On Saturday, October 5. 2013, Flying Turns opened to the public, but the evening before Knoebels held a private event for invited guests and I was lucky enough to be one. I had already planned a trip to Florida that weekend with stops at Busch Gardens Williamsburg on Friday, Myrtle Beach on Saturday and Daytona Beach on Sunday before arriving at Fun Spot in Orlando. So I skipped BGW and headed to Knoebels instead because there was no way I was going to miss out on the opportunity to be one of the first to ride Flying Turns.
I arrived at the park at 11:30am to find the parking lot already at overflow capacity for the Covered Bridge Festival, but the park itself was empty since it was closed and the Phall Phunfest didn't start until the next day.
After checking in with Rick Knoebel at the park office, we headed over to the coaster to check with Joe Muscato, the park's PR manager, to see if it was ok for me to film a 3D POV. Joe said that he didn't want me to film it that day as the coaster wasn't ready for an "official" POV yet, but I could film all the off-ride footage I wanted.
Since I couldn't film a POV, Rick gave me a private tour of the coaster instead. Here's the new signage at the ride entrance.
The first thing that stood out was the $3 per ride cost, which is 50 cents more than the other coasters. I also realized then that Flying Turns will be like the Haunted House and Black Diamond and not be covered by the all-day or half-day wristbands.
Then I noticed that they were going to weigh riders before loading in order to make sure the trains are balanced properly.
We walked through the queue line where some photo boards were on display.
After explaining how the scales at the queue entrance worked to me, Rick had to leave to go accept an award from the local Chamber of Commerce. While Rick was away I took a look around on my own and found these guys at the back of the coaster near the drop tower.
Rick returned a little while later accompanied by Justin Garvanovic from Europen Coaster Club, who I hadn't seen since Iron Rattler's media day at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Rick invited the two of us to join him for lunch at one of the Covered Bridge Festival eateries where we chatted for an hour or so before he had to go back to work.
Justin went on the park's train ride with a friend, which I decided to pass on. Instead I took a stroll around the empty park on my own to to take a few more photos for the park guide and eventually returned to Flying Turns, which had begun testing.
I noticed that lead ride engineer Jim Brofy, who I've gotten to know pretty well over the past couple of year since he gave us a walk-thru tour during the Forbidden Rush USA CF-Live add-on, was operating the coaster and I went up to say hello. He was glad to see me and asked if I wanted to be the first non-employee to ride - an offer I couldn't refuse. Two of the trains were testing with sand bag weights and the third was occupied by three of the ride crew. Since I was lighter than any of them, I had to replace the guy in the last car.
After my first ride a film crew had arrive with Joe Muscato, who explained that they were filming a coaster documentary for the past few years and were only filming off-ride shots. They brought in about a dozen ACE members to ride the coaster while filming, so I went back out of the station and ran into Kim Pedersen, who wrote the original article about Flying Turns coasters that inspired Richard Knoebels to build this one. I chatted with Kim and his wife for about half an hour until we were asked to go over to the reception table to pick up our event wristbands.
The event kicked off with free hot dogs at a stand they set up near the Flying Turns entrance and the arrival of Kozmo and the new "Creeper" park mascot (seen here with Rick).
Richard Knoebel started giving his speech just as I finished off my chili-cheese dog.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYVOhKApydw[/youtube]
Here's a photo I took during the ride that I filmed in the video. I also took a selfy that I posted on facebook, but won't post here.
In the video you could see how they use the scales to balance the trains before loading. The cars can hold up to 400 pounds per car and the trains have to be loaded with the heaviest rider(s) in the first car and the lightest in the last car. The scales only confirm if the first ride attendant lined everyone up correctly. They do not display your weight, but simply tell you to line up in the correct queue if you are in the wrong place. So if you want to ride in the front car you have to line up with two other people that are lighter than you or ride with someone else and your combined weight has to be more than whoever lines up with you.
Some of the heavier park employees I talked to throughout the day told me that they have yet to ride in the last car, but Justin didn't have any trouble finding the right people to be able to ride in the last car (he got out of the car right before me in the video) or in the front car (in the photo below).
After the ride I filmed in the video I went around to the observation area to film some of the off-ride video
footage and take a couple of photos.
I then went over to Phoenix, which the park also opened for the event, and took a front seat ride with no one else on the train. By then it was starting to get dark, so I got in the Flying Turns queue for a night ride. This time I got to ride in the front car thanks to a girl I met earlier in the day who also wanted to ride up front with me. I wonder how long these decals will last before people rip them off for souvenirs?
Riding at night is really cool thanks to the way the track is lit up after dark. I also like the sign they have as you exit the station.
