There is no set number, but we train until we feel the person is ready to take their test ad be turned loose on their own, though. Some people get it faster than others. Obviously an older (SIMPLER) coaster like GASM doesn't need as much training at SUF might. I would say (for me) a couple of hours for a few days at SUF.
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-Hurler Crew 2002-
I worked at two amusement parks in the early 90's: Cedar Point (when CF was 2? parks) and Wyandot Lake (when Funtime, Inc. was 3 parks). At both places I was in the games department. Ended my career at WL as the Merchandise Area Manager. Since then, I've been working in a similar industry.
For those of you here who aren't old enough yet, or are considering a job in an amusement park, DO IT! Yes, the pay is low and the hours are long when it's 95 degrees with humidity to match, but you will have a great time nonetheless! You'll come away with a lot of memories, and probably make one or two lifelong friends (I met one of my best friends AND started dating my wife while I was at CP). You'll even get to believe you know all the details about what's coming to your park next year and spout it off to anyone who'll listen, but alas you wont have a clue :-)
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My K'Nex Coasters
Coming to Wyandot Lake in 2003: Sea Dragon's Revenge
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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?
PCarowinds said:
I would say that the most complicated looking panel at Carowinds would have to be the Top Gun panel, but there really is nothing to it. I learned it in minutes. We don't have hour long tests to take. To be certified, we just have to know a bunch of off the wall facts about the ride...some of which have absolutely nothing to do with driving. The team leader walks us through the process of driving a couple of times, then we're on our own. Just hold 2 green buttons, the floor drops, train leaves, next trains starts to move in, floor rises, restraints unlock, release buttons. Simple. Maybe the rides at Six Flags are set up to where it would require more direct attention from the Ops and is probably why you have to go through so much to become one.-------------
-Hurler Crew 2002-
Heh, every B&M is just about like that, give or take a few buttons. Basically, once youve operated one B&M, youve operated them all. God Bless Consign AG!
RaptorTwister said:
I work at CP 200-2001 in Camp Snoopy(it was not as ba d as everyone thinks it is I myself have a lot of fond memories,i.e.Camp Bus my first day;anyone?anyone?)and now work Troika/Chaos/Super Himalaya triangle but hoping for a transfer to somewhere better.
sidenote:hey dexter if you are who I think you are please e-mailme I would like to hear from you again. its me PUGSLY
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*** This post was edited by RaptorTwister on 6/5/2002. ***
PUGSLY!!! Yes Dexter=T.S. How's it going? So your'e still working at CP? Cool. Do you still sing and dance like Eminem? Rember your first MF expierance when it broke down just before we got on and you were SO nervous you ran out screaming(lol)? I am glad you are still there.
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Tomorrow's a mystery, yesterday is history, and today is a gift and that's why it is called the present.
Willyman said:
I do the videotaping for the Xtreme Skyflyer at PKI, an independent company that operates inside the park (like the people who take your picture as you enter the park). It's actually harder than it looks with all the technical aspects involved, so make sure you check outcha' video... and for the love of God... someone buy one.
Skycoasters can be difficult to run efficiently, but if you have a good quick crew it is very rewarding. I have never seen anyone get off one without having a great time!
Back when MGM was open to the general public, cast members were trained on all aspects of every ride. You just rotated rides each day. You had to have 8 hours of training on each ride and take a test you needed to get 90% on. In the case of Sky Screamer it was 8 hours per position with a separate test for expediting/flight suiting and controlling/ac-ing.
Adventuredome can have you training on multiple rides in a day. You start at Horizon Attractions (the smaller family rides) where you mostly work alone. You take a test for each ride and must pass with a 90% as well. In Central (the larger rides) you take a test for each position depending on the ride. The normal order for training in these rides is Canyon Blaster Ops (load and unload), Rim Runner Ops (load and unload), Canyon Cars (Master Control Op aka MCO and Pedal), and Imax Cineplex ( Line and MCO). After they see how you deal with the new positions you get Rim Runner Lift and Chute, Canyon Blaster MCO, Rim Runner MCO, Inverter, and then Chaos. Once you become completely certified you get a purple shirt and a raise. Before I quit I was working in the park op office, something I often enjoyed more than being at places like Canyon Blaster MCO, or Rim Runner Lift or Chute.
