Flight of Fear to close at King's Dominion

[nitrofan]

There has been a rumor that Flight of Fear at King's Dominion will be closed in 2010 to make room for a Dale Earnhart tribute, and may not reopen.

Not sure how much truth there is to this, but it's possible.

[Austin]

Is it like FoF at KI?

[nitrofan]

Is it like FoF at KI?

Yes, they are clones of each other and Six Flags has a few outdoor versions of it that are a lot of fun.

[Austin]

At least one person agrees they are great coasters.

[rcfreak339]

^They are very Jerky, and how they stop you completely at the Mid Course the turns in the spaghetti bowl are so slow, and the launch isn't very intense. Love the theme, name and everything but the ride isn't all that good.

[palmer]

They look fun. Never got on FOF when i went to KD. My mom and bro did and they loved it, but it was a bit head banging.

^^^Now, are you saying Poletgiest and Joker's Jinx?

[nitrofan]

They look fun. Never got on FOF when i went to KD. My mom and bro did and they loved it, but it was a bit head banging.

^^^Now, are you saying Poletgiest and Joker's Jinx?

I believe that they recieved lap bars, so they wouldn't have that problem anymore.

Yes, I was talking about Poltergeist and Joker's Jinx, but I didn't realize FOF had a MCBR, so they aren't exact clones, but they are close. The Six Flags versions are very fast and intense. I don't see the point of a MCBR on a ride that short though. The train is always sitting an the brake run for a while waiting for the other train to dispatch.

[palmer]

^I went back in 2000. I don't think the switched to lap bars 4 years into it's life (even though is can be possible.)

[nitrofan]

^I went back in 2000. I don't think the switched to lap bars 4 years into it's life (even though is can be possible.)

Poltergeist opened in 1999 and switched to lap bars in 2002. If they were complaining about head-banging, it must have had OTSRs then, but it could have switched that early.

[palmer]

Therefore, my mom and bro felt head bang pain on FOF

[say hi]

I don't get why FOF (at least, the one at KI) gets a fair amount of hate from people. It may be a little rough (or...it was the last time I was on it.) but its still a fun launch coaster. Ifthe one at KD does get removed, I do hope that the one at KI doesn't...

[Austin]

Yea i hope it doesnt either. It was many firsts for me. Well first actual launch coaster (i dont really count italian job), First coaster with inversions.

[elvisboogens]

I've mentioned on here before my love for Starchaser. FOF is bascally the same ride, but with inversions. I love jerky headbanging rollercoasters that are completely in the dark at noon. Therefore I love FOF.

[palmer]

I haven't really seen many dark indoor launch coasters. I can name two. FOF and RNR. Rode one, too small to ride the other (back in the day) From what i remember of RNR, it was a bit jerky and has some head bangs. I said they said my family has rode FOF and they said it was a jerky ride.

[rcfreak339]

I HATE the Flight of Fear at KI, It is horrid. So dang Jerky. I thank god I didn't ride it with the otsr's

[elvisboogens]

I HATE the Flight of Fear at KI, It is horrid. So dang Jerky. I thank god I didn't ride it with the otsr's

I rode it twice yesterday, and it was only jerky the second time when I was near the back. It was smooth in the front half.

[DBru]

Funny how many people are saying it's a terrible ride based on other people's opinions...

FOF is a Premier spaghetti bowl LIM coaster. It is one of 5 ever built. They are all clones of each other, but each of their speeds vary slightly, as well as their g-forces. When FOF opened at KI in 1996, it operated with 4 trains (6 cars each), hence the MCBR. These trains had OTSRs.

In 2001, Premier developed a lap bar system for their LIM coasters, and Paramount took advantage of their offer, changing the restraints on all of their Premier coasters to lap bars. The Six Flags coasters followed suit in 2002.

Today, KI's FOF only runs with 2 trains of 5 cars, while KD's FOF runs with 3 trains of 5 cars. They are the only spaghetti bowls with MCBRs, but these brakes could easily be installed in the same place on the rest of the clones.

I personally think the ride is great fun, and only rough near the back of the train. I would be devastated if either of these coasters were removed.

[elvisboogens]

Today, KI's FOF only runs with 2 trains of 5 cars



I'm 99% positive that KI's trains had 7 cars when I was there a few weeks ago.

[DBru]

Well...the 1% prevails. lol

FOF has run with 5 car trains since the retrofit in 2001. The station was finally altered when Cedar Fair took over last year, where there are only 10 rows of queue gates (as opposed to the former 12).

No Premier LIM coaster has ever been designed with the capability to run with 7 car trains.

[Vic]

i absolutely hate FOF at KI.. i haven't ridden it with lap bars but the ride was horrendous with OTSR and turned me off of it forever. Comparing it to Starchaser (one of my favorite rides EVER) is a disgrace!

[palmer]

Well, i can't quite say much on this topic. I have been on 4 launch coasters in my life (Hulk, Rock-N-Rollercoaster, Kingda Ka and Mummy). Out of all of them, i remember Kingda Ka and how intense that is (but it's 2x as faster as FOF) and i remember Mummy, but it is slower. I remember riding both Hulk and RNR, but not much of the ride. FOF is a "unique" coaster and not like the other launch coasters i have been on. It's one of a very few spaghetti bowl launch coasters and has a better expeirence than 3 of the 4 coasters (Kingda Ka is just too intense to be that bad compared to FOF).

[nitrofan]

I have not ridden either Flight of Fear, but I have been on Poltergeist and Joker's Jinx, which are clones, and they make my top 10! I love the speed and intensity, and it sounds like the theming and indoor atmosphere can only make it better.

I hope to make it to King's Dominion next summer, so I will speak my true opinion then, but I don't think a MCBR could make a ride rough and jerky like what is being suggested.

[elvisboogens]

i absolutely hate FOF at KI.. i haven't ridden it with lap bars but the ride was horrendous with OTSR and turned me off of it forever. Comparing it to Starchaser (one of my favorite rides EVER) is a disgrace!

It's not a disgrace, not even a little bit, and I'm sorry we disagree. Again.

[Vic]

It's not a disgrace, not even a little bit, and I'm sorry we disagree. Again.

It's all good.. disagreeing is what these boards are all about!:D Starchaser, to me, is one of best rides i have ever been on... FOF, to me, was a waste of painful time! I love rough coasters but only if they are wooden..

[elvisboogens]

Starchaser is my very favorite rollercoaster, period. And I know that FOF really isn't the same, but I've never had a bad experience on it personally. Sure, they may not belong in the same sentence, but I'd definitely put them in the same paragraph.

[DBru]

^^You definitely need to ride it again...in the front seat. It is completely different ride without the OTSRs. (No, not literally. ;))

[palmer]

^I never heard anyone say that ever. That's surprising.

[nitrofan]

I think it's time to get back on topic.

[Austin]

At this point FoF at Kings Island is safe. The park put out a preliminary 2010 map to promote Planet Snoopy and it was still on the map. Dont know about KD though.

[nitrofan]

I'm pretty sure it's staying now, but I think the thread should stay open until the opening day Trip Reports come in saying it's running.

[Changsucks]

Flight of Fear at KD isn't going anywhere, at least not in 2010.

About the ride itself, I rode KI's and was very disappointed. The launch and first three inversions were pretty cool, but then you came to a complete stop on the MCBR and literally crawled through the rest of the layout. I've heard KD's also has a really strong MCBR, but that KI's is worse.

[nitrofan]

Opening Day has come and gone, and reports say that Flight of Fear was operating.

Thread Closed