:)

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I'm Baaaack...

john peck,

thank you for the info on the ride. and haha, no thanks for the pic, i'm a little broke. College is not what you call cheap. Thank you for the update though!

I searched around, and suprisingly there wasn't too many pictures or information about the restoration, considering its landmark status. But I did manage to find two sites, one with a few pics of the main tower in chunks, and the other of the steel company who is actually restoring it. They have some pictures of it being diassembeld, and even a video (which I didn't watch)

http://history.amusement-parks.com/paracon.htm
http://www.francisalee.com

Kevin "Who is still disgruntled that he didn't get to ride Sky jump at KBF because he went there one month too late, and didn't know it was closed since Knott's didn't announce it! (stupid Cedar Fair!)" Lundstrom
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Welcome one and all, y'all come have a ball!
Things a bear-y fine, ridin' on the old Knott's bear-y line!
*** This post was edited by MilleniumForce6279 10/4/2003 10:03:30 PM ***

WOW.........THANKS A TON! Is it ever going to be working again? Or is this going to be a giant ornament? Anyone have any clue!?!

FYI: The video is pretty boring, besides the music(best thing I could say about it). There is long segments of one single item coming down for the tower. I woiuld not reommend it, better to just look at pics.

How are the riders secured?

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Family Guy: "Oh no, Oh no, Oh no, Oh yeah"

I have a working model of it sitting here you can come look at. We built it with a 1953 Gilbert Erector Set ("The Amusement Park Set")
Seriously, they do intend to get the real one working again. The problem is this one is built just like the original and modern safety regulations are about 10 times tighter than the ones the original operated under, so they're having to retrofit various code imposed devices.

I didn't know that the tower was reconstructed! It seems that news about it just stopped after it was taken down.

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002