"Puffs" on Premier Launched Coasters

I have always wondered this...why are there puffs of air before a launch on a Premier coaster? They're not Air-Powered launched, so what are they for? There always seens to be 1 puff per train. Anyone know?

Are you talking about the sound of the brakes being opened? Or are you actually feeling a puff of air? If it's the latter, I have no idea what you're talking about.

I believe I remember seeing the LIMs or brakes or whatever they are that line the sides of the launch tracks on the FoF at PKD "flexing" before the launch. Perhaps that's the sourch of the noise you're talking about. I thought it was kind of funny, looks like the coaster's doing stretches, preparing to launch the train.

That series of "puffs" that rentzy is talking about is most assuredly the pnuematic fin brakes opening. If you ever ride Chiller or either of the Mr. Freeze coasters and sit in the front you can see the brakes opening. It's kinda cool because they open in a *cascade* like patten towards you.

Plus, I dont know about you, but I can actually *feel* the wave passing under the train.

lata, jeremy

It's funny how the sounds of breaks opening sounds like a puff, lol.

Anyways, does this happen on all Premier Launchers? On just Chiller and Mr. Freeze?

Yeah,you also hear it at SFA with JJ if you're walking down the midway towards PBR & S:ROS just before the train launches.

As others have already said more than likely it's just the sound of the brakes going from the closed to open position in preperation to launch the ride...it's odd though because I've never heard PKD's FOF making that sound at all while standing near the gates waiting to board the train.

On Flight of Fear, there is just the station brakes that open, plus another set at the end of the launch track that slam shut as soon as the train passes in order to make sure that if the train doesn't make the first inversion, the train won't collide with the one moving into the station.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

At the same time there is a magetic strip on the launch track that lowers before launch and raises immediately after the train passes

On Speed the rRde, they have this strip on the second launch as well...its lowered for the first pass and raises for the return. There is also one near the top of the tower...that one doesnt move however.

This brings up a question...on the other premier shuttles, do they ever have to push the train back into the station or "jog" the train forward to unload? I've noticed this from time to time with Speed. Maybe its because of the really short launch area?

Devin, the Premier shuttles make a bunch of "puff" sounds since the brakes don't all open at once. On the full circuit ones, the brakes open at the same time, so you only hear one "puff".