American Eagle love thread.

Why am I starting this topic? Because I want to. :)

No, seriously though. The last few visits for me to SFGAm and riding AE have been spectacular. I can say with confidence that this giant woodie is about 90% near its glory days of the 80's (and I have been riding it since it opened). I am going to go out on a limb and also say that I am enjoying AE just as much as Viper as of right now. Here is why.

1. They are racing the trains. My last few rides have seen the ops actually toying with eachother on getting the upperhand releasing their respective train out of the station first. Its actually just like 20 years ago where racing is a priority now. The crowds love it and it makes the ride a blast.

2. The trims on the out-helix are on so light that you barely notice it. This makes for great sustained laterals going through that huge majestic helix.

3. With the fast motion through the helix results in awesome airtime through the return bunny hops. Something that was lacking throughout the 90's.

4. Returning to the station almost neck and neck with the other train. This results in more cheering , clapping , and trash talking for the people in the winning train.

5. Of course, running one side backwards. Something they only did for a few months at a time for only a few times in the coasters existence

What makes this ride only get to 90% of its glory days is still the hard braking before the final helix and into the station. If they got rid of this or let up on the brakes here, we would have the AE that some of us all grew up with and loved during the 80's.

I must say that taking rides on this wooden beast the way its running right now brings back memories of appreciating what this coaster can offer when its given the opporutunity.

I love American Eagle once again. :) :) :)

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Ric Flair was hitting on the female host, he told her - "Space Mountain may be the oldest ride in the park, but it has the longest line." WOOOOO!

TAER IT DOWN!

The 2nd worst coaster I ever ridden IMHO. Only herc is worse on my Track Record.

How can a park have one woodie that is maintained impecably and another that total garbage?

Chuck, who knows this may be a unpopular view but my rides were braked to death and the layout is weak, Not to mention the track is wore out.

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Charles Nungester
Lesourdsville Lake, The great American amusement park opens the season June 6th Thurs-Sun every week. Park phone is (513)539-2193

But by saying you didnt like Herc doesnt give you much favor in my book as I thought the ride was great....

But I will have to dissent with Chi on one point. While it looked like the forwards side didnt get so much as tapped on the big helix, we on the backwards side were slowed considerably and consequently lost the race (booo...hisss).

But the American Eagle still has the best first drop around!

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"To get inside this head of mine, would take a monkey-wrench, and a lot of wine" Res How I Do

I'm with you Chitown! I love the Eagle. And just the other day I experienced it Backwards!!! I love it, and the blue side blew me away! I could never of prepare myself for that ride. I liked being bumped around, wooden coasters aren't supposed to feel like limos.

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Tim Schroll
gocubs7@hotmail.com
Whizzer (1976-2002) Farewell my Friend

On Friday night (July 19th), Eagle red was flying. Best ride I've had on it in 4 seasons. Blew me away .. almost completely brakeless.

Cam.

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Cameron Silver

I love AE backwards and I agree that it hasn't run this good in years.

However, I really want to know what the heck SFGAm is doing. One day you can ride and have little or no brakes and the next you'll come to an almost complete stop on the helix. I've had some really great rides on AE this year and other's that have s-cked. What gives?

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Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein
Favorite Wood: Viper(SFGAm), Legend (HW)
Favorite Steel: MF (CP), Mamba (WoF)

I only got to ride backwards...(red train, right?)...It was a really good ride, the out leg was good and the turnaround helix fantastic.....I too wish the trims had been a tad lighter entering the finishing helix, but hey, I understand....we were facing backwards after all.....

I'll get back to the park sometime, gotta get back to IB anyway, and the first trip to BCK&C is still in the wings....(maybe next year?).....

Charles, this is a love thread, not a hate thread!!!!! Just kidding, I knew some people would still not like it because the ride is moody.

When the brakes are on hard in the big helix, it does take away from the experience alot, but as the Hostyl one stated, it still has a great first drop (with no braking) unlike a certain other massive woodie in Sandusky.

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Ric Flair was hitting on the female host, he told her - "Space Mountain may be the oldest ride in the park, but it has the longest line." WOOOOO!

American Eagle has had its good and bad days this year. I don't really get the whole braking thing. I have gone to SFGAm twice this year, so far. The first time I went on the Eagle, there were brakes everywhere. The second time I went, the ride was flying.

Rollergator-Backwards=Blue train

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Cedar Point vs. SFMM-like 15 isnt enough?

2 out of 3 times this year it's been better than Viper. Opening day this season was the best ride I ever had on it. Non-stop airtime everywhere, and the helix brakes didn't touch us. Same a couple weeks later. However, when i went in June, it was the same, old, tired, slow Eagle I've known from recent years, even on the backwards side.

Ive really enjoyed the backwards rides this year, it has been excellant. But why cant the park run both sides all day???

