William C. Hunt opened his new pier in 1957
with the Flyer as the premier attraction. The Flyer was a
junior roller coaster but what a ride! As the sign read on
your way up the lift hill (Hold Your Hats!) - Designed
by the legendary John Allen of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company
and constructed by Manager Vince Kostek and crew, the structure
stood 36 feet high and ran 2 sixteen passenger trains. Its
first test run was on May 24, 1957 with a running time of
59 seconds from start to finish and debuted on Memorial Day.
This coaster gave us more than three decades of fun until
it was demolished in early 1989. The Flyer has been gone 15
years now, but is still recalled by many as their favorite
coaster on the Wildwood Boardwalk. |