11 October 2016 – Global media-based attractions specialist, CAVU Designwerks, has been looking back at the career of its Executive Vice President, Harold Hudson, who received the prestigious AIMS International Safety Award at the recent Golden Ticket Awards.
Hudson, who spent more than 21 years with Six Flags Theme Parks as Executive VP of Engineering and Development, has been a driving force behind raising safety standards within the entertainments industry.
He was a founding member of the ASTM F24 Standards Committee and currently serves on several industry Standards and Safety Commissions and Panels where his knowledge of Technical Safety Issues has often been a catalyst for change within the industry.
He has also been a committed advocate of systems that meet the needs of disabled guests.
During his time at Six Flags, Hudson clearly demonstrated that technological innovation can go hand in hand with uncompromising safety standards.
He was involved with numerous ‘world’s first’ rides including:
- 1978 – The 1st White Water Rapids Ride
- 1984 – The 1st Free Fall Ride
- 1984 – The 1st 4-Abreast Stand Up Roller Coaster
- 1989 – The 1st Inverted / Outside Looping Coaster
- 1989 – The World’s Tallest Wooden Coaster
- 1990 – The 1st Modern Day Cyclone Wooden Coaster
- 1997 – The 1st 100 MPH Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) Coaster
- 1998 – The 1st Forward / Backwards LIM Coaster
- 2002 – The 1st X-Coaster
Upon receiving the prestigious AIMS International Safety Award, Hudson said: “Safety is a moral obligation as prescribed by our values to make sure our guests are happy, have a good time, and are safe. It’s been a great 38 years and I hope my efforts from the past as well as those in the future warrant this award.”
The AIMS International Safety Award was presented for the first time this year and recognised Hudson’s leadership, innovation and foresight in improving safety in the amusement industry.
Since his move to CAVU, Hudson has been responsible for generating Technical Performance Specifications for the company’s state-of-the-art attraction systems, and overseeing CAVU’s rigorous Testing and Commissioning Procedures and Operations.
Article first appeared on © Blooloop.com