Could someone explain to me how hiring works for ride operators? More specifially training and if you pick witch rides or if your just placed. My home park is SFGAm.
Thanks
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Six Flags Great America: The only park in the world where you can swing your feet on 5 rides (Batman, Giant Drop, V2, Deja Vu)
Most parks will place you where you request after you have survived your first season.They may even make you a lead if you go back on the same ride.
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Jes
Jes's Roller Coasters DJ Jes MCS
"Thank You Jeff Putz"
CrystalKat-Did you say CP does a phone interview?
Zero-G-I don't think you're having your ride-op training (Ops101) on April 6. That's probably just the general park orientation that all departments must go to.
Ride operator training begins either the first day or one week before the park or ride opens. Kennywood does it the same day the park opens. Like my training is on April 20th two hours before the park opens. This gives managers plenty of time to introduce you to the ride and tell you the tricks of the trade on how to run the ride safely and efficently. By the end of the third day, you'll feel like you've run the ride all your life.
Coasterman Mike
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Total rides on Phantom's Revenge: 49
Total rides on Pittfall: 255
Total rides on Superman:UE : 633
Feel free to IM me @ CoastermanMike
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Six Flags Great America: The only park in the world where you can swing your feet on 5 rides (Batman, Giant Drop, V2, Deja Vu)
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Salt Lake City, Utah. Host City of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games - Light The Fire Within!
Lagoon Park...A New Prototype Coaster for 2003?
6FlagsGr8America said:
"Six Flags Great America: The only park in the world where you can swing your feet on 5 rides (Batman, Giant Drop, V2, Deja Vu)"
Still not sure it's the *only* park though...
jeremy
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"Nobody writes about the planes that land." Steve Salerno Washington Times 7-10-01
What kinds of question do they ask you in the interview? How long does it usually take to be trained as a ride attendent? Do they teach you anything besides safety, pushing buttons, and correctly checking restraints? Only 2 years until I can become a ride attendent;)...
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SFNE drops the "floor" on SFNE for 2002! Visit my new site, www.geocities.com/sfneguide for some great pics of SFNE and lots of other info.!!!
I think a clear distinction between "ride attendents" and "ride operators" need to be drawn. At SFOG, all attendents and operators attend general departmental training sessions. After that, there is on the ride training for the crew before the park opens.
Attendents take a short multiple choice test. Operators must take extensive, long tests in order to be certified at each ride. For example, coaster tests may take 3 to 5 hours of essays, definitions, and short answer about how the ride works and what to do in certain ride situations. It is an exhaustive process.
From what I gather, this isn't across the board and is pretty extensive compared to some other Six Flags parks. Many operators take briefer tests to become certified to run a ride.
As far as picking rides, if you're an attendent and want to be an operator, you must show that you can be mature and be able to handle the responsibilities of an operator. It's much more than pushing a button. Supervisors and foremen will meet and decide what the game plan will be. Typically you'll start off as an assistant foreman at a "low" ride (minor rides) and move up to foreman at a "high" (major) ride, then to a supervisor and above. Anyone can push a button... it's your attitude, maturity, and ability to handle stressful situations well that get you moved up.
I must add... when you are being told how to operate the ride, the ride manager will go over the entire manual again and if you don't get every question right, you will not be able to operate until you do. So its not like they just throw you into the fire and see if you can handle it. Also, your progress is monitored all day long by your managers and supervisor.
Coasterman Mike
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Total rides on Phantom's Revenge: 49
Total rides on Pittfall: 255
Total rides on Superman:UE : 633
Feel free to IM me @ CoastermanMike
Well, I'm going to be a Ride-op, and I'll be trained on April 6th, so I guess I'm not wrong am I?
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Jes
Jes's Roller Coasters DJ Jes MCS
"Thank You Jeff Putz"
hmmm...lessee....
My first and current Ride Op job was at MGM Grand Adventures. I started back in March of 2000 with a month of training. Everyday for a month from 3pm till 8pm we went out to the park for training (in full costume). Each week we were introduced to a new ride area (there are four). We spent Mondays reading the manual and getting a walk-thru of the attractions. Tuesdays we were introduced to the operation of the attraction by first riding it, then running it. Wednesdays were all on the job training with half of us working the ride, and the other half riding it. Thursday was test review day and Friday was the certification test day. You need a 90% to get certification and you can take it as many times as you need to. During ride op training other departments such as food&bev. and entertainment also were training so we would take out time to visit snack stands and theatres to be "guests"
I really like this approach as it allowed you to really see what the ride is about. Also your certification training covers the entire attraction as you stay at one attraction for an entire shift. For those who started after the park opened, they had to spend 8 hours on the job training as well as reading the manual and taking the test.
I also worked at Adventuredome for a while (a little less than a year). This park is open year around so you kinda just jump into it all. You are hired into Horizon (smaller attractions) where you a slowly trained on all the rides in that area. Training includes reading the manuals and taking a test. Once again you must get a 90% to pass. And you could take it multiple times.
After you have proved yourself (or staffing requires it) you are moved into Central or larger attractions. It works pretty much the same, except the tests are separated in that MCO's (controls) training comes last kinda like Six Flags.
Both parks review you regularly to make sure you are on top of your game.
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"ok everyone go ahead and pull down on your shoulder restraint so you feel nice and stuck!"
*** This post was edited by baddboy on 3/30/2002. ***
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Jes
Jes's Roller Coasters DJ Jes MCS Please, Feel Free To Call Me Jes!
"Thank You Jeff Putz"
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Jes
Jes's Roller Coasters DJ Jes MCS Please, Feel Free To Call Me Jes!
"Thank You Jeff Putz"
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