compare and contrast flyers
Thought your final exams were over?
In 250 words or fewer, compare and contrast Vekoma and B&M flying coasters. In your response, please address the loading/unloading methods, the seating and restraints, and of course, the experience of the rides themselves. You may share your thoughts about which ride/elements you prefer, but be sure to provide support for your opinions.
Extra credit: how does the experience of a flying coaster compare to SFMM's "X"?
Spelling and grammar account for 10% of your grade. :)
Well....
The first thing is how much better the B&M restraint system and loading is. So simplistic, you sit down, pull the restraint over your shoulders where it locks itself and then as your restraint is checked a mechanism that holds your legs in place is locked down. Your vest tightens and you lift off into the flying position. You are very secure and don't feel as if you are going to fall out at all.
The Vekoma's involve a clumsy vest and a seperate lapbar that people can never seem to get on in the correct order and even worse can never get off without help. You are then lowered into laying on your back staring directly into the sun position. Ugh. Once you get in the flying positition you feel very unsecure unlike the B and M's. You feel like you are gonna fall out and the insesent rattling of the train doesn't help to ease your fears at all.
In the layouts so far the Vekoma's hine though. Aside form the pretzel loop, the Vekoma's elements are better although they do not have as much flying.
S:UF's pretzel is the most extreme moment I have ever experienced on a coaster. The g's are so strong and last for so long that the breathe is literally sucked out of you. nIt is fun to listen as the train goes totally silent at the bottom of the loop as no one is able to scream. The rest of the ride gives a great feeling of flight, but little else.
The Vekoma's layout is great, the roll over at the top is a great moment as is the Horseshoe curve. I can do without the laying on my back and the loop is subpar IMO. But then we go back to two consecutive barrel rolls which are great followed by an amazing helix.
Give me a B and M with a pretzel and Vekoma's horseshoe and helix and you would have a winner.
As it is now I far and away prefer the B and M's over the Vekoma's. The superior layout doesn't beat the Pretzel or the great restraint system on the B&M's.
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Coming in 2003-The Spawn Of Magnum!
Yes Virginia, I am Santa Claus!
I AM WITTY!
Uh, Magnum, you got a little too verbose...you used 363 words... You flunked! ;)
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--George H
---Superman the ride...coming to a SF park near you soon...
B&M - Awesome, comfy, intense pretzel, lots of flying time
Vekoma - unreliable, needlessly complex system, not that comfy, ok layout, not enough flying time.
Zamperla - boring, painful, damaging to the throat! (I think it was said best by a rider heard overhead "Ow ow ow ow wo wo ouch!)
Hoei Sangyo - SBNO
Skytrak - Demolished
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- Peabody
I don't know what's scarier George. The fact that you care,or the fact that you counted ;)
-Brent "I haven't had to write a paper for a few years" Kneebush
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Coming in 2003-The Spawn Of Magnum!
Yes Virginia, I am Santa Claus!
I AM WITTY!
I've only ridden a B&M flying, AIR. My opinion concerning AIR?
Not that comfortable, a bit Vekoma-rough, nice lay-out, back-time can be painfull. All in all a very pleasant experience. You could call it a very expensive kiddie coaster. :)
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Dutch Coastin' :: European coasters, thrills and theming!
Vekoma- Potentially good, but poor ops and poor loading procedures at SFWoA made X-Flight less enjoyable than it should have been. If it reclined on the lift, I'd give X-Flight a solid B.
B&M- Got stuck for almost an hour in the restraints, with no way to get us out. Pretzel loop is great, but I understand that element will be tamed down in GaM and GAdv versions. Without restraint issues, C+. With, D.
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http://www.rockandrollconfidential.com
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Coming in 2003-The Spawn Of Magnum!
Yes Virginia, I am Santa Claus!
I AM WITTY!
... [on the B&M's] you lift off into the flying position...
Can someone explain "lift off" in more detail? I can't get a mental picture of that. It's my understanding that you also return to the station still in "flying" position; I remember a horror story from someone's TR about being stuck in the hanging position during a malfunction. Does that happen often?
...Vekoma's layout is great, the roll over at the top is a great moment
So, I've only ridden X-Flight. And while it's no fun to be blinded by the sun on the way up the lift hill, I enjoy the way the seats "recline" in the loading station, and I agree, that the roll over is great.
Mark W. Baruth said:
Got stuck for almost an hour in the restraints
That must be your report I remember.
At least you're laying on your back if you get stuck on a Vekoma. On the B&M, you're facing down, hanging so that the blood rushes to your head.
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http://www.rockandrollconfidential.com
The oppisite of the Vekoma's. Instead of lowered down, you are raised up into the flying position. Imagine a normal Inverted coaster but you are raised up to face the floor in the station.
I don't think getting stuck on Superman is a common event.
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Coming in 2003-The Spawn Of Magnum!
Yes Virginia, I am Santa Claus!
I AM WITTY!
For this essay, I have chosen to compile an accurate annalogy with originality, wit, and a dash of spunk. My annalogy is as follows:
Vekoma flyers : Arrow corkscrew :: B&M flyer : B&M twister
Take note of the qualities of an arrow corkscrew and a vekoma flyer and the similarities they share. Notice the track designs, the layout compactness (I need a thesaurus desperately!) and most importantly the smoothness and general feeling you get when riding the two.
EC: 'Tis amazing to see the ground below you when on S:UF. I have not ridden X yet, but I can only imagine that you see many different directions, but definately not the track. So my hypothesis is that X is like flying, but without pretending to be Superman. Like driving in a car but with no car, just a seat.. and moving in every direction extremely fast.
Yes, I was trying to sound smart, so cut me some slack! Heh. Now if only my Biology final was this easy...
Actually I would have been a lot more comfortable in the flying postion then the lying down postion of X-Flight Mark.
Those are the most uncomfortable seats ever laying down and I am extremely claustrophobic to boot. All I could see was straight up. Flying would have been a lot more comfortable and relaxing to me, but thats all opinion. I hated being stuck regardless.
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Coming in 2003-The Spawn Of Magnum!
Yes Virginia, I am Santa Claus!
I AM WITTY!
I think we can agree that they're both bad. How's that? ;)
Regardless, like you said, probably neither is a common occurrence.
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http://www.rockandrollconfidential.com
How about a cynic's summary?
Both overrated.
In more detail the B&M design (as much as it pains me to say it) is far superior although to me the layout of X-Flight wasn't necessarily better or worse than S:UF, just different. I'd actually be quite interested in riding the Vekoma layout but designed and built by B&M.
The bottom line is that overall I liked S:UF much better than X-Flight, but even S:UF lands at right around #20 on my personal "top coasters" list.
I think Flyers are a "flavor of the moment" thing like the stand-ups were in the 90's. It was unique. One company did it and B&M perfected it. They took it about as far as they could and the last one was built a few years ago with no signs (or interest) in new ones anytime soon. Six Flags is still the only park jumping on these in the USA and with the B&M version superior in almost any way, will Vekoma ever sell another?
Just my cynical POV...
EDIT - hehe, I hadn't read your reply, MagnumForce. Looks like we have similar ideas on layout.
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www.coasterimage.com
*** This post was edited by Lord Gonchar on 12/19/2002. ***
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Coming in 2003-The Spawn Of Magnum!
Yes Virginia, I am Santa Claus!
I AM WITTY!
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