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"ok everyone go ahead and pull down on your shoulder restraint so you feel nice and stuck!"
I do! Ride Operations at Kennywood on the Racer/Jack Rabbit.
Coasterman Mike
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Kennywood, Celebrating 75 Years of Racing Sperm ;)
Well, what makes the tests so long at SFOG is that we ask a lot of (essay) questions about the ride--such as how to react to breakdown/shutdown situations, how the ride's safety system works (blocks), a lot of troubleshooting stuff so when the ride DOES break down we can usually find out why (ESI, tripped photocell, stuck brake, whatever), and definitions... lost of definitions about parts of the ride.
For example, at GASM, you need to know how many wheels there are per train and per car (pretty easy), what types there are (road, guide, upstop), what they are made of (steel), and their diameters (9", 6", and 1.5", respectively). You need to know where the anti-rollbacks are, where the lightning rods are and how many of them are present, what to do in the even of lap bar failure, injured guests, all that. A lot of it could theoretically be taught from person to person, but SFOG insists on these long tests. I believe we're the only SF park that tests like this. However, SFOG for the past two years has been the safest park in the system.
In addition, a separate in-charge test covers all the procedural items, such as parking trains at night and how to effectively run the ride.
All the coasters have two green advance buttons as well as a verifier post. They are easy to run, from the panel... anyone can do it. The park wants operators to know how the ride works and know it well, essentially.
And just out of curiosity, how many wheels are there per train? Where are the lightning rods? I've never known roller coasters to have lightning rods on them. Wonder if we have any...
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-Hurler Crew 2002-
But like many at my park i met my wife there and many friends i'm still in touch with today. Unfortunately events took my path out of the industry, but one never knows what life may bring... I will say that a park isn't a career choice for everyone, one must be able to handle the stress that comes with an industry that makes nearly all of its revenue in three months.
SFoG being a safe park operationally? Who trained the guy who walked into the low zone on Batman? Hope that trainer got demoted or fired or something.
Anyway, I don't work at a park anymore, but I put in three summers at Cedar Point, worked in a lot of different places in those three summers. It's fun and such, but don't get too attached to it, you'll end up as a "lifer" which never has good connotations.
-Natalie
Call me insensitive, go ahead....
haha no I'm planning on making this summer employment for now and mabye college. I'll probably be doing co-op programs after my sophmore year.
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"Tea & Cake Or Death?-Eddie Izzard"~My No Limits Designs...http://coastergames.net/author.php?author=BKF%20Master
Anyway, yes the Batman incident is obviously a big blotch on our record. But bear in mind that's the first employee death at the park, ever. Everyone is still wondering why he was down there, but he ws not a ride department employee. Ride people take it as the gospel not to walk in track areas for any reason. The weird thing is, all the other departments are informed of this practice too. So no one really gets it. But all the gates were locked, so it's not like he just wandered in.
With that said, yeah the tests are rough and yeah the park was the safest in the SF system for the past 2 years. I think the testing has a lot to do with it, because by God you're going to know your ride when you're done with a test. Obviously smaller rides don't have as much to go over as the big ones do. It used to be another part of the test that you were given a blank layout of the control panel and had to label each circle, tell whether it was a button, lighted button, light, or keyswtich, what color it was, what it was called, and what it did. Luckily that was recently dropped.
For you, PCarowinds:
There are 6 lightning rods at the top of the lift, 10 on the 90 degree turn (first turn after the lift), and 12 on the 180 turn.
16 wheels per train (4 per car).
Also, it helps to know how the solenoids work (kudos to anyone else who may know) ;)
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