ATHOL, Idaho — For the first time in a decade, Silverwood Theme Park is adding a new rollercoaster.
"Stunt Pilot," a single-rail coaster, is set to open in the summer of 2021. It is a nod to air shows that the theme park hosted beginning in the 1980s.
Before rollercoasters and water slides dominated Silverwood, the park featured a train, small village and plains. Visitors would watch vintage airplanes fly through the air and perform death-defying maneuvers from the Main Street Lawn.
For eight years, Silverwood was the only theme park in the world to feature daily air shows for its guests. However, due to some close calls and a tragic air show crash in Spokane, the park decided to ground the Silverwood Air Show in 1996.
The spirit of the air shows will return in the park's new ride, which promises to climb more than 100 feet in the air before making a near-vertical dive. It will also feature elements that simulate a flight through the air, including hairpin turns, aerobatic maneuvers and three inversions.
Season passes for 2021 are on sale now on Silverwood's website, with an early bird special available.