Wonder about KI

Actually, Flight Gun stacks because it's programmed to. For as long as I can remember they've not allowed dispatch until the other train was parked in the transfer, even though it could be well on its way up the lift.

If that's true, it's ridiculous, especially when you consider that the ride is already programmed to do the typical "slow down" on the lift to check the safety block.

I'm not a Kings Island expert (or even a local), but I seem to remember that Flight Deck was rather poorly designed. I believe Train A cannot clear the lift until Train B has left the brake run because it's not long enough for both trains. That means that Train B has to move all the way from the brake run and into the station before Train A clears the lift. The problem is that the trip from the brake run to the station takes quite some time, which is why they don't dispatch Train A before Train B has stopped on the brake run.

At least, that's how I remember it.

-Nate

Assuming Nate is right, wouldn't that be an easy fix by moving prox switches and/or with reprogramming?

I don't see how. Unless I'm missing something obvious, the only way they could dispatch before the other train enters the block brake is by either (a) slowing the lift even more or (b) speeding up the trip from the brake run into the station. I'm guessing it wouldn't really increase capacity enough to matter.

-Nate

I don't think it would matter. The ride time is 1:52 with about 30s from lift to safety brakes. That means there is a pretty small window of time after the train pulls in and unloads. Add to this all the crap people bring with them, the seatbelts, and the fact that anyone over 6 foot will have difficulty getting into a rear seat.

It's crazy to compare this to Iron Dragon which routinely seems to have some of the fastest dispatches at CP.

^...and two lift hills.

I'm sure Nate is right, but my point was that you can start the train up the lift before the other one comes to a complete stop in the transfer, and that's not what they do. There is no dispatch until that other train is parked, which wastes the time on the lift.

You could start the train up the lift before the other has reached the brake run, but I think the fear is that it would reach the top of the lift before the other train had completely cleared the brake run. That would cause Train A to stop on the lift until the brake run is clear.

I've never actually timed it out so I can't say for certain one way or another, but I know it takes quite some time for the train to clear the brake run, and I always assumed they just want ed to be sure they wouldn't have a train stopping on the lift.

Another block would have fixed the issue, but it's probably too late for that. :)

-Nate

Flight Deck has seatbelts now TOO?!?!? (eyes roll.....) The dispatch enable on that just strikes me as bizarre considering the lift could do the work of maintaining interval until the other train parks in the station.

As an "old-timer" from the 80's and 90's who worked on Arrow coasters I know back then when running multiple trains we had about 30 seconds MAX to get a train in the station, park it manually, unlock all the restraints manually, relock the restraints manually, check bars, give the thumbs up and dispatch. Corkscrew and Double Loop at Geauga Lake are great examples of having to haul a** when running 2 trains. To hit the correct interval on Double Loop the station train was dispatched as the course train was rounding the turn-around before going through the loops, by the time it returned to the station the other train was nearly half-way up the lift on its way. Corkscrew was just INSANE running 2 trains but in both cases it was done safely without incident (and keep in mind there were only 2 ride operators on restraints with NO entrance host checking heights/loose articles/etc.!)

Those were the days....good times, good times.