Six Flags Great America rides being inspected before park fully opens Memorial Day weekend
GURNEE - Soon, thrill seekers will be screaming their hearts out at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee.
But before that happens, the roller coasters needed some checkups.
After being shut down for nearly two years, rollercoasters and amusement park rides around Illinois are gearing up for the summer season. However, that long period of inactivity is making for extra work this year for people inspecting those rides, like Margaret Royer, who has been doing it for 31 years.
FOX 32 News caught up with Royer at Six Flags Great America Wednesday morning. She is one of six carnival and amusement ride safety inspectors working for the Illinois Department of Labor. For the next several months, they will be crisscrossing the state, conducting 4,300 inspections on more than 600 companies that operate rides.
"What you see on the other side here are called roll backs," Royer explained. "That is if there is an issue with the train or the ride stops, it catches in this rollback here."
We watched as Royer inspected the X-Flight ride at Great America, a so-called called X-Wing coaster because its cars turn on their side.
"And because the track has curves and up and down and everything, this particular wheel bogey will swing back-and-forth to move with it. It will also go side to side," Royer said.
The state says these inspections are especially important this year because most amusement park rides have been sitting unused during the pandemic, raising concerns about rust and corrosion.
The state inspectors have been working at Great America since the beginning of April, weeks before it opened, as the large coasters can take up to three days to inspect.
And while they can make sure that all the bolts, seatbelts and brakes are working properly, the inspectors say the public has to do its part too.
"That’s the only thing that I cannot control. I ask that the public comes out and that they do their part, in following the rules, listening to the operator, and just being safe on rides," Royer said.
In addition, yes, Royer says she is a fan of rollercoaster rides.
"It does get a bit like when you work in an ice cream shop and you’ve eaten all the ice cream," she said.
Great America open seven days a week starting Memorial Day weekend.
Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images