The only reason i can see is a lack of concern for there guests!!!

thanks Raptor323....I guess it's pretty obvious I haven't spent enough time at that beautiful park....(we had planned 2 days, but weather was less than cooperative)....;)

Charles Nungester,

What the hell do you mean Taer is down? AE is a classic Woodie and put SFGAm on the map as a major amustment park. This coaster has a lot of potential and finally when it lives up to it you say taer it down? , lol ok whatever.

"The American Eagle premiers May 23, County Fair...." Being the Marriott kid that I am, I had to offer my 2 cents. Eagle is certainly one of the most beautiful coasters in existence, IMO. The logo, station design, layout, stats and overal visuals are still impressive 20 years later. Though it doesn't careen through the helix and final loops like it used to, it offers a thrilling chase through over 4,000 feet of track per side. Now that we can enjoy it backwards (which was supposed to happen every few years, but obviously didn't), a new perspective can be reached. Even those that are used to recaR have been amazed by this twice-as-high patriotic monstrosity. The outbound run remains a glorious air-filled flight, and watching the majestic lift fall away as you descend backwards is an experience in itself. I am making a second visit (this weekend, WOO HOO!) primarily for Whizzer and another chance to ride backwards on the world's second mega woodie (following Beast), whose construction is well documented in a 1980 issue of ACE News. More construction pics and info can be seen in Rober Cartmell's The Incredible Scream Machine.
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Brad Sherman
BuzzCon Frequent Flyer, responsible for guests fleeing the queue in horror!
Model coasters and rides

LinearGuy, Chucky was using an element of prose known as sarcasm.That phrase is famous for being overused on nearly every coaster forum in existance.

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No love for the whiners

*** This post was edited by Mark W. Baruth on 7/22/2002. ***

Eagle has its Great days, good days and its bad days and it all depends on the brakes. The ride is awesome without brakes, this year its more likely you can catch it without brakes than with.

I really wish Six Flags would just leave the brakes off and stop turning them on and off. They turn them on and off so much you can ride Eagle without brakes and come back an hour later to find out the brakes are on really hard.

I like the way they are racing the trains this year though, most the time I go there now they are trying to race them and get the people into the races which is great.

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Deja Vu Count = 21
CoasterWorld

Eagle is the glory of Six Flags GAm. It is the centerpiece of it's rich coaster history. And it's probably the best IL woodie since the Riverview Bobs. It made Illinois a name in coaster kingdome once again.

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Take it up a notch, Mr. Operator! I wanna feel my brains in my feet!

Oh god thanks for starting this ChiTown, American Eagle is doing good now a days. I just dont like being in the red and seeing the blue train pass it up on the lift cause the motor or something.why do they let them off at the same time knowing the blue will go down first. But blues brakes are on tight, red trains brakes are basically gone. Peace out guys!! Red train is the bomb

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Chitown said:
stated, it still has a great first drop (with no braking) unlike a certain other massive woodie in Sandusky.

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The first drop does have brakes. It's these weird "side friction" brakes with big piston like things on the sides of em. Are they still there? I just rode it last month, but didn't "study" it like I used to. I grew up with the Eagle. It was so good until... uh, 1985? I guess soon after Six Flags bought it, it went down hill (no pun). I think after the first year or two, Bill Cobb came in and re-did the speed bumps.

All the design flaws... the lift hill being not strong enough and the being "pulled back" by the lift motors... the track being built too close to the helix structure. Are those wood "walls" still there? Kinda like what the Beast used to have in it's tunnels, but wood not plastic. So then they put on those "side" wings. The eagle has wings! (just like the maxi-pad!) The helix "sinking" into that swamp... used to have 3 trains on each side too. Remember those inept six flags teens blaring over the PA "this train is not leaving the station until every seat is full" while the other train waited on the brakes... ug!

THE AMERICAN EAGLE: THE FIRST WOODIE TO HAVE RATCHETING LAP BARS AND HEADRESTS. I think anyway. So it ruined it for the rest of the woodies? hmmmm...

Anyway, I wish Six Flags would get someone (well, I been dreaming over the last couple years CCI would come in and re-do it, but...) fix it! The whole thing has to be re-done. Those trains are some sorta in-house, modified, hybrid alien ships. Maybe if Itamin made some of that milled track for it... Just do something! I was terrified of the Eagle when I was a kid. It was something, and will always have a special place in my heart, but my 1 or 2 yearly rides on it are kinda sad.

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LinearGuy said:

Charles Nungester,

What the hell do you mean Taer is down? AE is a classic Woodie and put SFGAm on the map as a major amustment park. This coaster has a lot of potential and finally when it lives up to it you say taer it down? , lol ok whatever.

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what do you mean lives up? The darn thing stopped two times durring my ride.

Sorry, If you like it fine but 74 out of 76 woodies I have ridden are ahead of it.

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Charles Nungester
Lesourdsville Lake, The great American amusement park opens the season June 6th Thurs-Sun every week. Park phone is (513)539-2193