this is just a bit of speculation, but the UL involving Intamin freefalls/launched rides such as CP's power tower (I forget the name of the model) where the trains fly off the top of the tower probably have their root in Roller Coaster Tycoon. what RCT player hasn't at some point or another maximized launch speed and minimized tower height just to see what would happen? RCT was the best selling PC game of 2000, if I recall correctly, so obviously it's pretty mainstream. no doubt some people played it and took the fact that cars can fly off the towers of such rides as fact.
Also, what's this talk about hauntings at PKI? I go there often, and though I dont put much belief in such claims, they certainly sound like interesting stories. :-D
*** This post was edited by RaptorMunkey on 7/18/2001. ***