Although there was still over two hours left before the event was over, I left after that night ride to hit the long road to South Carolina since I had to be in Myrtle Beach the next day, but not before snapping one last shot of the entrance at night.
After my trip to Florida I got back in touch with Joe, who explained that the ride still wasn't ready to be filmed. However, after I agreed to return next spring to film the "official" POV he said I could come to the park on Friday and film an "unofficial" 3D POV. Since the park is only open from 6pm-10pm for Hallo-fun Nights, I arrived at 4:30pm to begin filming. It didn't take long to get everything setup and ready to go.
The cameras looks like they're pointing down too far and at a strange angle in the photo, but the video came out just fine as you can see (the 3D one is on our Youtube channel).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g-UO_ivToA[/youtube]
Since there was still quite a bit of time left before the coaster was going to open, Joe and Jim asked if I would like to take a ride. I got to try out each train in various cars and can say that each one is different. The green train is the smoothest and the gold train has the quickest transactions (it snaps more than the others). There's also a big difference in the front cars, which get pushed through the turns, and the back cars that are pulled through the circuit. The biggest difference however, comes from the weight of the riders. So, like the log flume rides during a CF-Live, the heavier the load - the better.
I can just imagine caffeine_demon, Stone Cold, Darren B, Ian, Mushy and furie all squeezing into the same train to get the best ride possible. :lol:
After my rides the coaster was about to open, but not before Jim took a ride himself. He's ridden it more than anyone else, but still can't resist the opportunity to get another ride in. It's that fun!
When they opened the ride I started packing away my equipment and was caught by surprise when someone called my name from the other side of the track. I looked over to see that our own Intricks was the first in line.
No problem getting that front car, right bud?! :wink:
No worrying about a crowded queuing in this station.
More thumbs up after his first ride. :--D
After Intricks' ride we chatted on the platform for a bit before he headed off to ride Phoenix. I went back to the observation area to try and take some more photos.
To get to the observation area you have to walk to the back of the transfer track (by the drop tower) and cross underneath the final brake run. It's where we entered the track when Jim gave us the walk-thru (for those that were at the CF-Live add-on), so some of you will recognize that stairway.
There's only the small portion of the track visible as the train flies by into the final turn and a view of the final brake run as it exits that turn.
It is however the only place that you can view the coaster in the turns other than from the top of the drop tower.
In these two photos (above & below) you can clearly see how each ride is different depending on the train and load.
Before I left I got to take one more ride in the dark and I hope that when you go to the park you get to go on it at night as well as during the day. It's definitely worth buying that extra ticket for.
I arrived at the park at 11:30am to find the parking lot already at overflow capacity for the Covered Bridge Festival, but the park itself was empty since it was closed and the Phall Phunfest didn't start until the next day.
After checking in with Rick Knoebel at the park office, we headed over to the coaster to check with Joe Muscato, the park's PR manager, to see if it was ok for me to film a 3D POV. Joe said that he didn't want me to film it that day as the coaster wasn't ready for an "official" POV yet, but I could film all the off-ride footage I wanted.
Since I couldn't film a POV, Rick gave me a private tour of the coaster instead. Here's the new signage at the ride entrance.
The first thing that stood out was the $3 per ride cost, which is 50 cents more than the other coasters. I also realized then that Flying Turns will be like the Haunted House and Black Diamond and not be covered by the all-day or half-day wristbands.
Then I noticed that they were going to weigh riders before loading in order to make sure the trains are balanced properly.
We walked through the queue line where some photo boards were on display.
After explaining how the scales at the queue entrance worked to me, Rick had to leave to go accept an award from the local Chamber of Commerce. While Rick was away I took a look around on my own and found these guys at the back of the coaster near the drop tower.
Rick returned a little while later accompanied by Justin Garvanovic from Europen Coaster Club, who I hadn't seen since Iron Rattler's media day at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Rick invited the two of us to join him for lunch at one of the Covered Bridge Festival eateries where we chatted for an hour or so before he had to go back to work.
Justin went on the park's train ride with a friend, which I decided to pass on. Instead I took a stroll around the empty park on my own to to take a few more photos for the park guide and eventually returned to Flying Turns, which had begun testing.
I noticed that lead ride engineer Jim Brofy, who I've gotten to know pretty well over the past couple of year since he gave us a walk-thru tour during the Forbidden Rush USA CF-Live add-on, was operating the coaster and I went up to say hello. He was glad to see me and asked if I wanted to be the first non-employee to ride - an offer I couldn't refuse. Two of the trains were testing with sand bag weights and the third was occupied by three of the ride crew. Since I was lighter than any of them, I had to replace the guy in the last car.
