El Tornado – Salitre Mágico

May of last year we posted a video of the Tornado ( Tornado on ride video ) that is at Selva Mágica in Mexico City, Mexico. I was doing some research on RCDB.com and reading the notes of the Jet Star 3 / Jumbo Jet that listed 7 rides along with there locations and I noticed a park in Bogotá, Colombia called Salitre Magico that has a Jet Star 3 called Tornado. Now I don’t know how I missed this, perhaps my dyslexia was acting up? I found this video on YouTube:

Next stop was Google Maps to see if the Tornado was still standingIt looks like on the spiral lift hill is the only thing standing. What? Perhaps another LOST coaster? Salitre Magico still list the Tornado on it’s website. One can only hope that this is a bad shot or that the ride is being refurbished and that part of the track is in for repair. At this point only God knows!

Tornado On Ride Video

WOW this is a great on ride video for the Tornado at Selva Mágica in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The Tornado is actually the Jet Star 3 that was at Bush Gardens Williamsburg name Glissade and is the same layout as Cedar Point’s Jumbo Jet. If the Jumbo Jet was standing today at Cedar Point this is what you would see:

Lost or found?

The last season for the Jumbo Jet was 1978, it was replaced by the NEW Wildcat in 1979. From there Cedar Point’s Jumbo Jet could be just about anywhere. Research tells me that Cedar Point’s Jumbo Jet is well traveled and could have take a couple of routes. The first route has our Jumbo Jet moving to the Palace Playland, then being refurbished by Wieland Schwarzkopf and heading to Beoland, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Satellite images have verified that a coaster resembling the Jumbo Jet was set up in this area (Jumbo Jet at Beoland). Another possible route is that Cedar Point’s Jumbo Jet was moved to Bush Gardens in 1979, called Glissade, then In 1993 it became Tornado at La Feria Chapultepec Magico in Mexico City and is currently in operation at Selva Mágica in Mexico City. However this ride does not have the super structure with the radar antenna and sign. Cedar Point’s Jumbo jet is also known as the Jet Star 3, a total of 12 Jet Star 3 were made. At this point is it anyone’s guess where Cedar Point’s Jumbo Jet is. The search continues!

The running of the Bulls CP Style

It’s Saturday morning and that got me thinking about the running of the bulls… Cedar Point style. You would get to the Point by 9, the gates would open and you would run like you were being chased by bulls to your favorite ride or the new ride that year. The rides would not open until 10, so you had an hour wait. We really did not mind. Today 9-10 is reserved for people staying at the hotel. I don’t know about you, but give me those days back and let us run once again! I really wonder how many people would run for the Jumbo Jet if it was still there. Here is a really great photo of the Tornado at Selva Mágica:

- 06/08/09 I just noticed that this Jumbo Jet is missing the sign and radar antenna and the entire super structure above the track. How weird is that?