Knoebels announces they are working on a classic!

Apparently super7* and I are the only people wondering what the point of a wooden flying turns is. I honestly don't get what possible advantage there is over buying a Mack or Intamin ride. On top of that, I don't get why anyone would want to buy a bobsled-type coaster at this time. Personally, I think they went extinct for good reason.

---

Rob Ascough said:
How could I forget about the Overland coaster, especially when its airtime embarrasses that on most hyper coasters.

---

I've never gotten even an ounce of airtime on that thing. I think it's strange and more than a little toolish that enthusiasts drool over a kiddie coaster.

-Nate

What do you want? Do you want somebody to really explain, in detail, why this project is so exciting so that maybe, perhaps, you can open your little mind a little bit?

Or are you just being intentionally argumentative?

I suspect it's option "b" in which case, you've given new meaning to the term "enthusiass."

Oh please.

I honestly don't understand WHY any park would want to take on such a project from a business standpoint. I don't understand the point, I don't understand the benefits, and I don't understand the logic. It really just seems like a ridiculous idea to me. But since you seem more comfortable shrugging off any opinion that doesn't match up with yours as "intentionally argumentative," I don't expect any logical answers from you.

-Nate

I guess it's the same advantage reason why parks don't build wooden inverted coasters. As Dick stated on Saturday night Flying Turns have been tried by steel coaster companies and NONE have given rides like the old wooden types.

Dick is a risk taker. He took a risk moving the Rocket, he took a chance with Twister building it in house. If he feels they can build build somthing and have it be successful he will do it. As of now they are in the planning stages. Who even knows if they will get past that.

In this video there is about 10 seconds of Flying Turns footage about 7 minutes in. Looks pretty cool to me! *** Edited 10/11/2005 12:29:32 AM UTC by coasterpunk***

Yup, Nates the one who bashes TGG and the Dells to death all winter then raves about the ride they created after he rides.

Take him with a grain of salt. I know Most do.

High Speed Thrill Coaster is more intense and provides more airtime than Millennium Force for me, so I don't think it's toolish to want to ride and enjoy this coaster. It's better than anything at Dorney except Steel Force without trims.

I'm not sure what the cost of the Flying Turns will be, but I'm assuming the wooden style will be much cheaper than a steel one of which the closest ones are at Great Escape and Kings Dominion. From a business standpoint, it's original and different for most of us, it brings back a piece of amusement park history and preserves it (something Knoebels is known and loved for), and it sounds semi-thrilling and reridable for families.

Unless they built a slight redesign of the Crystal Beach Cyclone, I don't think there's anything more interesting they could have done as far as wooden coasters go right now and that probably wouldn't have suited the whole family crowd anyways. They have a wicked double out-and-back with Phoenix and Twister is running amazingly now. They have an incredible assortment of new and old age flats, the best park haunted dark ride anywhere, and nowhere to go but put icing on the cake.

+Danny

C-dude: I really don't understand your emphasis on *from a business standpoint*. The people at Knoebels aren't stupid. They give a lot of thought to every attraction they build and if they didn't think it would be successful, they wouldn't be doing it.

All the information I've read and heard about say the original Flying Turns rides were very popular. If it wasn't for the Great Depression, there would probably have been more of them built.

A wooden Wild mouse would be cool too! :)

Did they used to put upstops on the old wooden wild mice or were they just *really* loose? I remember seeing pictures and video of one that almost looked like it was lifting off the track side to side around the curves and then jumping a little on the rest of the track. That would be *wild* as well and likely a family hit. If they get anything wooden from GCI, the maintenance wouldn't be bad at all from what Chris and the gang was telling us. :)

+Danny

---

Charles Nungester said:
Yup, Nates the one who bashes TGG and the Dells to death all winter then raves about the ride they created after he rides.

---

You know, you say that a lot, but you're never able to provide any evidence that I bashed TGG or the Dells when I ask you to. All I ever said about TGG was that I was concerned about the Hades tunnel because I thought the Lost Coaster was ungodly brutal. Unless you can back up your claim that I "bashed TGG and the Dells to death", maybe you should shut up.

And for the record, I also never raved about Hades. It's good, but I also think it's overrated.

---

I guess it's the same advantage reason why parks don't build wooden inverted coasters.

---

But see, that's exactly my point. A wooden inverted coaster makes no sense to me (and, I'm guessing, most other people). Similarly, I never thought it made any real sense for PKI to build a looping wooden roller coaster. So why does this suddenly make sense to everyone but me?

---

I really don't understand your emphasis on *from a business standpoint*. The people at Knoebels aren't stupid.

---

I didn't say the people at Knoebels were stupid. That sentence was meant to differentiate myself from those drooling over the prospect of getting to ride a wooden flying turns. I can understand that, I guess, because it's currently a lost opportunity. I can't understand it from a business standpoint though.

-Nate

---

+Danny said:
Did they used to put upstops on the old wooden wild mice or were they just *really* loose?
+Danny

---

The wooden mouse cars at BPB are held on by a round disc that is attached under the car. The disc runs under 2 metal guide rails in between the wooden track. I know it sounds complicated. I may have a pic somewhere....

and yes, they were loose. You could easily ride on 2 wheels on some of the turns.

+Danny, the ones I've ridden have steel angle iron rails between the actual wooden running track that are used for both the guide and upstop wheels. Cedar Point's old Scamper was that way, as well as the two I rode in England at Blackpool and Morecambe (SP?).

Business standpoint: A unique ride with a great history that nobody else in the entire world will have and that should appeal to a wide demographic while still offering enough thrills and fun for the more jaded coaster riders among us. And probably a lot more affordable than any steel ride capable of the same appeal.

Wouldn't a wooden inverted coaster or a launched wooden coaster be unique, thrilling, and more affordable than a steel counterpart? Probably. But why take the risk when you can purchase the steel version?

A lot of the rides in the 1920's were downright unsafe, and from the looks of the videos, many of the flying turns most definitely were. Anyone who is expecting something so intense is probably fooling himself or herself. Essentially, I'd expect something very similar to an Intamin or Mack bobsled, except made out of wood. Does that make it unique? Or even appealing?

From a business standpoint, this seems like a rather risky venture. You can't just rebuild rides from the 1920's and expect they'll operate safely. Additionally, original construction out of wood may be less expensive, but what if it doesn't work out as planned? What about maintenance? There seems to be an awful lot of factors to account for.

If Knoebels wants a bobsled ride so badly, why didn't they just go for the old Screamin' Delta Demon? Building a ride for the sake of being "unique" or "historic" doesn't necessarily make it a good business decision.

-Nate

Flying Turns..... check

Aeroplane Coaster Ressurection........

Coney Island Parachute Reopen......

Well I guess one oldie come new is good.

I just love Knoebels. I'm sure that this will be a good development for the park. :)

It's Dick's money...he'll spend it any way he sees fit, regardless if we feel its a smart decision or not. Seeing as the park has been successful for more than 75 years means they seem to be doing something right.

I didn't say he shouldn't. More than anything, I think this is probably more of a pet project than a strong business move. I just don't get the point, that's all.

-Nate

coasterdude318, do you really think a succesfull amusement park like Knoebels would build something like this and not think about all those things you mention?

You don't have to get it Nate. You don't even have to ride it. The rest of us will. :P