Yeah, they're soft, but you don't really notice that while your head is being flung madly between them. FoF gave me a brutal, unforgiving banging. Even though I'm considerably tall, and naturally stick my head forward, out of the restraint, I got pretty banged up. I will never ride that coaster again, ever. If there is a new restraint system added, I might just take another trip.
I saw this coming... I live 15 minutes from PKD and I have "connections" that allow me to go "behind the scenes" at PKD (areas that the general public can't go) and a pair of FoF cars were back there all of last season. I knew they were working on that. I will try to find out more information when I go tomorrow for preview day
I hope they do the same for the one at PKD too!!!
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PKD's Grizzly 4ever #1
PKD definetly needs to change the Flight of Fear restraints! Talk about Coaster Ingurys!
Please Change Em!
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"Lets shot Spitballs at Al Gore and make him all Confused!"-Brain
Favorite Park: Paramount's Kings Dominion
Favorite Coaster: Volcano: The Blast Coaster
What Happen to the days of a SIMPLE lap bar????
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X IS THE BEST AND IT BEATS ALL THE REST!!!SFMM BABY!!!!
This is great news. I vowed to only try FoF one more time in the front. Now I think I'll ride it alot if there are no more HUGE BULKY OTR. A 5 point system would be welcome, as would be a lap bar. WOOHOO!
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MF Drops-15
SOB Rides-2
I'll always love that ride. Even though the head banging. When I ride a ride I don't think about how much it hurts, I think about the ingenious thought that goes behind em'.Especially FOF...it is incredible how tight you can make some things. Can anyone else really tell when your upside down during the ride...I can't. Its just in my picture a work of art not a pain cause.
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You can't run and you can't hide...The Beasts at PKI
Why don't you guys be greatful that these Premeir Rides creations don't have as much haedbanging as Arrow Loopers?
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What is life with out coasters, geniuses, and/or SFA
Well, Flight of Fear at PKI gives a lot more headbanging than the Vortex, an arow looper.
Yea, I've never had a problem with Arrow loopers. Steel Phantom, Corkscrew, Vortex, no problem at all. FoF however gave me a huge headache.
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MF Drops-15
SOB Rides-2
Lap bar! Lap bar!Lap bar! Lap bar! Lap bar!........Please!
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X IS THE BEST AND IT BEATS ALL THE REST!!!SFMM BABY!!!!
*** This post was edited by beanieboy2099 on 3/17/2001. ***
i hate the SOB lap bars. they are too tight and are half the reason that the ride is so uncomfortable. one of the better rides i had on SOB is when i left somespace in between my stomach and the lap bar. i hope they rnt making it the restraint for flight of fear.
The SoB lapbars, are not the reason that it is rough. Unless you forced your bar down on your lap. I would much rather have Son of Beast lap bars on flight of Fear then have the old restraints!
Funny, the only problem I have with the Son of Beast lap bars is that they are too high to allow me to comfortably grab the grab handle in front of me. This is simply because I can't put the bar *down* quite as far as I would like because it comes *back* too far. Now, if the seats were more like the ***** LIM***: Flight of Fear seats (which are very nicely upholstered) I would be able to sit back a couple of inches more, which would probably allow me to lower the lap bar another notch, which would eliminate the arm interference problem. The other fix would be to rebuild the Son of Beast cars so that they can track curves instead of shuffling through them.
As for ***** LIM***: Flight of Fear, I would not be at all surprised if Premier is wanting to try a set of lap bars on it (at least one rendering suggests that was the original intent). I have my doubts about Paramount going with any kind of supplemental safety belt system, though, because, besides being unnecessary, it's asking for trouble. What I could see happening, though, is some kind of anti-hand-waving construction around the top of the vehicle. There is a RUMOR that one of the reasons for going with shoulder bars on that ride in the first place was to reduce or eliminate riders' opportunities to touch structure. Anyone who has been in that barrel with the lights on (I've been in there twice) can tell you some of those clearances are REALLY tight.
Here's an idea to make the ride more exciting: Rope lights outlining the track spine all the way around, so the riders can see just how close the track is...!
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
Nice touch there blocking out the old name and implying the new, Dave ;-)
The lights sound like a pretty cool idea, Dave. My dream for a variation of Mad Cobra is to enclose it like FOF but to put mirrors on every inch of the wall. Heck, they could redo Joker's Jinx and call it Joker's Revenge, eh? ;)
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Is it just me or does Hypersonic look like one of those coasters you would see on Looney Toons?
Now that IS a cool idea! Let's take it a step further and put headlights on the train. Would it be too much, then, to dangle a rotating mirrored ball (disco ball) from the center of the barrel? :)
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
I have to agree with Doug Rowe. I'm 6'4, overweight, and was wide boned when I was as thin as could be. I'm just glad I got to ride FOF and Son of Beast before they put the new restraints in- I don't fit either now.
I think the new SOB restraints are the worst of the two though. I couldn't see myself fitting in those cars now if I became an anorexic skeleton. I can see myself fitting into the FOF cars if I lay off the beer and cheeseburgers.
The park was practically empty this past Sunday though, and besides the Beast being shut down which was another major bummer, it was great to be able to get on tons of rides and grab front car quickly on Face Off, the Vortex and Top Gun.
That new 7th Portal 3-D motion simulator attraction is completely awesome!! Don't let the mediocre attraction that last inhabited the motion simulator theater stop you from checking this one out.
PKI is a great park, BUT if you're too tall and/or wide, chances are you won't be able to fit on most of the best rides- SOB, FOF, King Cobra, Drop Zone, and perhaps even the Beast if you're really wide.
-Deric
I live about 20 minutes from PKI and rode SoB and FoF numerous times last season. So far this season, I have experienced the new restraints on SoB. They kind of made me feel like a large egg in an egg carton. I can see how very tall people are going to have a problem with them. ( I'm 5/4", but AM overweight) When I first sat down on the ride, I was VERY uncomfortable,feeling like my knees were pushed up under my chin almost, but I do have to admit that I had a much more comfortable ride. Last season I couldn't get off of SoB without bruising to my legs and thighs from all of the banging around. The new restraints held me in nice and snug and I had a smoother ride overall.
I have not yet ridden FoF this season, so I have no idea what the new restraints may be like. I might have to head down to the park tomorrow..
