-Nate
Sky Coasters are fun. I have been on Cedar Point's and Indiana Beach's. I was going to rie the one at Kennywood, but we bought our ticket, waited for our turn, then the lightning started, so unfortunatly I didn't get to ride it yet.
Sky Coasters are like a little childs play thing compared to Vertigo. Oh how I will miss that ride.
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AkA somewhatchewy
"We are alone. We are not alone. Either way the thoughts are stagering."
All right, I've wondered this FOREVER! What are absolutely insane restraints? I know about AIs but does anyone have a decent pic of the restraints???
SFgadvMAN said:
Sean F.- Is bungee jumping a lot more scarier than skycoasters?
I found it to be a lot more scarier. For some reason, I was expecting a feeling like a skycoaster but it was totally different. I am guessing you are doing the AJ Hacket tower while in Vegas? If so, I know you will enjoy it.
Nate,
I have found SCAD diving to provide the biggest thrill for me when it comes to attractions like listed above. For some reason, every single time I get ready to "dive", the excitement level increases with each ride I have done.
-Sean
Skycoasters - I have taken 7 flights on 3 differnet towers: PKI, the 300' in Kissimme, FL, and Extreme World. Interestingly enough each offered something different while of course centered around the same theme.
PKI - 5 flights on this one, amongst them solo, double and triple. (The triple was with Sean F. and Bill L. III)
Here is here I learned the "safety in numbers" thing applies to Skycoasters. Sure you may fall faster, or swing up higher with a triple load, but the added speed or height does not properly compensate for the sheer terror in being up there by yourself, about to cause yourself todo things humans just weren't meant to do.
I'm mixed on the pull-it-yourself or not thing - one one hand its always nice to be in control of the situation, even if your control extends only to when the big drop occurs, however there is something to be said for having someone else pull, especially if they do NOT pull directly after the "3, 2, 1 FLY!" command. Not knowing when the drop is gonna occur adds antoher level of terror, and surprise to it.
Speaking of pulling, it surprises me how little force you have to apply to the ripcord, then that wierd bobbing action your body makes as your head dips down, then levels, then dips down, then levels, etc, all the way down, the whole drop seeming to ironically go in slow motion. (slow motion, life passing before eyes, etc) as you see the concrete rushing up to meet you. Your falling , and your adrenaline and fear just kick right in, At least I have overcome letting out a blood curdling scream on the way down. The 'flying portion' of the ride where you swing back and forth is a fun novelty that seems to wear off quickly.
Also at PKI I have been manually stopped, and stopped with the automatic system. PKI uses the hydraulic lift load system.
Kissimme - 300', over water, fountain in lake turned on just high enough to mist you. BIG Drop, but as others mentioned you don't seem to swing around as much. Uses auto stop, and hydraulic lift load. 1 Double ride.
BTW: we found a coupon that got the price of a double flight down to about $54.
Extreme World - 1 solo ride. Extreme World offers no discount for double or triple flights, so with the small (read no) line we decided to each go solo.
Big pile of rocks positioned right where your eyes are aimed during the drop. This is one of the small 100' models , but it uses both manual stopping and manual loading.
Manual load - a rolling stairway is moved into place, you climb up the stairs and stand on a line while being attached to the cables, then you are told to grab onto the front railing and lean forward as the railing is slowly lowered gently taking you from a vertical position to a horizontal. position. When you can't hold the railing any longer the ask you to hold onto a rope while the winch cable is attached and started. The stairway then rolls backwards out of position and sits at the base of the launch tower. (Staircase is on rails) It's easier on the riders body, but the staff do a lot of work) At the end the starcase is rolled backwards and you grab onto the rope until they can get the railing up, then you stand up, and get unhooked.
Compare to the more common hydraulic lift where they use a lift to get you up to the launch cable, do all their dirty work, then slowly lower the lift which uncremoniously DROPS you face forwards all of a sudden. Sometimes without warning. THAT can be scarier than the actual ride.
AI - I rode that one 1 time at Cedar Point, no I don't have a good harness photo.
I have also done both a bungee and a spring loaded Slingshot.
Oh and Katanga (Skyscraper)
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David Bowers
Mayor, Coasterville
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What I wouldn't give to see Paul McCartney in concert...
Same thing on SFA's model,theirs is of the manual variety which as Dave pointed out does require a little bit more effort on the part of the staff but gives you a slight moment to think about the long climb to the release point.
A funny thing about SFA's skycoaster is that there's no rope that riders hold on to,sure there's the deceleration cable which slows you to a stop once the ride is over & by the way it's not an easy thing to grab hold of while swinging back & forth through the air.The last time we rode it took two passes before we were able to grab it & hold on to it.
To clarify: as far as I know, all Skycoasters feature the flyer controlled ripcord.
The hyddraulic lift vs. "manual" rolling stairway comes into play earlier in the experience, when they are connecting you via your flight suit to the various flight and launch cables.
IIRC, the ride is designed so that the flyer is 6' off the ground during the bottom of their lfying arc. Which means the connecttors to the cables are more like 7'-10' off the ground depending on how it is set up. Some places use a manually positioned rolling stairway and platform to get the crew and flyer up high enough so the cables can be connected to the flyer while standing up (with the attachment point located somewhat in the center of the flyers back).
The difference comes after the flight cables are connected. Typically the flyer is lowered to the flying position before the launch (winch) cable is connected. On the stiarway model you grab hold of a railing and lean forward as you are gently eased from the standing position to the flying position. On the hydraulic lift model you stand there, everybody lets go of you and the operator steps on the pedal to lower the lift. You are more-or-less hung as your feet can no longer touch the ground, and due to the design of the flight suit/harness you fall forwards till the harness grabs hold of you. Some operators warn you, some don't.
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BTW: The flight suit is just loose enough where for that split second of terror you think it might have come loose.
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PS: You know you have flown too much when the operator is starting to say "Put your feet through the loops and pull them up like a pair of pants, and you have already done it.
Usually followed by "I see you've done this before"
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David Bowers
Mayor, Coasterville
NoLimitChic said:
I could NOT do the hydraulic lift one if, like you say Dave (and I have no reason not to believe you), it just drops you face forward without a warning.
It does happen. You should have seen what I did on Jazzland's model last year when the floor dropped out (and some folks did seen it)
-Sean (or should that be "what it did to me last year?" ) F.
Personally it's a one trick pony. I rode the Skycoaster at SFOG several times for free, and it's fun, but nothing I would pay for. I will take a drop tower over it anyday.
If the Skycoaster you ride has been "purchased" from Skycoaster Inc., then the operators are required to follow set procedures, including telling you the floor is about to drop. In fact, the very words they have to say are outlined by the company. If they're not doing this, they're not following the procedure, which would make the flight much scarier to me.
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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
Coasterville Dave said:
Compare to the more common hydraulic lift where they use a lift to get you up to the launch cable, do all their dirty work, then slowly lower the lift which uncremoniously DROPS you face forwards all of a sudden. Sometimes without warning.
On the hydraulic lift model you stand there, everybody lets go of you and the operator steps on the pedal to lower the lift. You are more-or-less hung as your feet can no longer touch the ground, and due to the design of the flight suit/harness you fall forwards till the harness grabs hold of you. Some operators warn you, some don't.
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Face/Off Crew '99-'00
Top Gun Sup '00
King Cobra/Days of Thunder Sup '01
Beast Sup '02
Wild Thornberry's River Adventure Sup '02
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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
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