Why No More Flight of Fears?

Am I the only one that is surprised by the fact that there aren't many indoor launch coasters? I think Flight of Fear is a great concept, but it would work much better in the hands of a better designer, such as B&M or Intamin. The one at Kings Island is a little too rough and violent, even without the shoulder harnesses. But that launch into the dark tunnel with no clue what is coming is very intimidating. Why hasn't another company tried this design?

I don't think it's that rough, but that's because I work there and visit frequently. I just think it's an expensive concept, and launched coasters are popular, yet still aren't totally proven like a normal steel. I'm sure we'll see another in the future.

I had the oppertunity to ride a Premier Launch coaster last weekend, Poltergeist at SFFT. Its trains were retrofitted with the lab bars, and let me say, that little orange thing u have to put your feet under and the size of those bars don't accomidate to the taller guest. I'm 6'5 and while the bar locked, the seatbelt was too short because my legs held up the bar as it closed. My friends that rode it said it was awesome and really smooth. I hope to see more of these in the future, but I hope they can redesign the lap bar mechanism so it doesn't inhibit the taller guests from riding.

Well there's the 2 versions of The Mummy opening.

That's basically the same concept.

^Yes, but it is more dark ride than coaster, definitely different from a Spaghetti Bowl....

I don't know why no more Flight of Fears haven't been built, I think it would be a good future addition for a park like Canada's Wonderland or Carowinds, as they lack a launched coaster..

Um, no park has bought one? I would assume the thought process for many of these parks is why get an old-fashioned Premier when you could get a new streamlined Intamin?

Couldn't you also say that Rockin' Roller Coaster at MGM Disney is an indoor launch coaster off into the darkness?

Well you have to think, how much does having a ride inside a building effect its popularity?

And n my own personal opinion, I find large indoor rides like TR:TR and Flight of Fear are housed in the ulgyest buildings in the park.

TalonJosh -> PCW is too cheap to install one of these rides. With Tomb Raider this year, their next coaster will probably come around 2009-2010.

Very simple Craig....it's due to the fact that the smaller parks don't have the desire or ability to fork over the cash required for an Intamin rocket coaster so instead of going with the swiss they go with the good old americans instead,namely the premier spaghetti bowls.

Besides cost the rocket coasters have been having quite alot of problems lately....just look at the problems TTD has experienced within the first year of operation alone. *** Edited 4/30/2004 2:42:21 AM UTC by BATWING FAN SFA***

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The_Lost_Phantom said:
I'm 6'5 and while the bar locked, the seatbelt was too short because my legs held up the bar as it closed. . . .I hope to see more of these in the future, but I hope they can redesign the lap bar mechanism so it doesn't inhibit the taller guests from riding.

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Well, I am 6'7" and have had no trouble on the launched rides I have been on (Mr. Freeze, FoF, and RnRC). It is always a tight squeeze, but if you try hard, you can get the belt to buckle.

Also, I think price is the only thing keeping more indoor coasters from being built. The price sky rockets in comparison to a regular outdoor coaster. There will be more indoor rides in the future at successfull parks.

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BATWING FAN SFA said:
Very simple Craig....it's due to the fact that the smaller parks don't have the desire or ability to fork over the cash required for an Intamin rocket coaster so instead of going with the swiss they go with the good old americans instead,namely the premier spaghetti bowls.

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How so? Not one Premier Spaghetti Bowl has been built since Intamin debuted their Rocket Coaster. So how can you claim that parks go with Premier because Intamin is too costly when Intamin didn't even have the product when all the Premier rides were sold?

-Nate

Why no more Flight of Fears? Flights of Fear? Whichever...;)

Simply put, it's largely because *as built*, they frankly weren't very good coasters....not really enjoyable because you were busy protecting your head from those blasted restraints. By the time PKI and Premier got together to fix theirs (and subsequently, other parks followed QUICKLY), the reputation as "bad rides" had been cast. The lines for these suckers sure did get a LOT longer though after the retrofit, huh? Maybe time for another look at these NOW that they're good rides, LOL....;)

I've been on PKD's FoF and SFA's JJ, loved both, but PKD's took the cake for me because I rode after the retrofit. I'd love to have PCar get one, Paramount does like to spread like ideas out over their parks slowly, so maybe eventually(how long did it take for PCar to finally get an inverted after all the others had inverted and/or suspended).

But, then again, Premier hasn't done much the last few years, but after Mummy, hopefully that will change.

That's exactly my point. I think it is a great concept, we just need a better coaster company to run with it. I think if a ride is good, it will be popular, regardless of whether or not it is visible. I really feel like there is potential here...

well, another company did do it, 2 times, I think? Vekoma has a couple of indoor spagetti bowl type launched coasters(maybe 3, can't remember).

But right now, there are just so many things that parks can get, I'm sure its tuff to decide on what new type of coaster you want. There are still major parks without Inverted coasters(Knotts is finally getting theres, Kennywood dosen't have one...PKI dosen't have a true Full Circuit Inverted), and there are different types of launched, verticle, shuttle, etc coasters. I'm sure will see something like it eventually in the future, but I'd not count on it in the next couple of years. But I've been known to be wrong before;).

Rebtzy: Without the OTSR's, what was your head hitting?

I do agree that the FOF's, especially PKI's seem to have smoothed out less than the other Premier launched coasters. Even though it's the same basic track layout, Joker's Jinx is smoother. Mr. Freeze at SFStL is alsosmoother. And Batman and Robin at SFGAdv now seem almost B&M smooth

The biggest bar to building more indoor launched coasters is probably the construction and operating cost. Air conditioning one of these is a real bear. Huge chillers and lots of electricity to run them.

BTW, if you ride one of the retro fitted Premier rides, does it count as a new credit?... oh sorry, wrong thread...

-Escher

Speaking of Launched coasters...I'd like to see alot more of these:

http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery2747.htm?Picture=1

I'd say they're fairly in-expensive(for the most part), and they look major cool.

That looks uncomfortable.