15 Years Ago: Patriot Construction August 7, 2005.

 15 years ago construction for a yet unannounced attraction began behind the old Beat Street shops, turned Carnival of Carnivorous Clowns. The year was 2005, Mamba was still relatively new at only seven years old, Spinning Dragons was only on it’s second season, and Orient Express had operated just two short years prior as well.  

The attraction had been teased by concrete eagle statues around the area for awhile that season, and wouldn’t actually be announced, as seems to be park tradition, until September of 2005.  It would be the park’s newest thrilling, looping coaster, or as the park states the longest, tallest, full circuit inverted coaster in the region. It would be Patriot.

Over the next few months we will be taking a look back at the construction of Patriot as it occurred exactly 15 years previous. Unfortunately, with a few exceptions, due to a server crash the only photos we have are the smaller files that were used in the photo gallery back at the time construction occurred.

A footer with rebar, you can see many of the old pines that once lined tram road in the background.

An opposite view to give viewers a better idea of positioning.  You can see Beat Street in the background.  An interesting tidbit, the original plan that we were advised of was to keep the opposite half of the shopping strip mall that was actually kept.  So if you are looking at it from this point of view the section that was kept was on the far right, where the original plan was to keep the far left section.

Looking towards Skyliner.

We actually went out once right after it had rained and many of these  holes were filled with rain water.  We jokingly called them Worlds of Fun's hot tubs.  

Looking up what would be the lift hill for Patriot.

That's one significant elevation change, which is why the lift hill is 149 feet in elevation change, but the first drop is only 123-feet.  

Looking down tram road, Patriot is built directly over it.  In this view, the basic details really haven't yet changed all that much from when it was last had trams riding down it.  

Next update will be August 18th!  Check back soon!