After my first ride a film crew had arrive with Joe Muscato, who explained that they were filming a coaster documentary for the past few years and were only filming off-ride shots. They brought in about a dozen ACE members to ride the coaster while filming, so I went back out of the station and ran into Kim Pedersen, who wrote the original article about Flying Turns coasters that inspired Richard Knoebels to build this one. I chatted with Kim and his wife for about half an hour until we were asked to go over to the reception table to pick up our event wristbands.
The event kicked off with free hot dogs at a stand they set up near the Flying Turns entrance and the arrival of Kozmo and the new "Creeper" park mascot (seen here with Rick).
Richard Knoebel started giving his speech just as I finished off my chili-cheese dog.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYVOhKApydw[/youtube]
Here's a photo I took during the ride that I filmed in the video. I also took a selfy that I posted on facebook, but won't post here.
In the video you could see how they use the scales to balance the trains before loading. The cars can hold up to 400 pounds per car and the trains have to be loaded with the heaviest rider(s) in the first car and the lightest in the last car. The scales only confirm if the first ride attendant lined everyone up correctly. They do not display your weight, but simply tell you to line up in the correct queue if you are in the wrong place. So if you want to ride in the front car you have to line up with two other people that are lighter than you or ride with someone else and your combined weight has to be more than whoever lines up with you.
Some of the heavier park employees I talked to throughout the day told me that they have yet to ride in the last car, but Justin didn't have any trouble finding the right people to be able to ride in the last car (he got out of the car right before me in the video) or in the front car (in the photo below).
After the ride I filmed in the video I went around to the observation area to film some of the off-ride video
footage and take a couple of photos.
I then went over to Phoenix, which the park also opened for the event, and took a front seat ride with no one else on the train. By then it was starting to get dark, so I got in the Flying Turns queue for a night ride. This time I got to ride in the front car thanks to a girl I met earlier in the day who also wanted to ride up front with me. I wonder how long these decals will last before people rip them off for souvenirs?
Riding at night is really cool thanks to the way the track is lit up after dark. I also like the sign they have as you exit the station.
Although there was still over two hours left before the event was over, I left after that night ride to hit the long road to South Carolina since I had to be in Myrtle Beach the next day, but not before snapping one last shot of the entrance at night.
After my trip to Florida I got back in touch with Joe, who explained that the ride still wasn't ready to be filmed. However, after I agreed to return next spring to film the "official" POV he said I could come to the park on Friday and film an "unofficial" 3D POV. Since the park is only open from 6pm-10pm for Hallo-fun Nights, I arrived at 4:30pm to begin filming. It didn't take long to get everything setup and ready to go.
The cameras looks like they're pointing down too far and at a strange angle in the photo, but the video came out just fine as you can see (the 3D one is on our Youtube channel).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g-UO_ivToA[/youtube]
Since there was still quite a bit of time left before the coaster was going to open, Joe and Jim asked if I would like to take a ride. I got to try out each train in various cars and can say that each one is different. The green train is the smoothest and the gold train has the quickest transactions (it snaps more than the others). There's also a big difference in the front cars, which get pushed through the turns, and the back cars that are pulled through the circuit. The biggest difference however, comes from the weight of the riders. So, like the log flume rides during a CF-Live, the heavier the load - the better.
I can just imagine caffeine_demon, Stone Cold, Darren B, Ian, Mushy and furie all squeezing into the same train to get the best ride possible. :lol:
After my rides the coaster was about to open, but not before Jim took a ride himself. He's ridden it more than anyone else, but still can't resist the opportunity to get another ride in. It's that fun!
When they opened the ride I started packing away my equipment and was caught by surprise when someone called my name from the other side of the track. I looked over to see that our own Intricks was the first in line.
No problem getting that front car, right bud?! :wink:
No worrying about a crowded queuing in this station.
More thumbs up after his first ride. :--D
After Intricks' ride we chatted on the platform for a bit before he headed off to ride Phoenix. I went back to the observation area to try and take some more photos.
To get to the observation area you have to walk to the back of the transfer track (by the drop tower) and cross underneath the final brake run. It's where we entered the track when Jim gave us the walk-thru (for those that were at the CF-Live add-on), so some of you will recognize that stairway.
There's only the small portion of the track visible as the train flies by into the final turn and a view of the final brake run as it exits that turn.
It is however the only place that you can view the coaster in the turns other than from the top of the drop tower.
In these two photos (above & below) you can clearly see how each ride is different depending on the train and load.
Before I left I got to take one more ride in the dark and I hope that when you go to the park you get to go on it at night as well as during the day. It's definitely worth buying that extra ticket for.
