What to do with PKI's Top Gun?

I want to start by saying I think Top Gun at PKI is the best suspended coaster I've ridden (the Iron Dragon being the only other one, but I really want to ride BBW). Anyway, I love the concept and think that so much can be done with it. I hope their is a resurgence. Now on to Top Gun.

While the ride is quite thrilling I think most will agree that it is far too short. Do you think it is possible to add on another section to the coaster? I was thinking about the possibility of adding a tamer section at the top of the initial lift hill. Does PKI own the land extending out from the lift hill? If so I would love it if they put in about 1000 feet of track more along the lines of Iron Dragon's ending. Not quite as thrilling as the rest of Top Gun, but something nonetheless. Then you could have a second lift hill taking you to where the first drop starts and the existing coaster will become an exceptional ending rather than the entire ride.

Just rambling but I would really like to see some additional track to make this a much better overall ride.

Not to bash your idea (cause I think the same way.) Im just going to state opposing views. Come on what do you want them to do? Put mid-course brakes on the ride? I know that will make the ride longer, but more like the Iron Butterfly oops Iron Dragon. I think the ride is perfect, yes maybe a tad short, but none-the-less still a great ride where you are at a constant speed almost the whole time, which makes it seem just too short. I would rather it go 50 mph for almost the whole ride than have a short section when it reaches 50 and the rest of the ride be more like 30-40 mph range.

Also another question: When was the last suspended rollercoaster built?

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"I'm leaving on a rollercoaster . . ." oops "I'm leaving on a Jetplane . . ."

1993 at PKI. It's called Top Gun.:)

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Bill Yost a.k.a. THE BEASTmaster
www.geocities.com/byostie

Can you take me higher? (CREED)

No, Top Gun wasn't the last suspended coaster. I forget what it's called, but the last one is bigger than Top Gun and over in Asia someplace.

Anyway, as for "what to do with PKI's Top Gun?" my answer is, "Make the entrance ramp shorter."

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Top Gun is my favorite suspended coaster out there. I haven't ridden BBW yet. The coaster is a bit short, and I was a bit surprised the park built the coaster after the inverted had begun springing up.

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BMCOASTER

bmcoaster@wi.rr.com

BBW and TG are both near the same lengths, but BBG feels like the longer ride because it goes a little slower and has two lift hills. I like them both equally. TG for it's constant speed and Gs. BBW for it's theming and second drop. They're both very fun and wild rides. I wish a they would make an inverted coaster with the suspended swing(probobly couldn't loop?). But make the ride another 1000 feet longer than BBW and TG. Talk about scary the %&^$ out of you. And the only reason I skip TG sometimes is because of the (bad word ;)) long queue! I've yet to ride TG without a walk-on in the 2000-01 season. Geez! I do wish they would extend TG, but it's the same deal with BTR. They're both incredibly intense, but incredibly short. That doesn't bother me though. Look how short invertigos, giant drops, and S&S towers are, but they're excellent rides.

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PKI-Wooden, Helix, and Kiddie Coaster Capital of the World!
The First and Only Gigabuzzer bigger than Millie, rising Faster than Maggie, and pulls more BS than MS ever will!!!

When Top Gun first opened (I was only 10 years old) what I wanted to do was instead of having the track rise up into the break run, dive down under the station really low towards the parking lot, and then bend up towards Timberwolf. A lift would take you towards Timberwolf and then ther would be double helix ending like on The Beast, but I don't remember where I would have placed that. Of course, that was only the wishful thinking of a 10 year old. ;) I love Top Gun just the way it is anyway. I love SOB to death, too, but I really miss the trees on the far end.

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Don't touch the watch.

Amen to that,Rideman!

RideMan said:
"No, Top Gun wasn't the last suspended coaster. I forget what it's called, but the last one is bigger than Top Gun and over in Asia someplace.

--Dave Althoff, Jr."

Its called "eagle" something and it is in South Korea. It is very terrain oriented and looks fantastic from the few pictures I have seen.
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Don't touch the watch.

If you want a better top gun, go to Paramount Canada's wonderland. The PKI Top Gun was built two years after the one at wonderland, yet it is a tad shorter!

The one at wonderland just seems better paced, with its turns and everything. You should try it.

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life prevails for those daring to fail.

Koaster King said:
"BBW and TG are both near the same lengths, but BBG feels like the longer ride because it goes a little slower and has two lift hills. I like them both equally. TG for it's constant speed and Gs. BBW for it's theming and second drop. They're both very fun and wild rides. I wish a they would make an inverted coaster with the suspended swing(probobly couldn't loop?). But make the ride another 1000 feet longer than BBW and TG. Talk about scary the %&^$ out of you. And the only reason I skip TG sometimes is because of the (bad word ;)) long queue! I've yet to ride TG without a walk-on in the 2000-01 season. Geez! I do wish they would extend TG, but it's the same deal with BTR. They're both incredibly intense, but incredibly short. That doesn't bother me though. Look how short invertigos, giant drops, and S&S towers are, but they're excellent rides.

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PKI-Wooden, Helix, and Kiddie Coaster Capital of the World!
The First and Only Gigabuzzer bigger than Millie, rising Faster than Maggie, and pulls more BS than MS ever will!!!
"

an invert with a suspended swing? That would just be a suspended... how would it be different?
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life prevails for those daring to fail.

coo man chu said:
"If you want a better top gun, go to Paramount Canada's wonderland. The PKI Top Gun was built two years after the one at wonderland, yet it is a tad shorter!

The one at wonderland just seems better paced, with its turns and everything. You should try it.

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life prevails for those daring to fail."

Both Vortex at PCW and Top Gun at PKI are identical in layout and length. It's just that Vortex uses Wonder Mountain for the lift whereas Top Gun makes more use of the terrain.

X Factor
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SFWoA: An Unofficial Guide
http://sfohio.tripod.com

I think Koaster King was referring to a suspended where your feet dangle, like on an inverted. I think that would be sweet too. Imagine some of the suspended terrain coasters with your feet barely grazing the scenery! I just keep thinking about the BBW's big drop over the water, with my feet inches off the river's surface...

~TodD~
"Help! Help! I'm being repressed!" *** This post was edited by staticman00 on 4/29/2001. ***

Thanks static. That's exactly what I was talking about. And you didn't need to reply to my entire post coo man chu. Cut it down next time.

I love TG just the way it is. Short ,Fast and to the point. There's no boring down time and no brake runs. If they ever recreate the genre I hope they would make them taller (Hyper). That would be very cool.

Top Gun is fine the way it is, and they should just let it be.

I actually like how long the walk to the station it is. It is scenic, and it makes the station nice and isolated. Same with a few others at PKI, like white water canyon.

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WARNING: THIS POST MAY ACTUALLY INCLUDE SARCASM AND OR HUMOR. PLEASE CONSIDER BEFORE RESPONDING.

The walk wouldn't be so bad if they'd let us go down the stairs on the exit side (where the handicap lift is) to rejoin the queue for a re-ride, instead of making us walk all the way around to the chicken-chute...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

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