Photo TR - A.J. goes Flying, Phlying and Twisting

A.J. · June 9, 2014

Hi everyone!

So, I finally got to my first park this season. Can you guess which one?!?

This afternoon at Knoebels was warm and humid - great for coaster-riding, terrible for queuing. Still, I was able to ride what I wanted with a $20 ticket pack (which wasn't a lot but I was only there for several hours).

Let's get this one out of the way - Flying Turns. The capacity on this thing is just as bad as (if not worse than) Black Diamond, which is a bit weird considering that Black Diamond was a walk-on today! The paper sign at the entrance said the wait was 45 minutes but it felt like at least an hour. The majority of riders, myself included, rode solo in the cars. This made it easy for the people on the platform but it made the queue absolutely crawl. It's a slightly ridiculous process -

You wait at the top of the platform stairs for the attendant to ask you your party size. Then, he / she assigns you or your pair to a "gate", where you wait. When the next train loads, you're allowed to step onto the scales and if you're not too heavy you're cleared to ride. Then, when the next train loads you move into a "pen". Finally, when the next train arrives the air gate opens and you can board.

Unfortunately, it's the only way they can really do it because of the weight limit per car (recap: 400 pounds). It works pretty flawlessly though.

The coaster itself is fantastically good fun. The turns are insanely tight - you're banked at eighty to NINETY DEGREES (!!!!) during almost every turn. The transitions between the turns are pretty quick but they're really smooth and fluid. You're not supposed to lean in either direction during the ride but I did so unintentionally because I was having that much fun - like flying a plane. It certainly won't make anyone's top ten lists because it's not a crazy airtime machine, terrain coaster or whatever kind of coaster Rocky Mountain is building. However, it was worth the wait and it's worth a drive out to Knoebels because it's a kind of ride that you can't experience anywhere else even if you've ridden other bobsled coasters.

The coaster just has this sort of "out-of-control" feeling. It looks incredibly tame and slow from the queue line but it takes those turns so blindingly fast. It all makes for a wacky, interesting and fun experience!

Hey Larry, how's everything been?

This is not the kind of "video surveillance" where there are just some little cameras around. They had security cameras probably every fifteen to twenty feet of the circuit. They were really serious about guest behavior and loose article possession during the ride. Remember, don't shoot on-ride videos without a park's prior permission!

Hey, look at me, I can do artsy photographs too!

They had these cool historical signs in the queue. Just as safe as a baby carriage!

Zooooom! The ride was pretty quiet actually.

One of the things that I really like about Knoebels coasters is that the queue lines are routed within the rides themselves. It's pretty cool!

Control tower, we're beginning our initial ascent now. Can we have our in-flight meals yet?

While the ride isn't "themed", the park staff play up the "flying" thing a lot. I really like it because it helps the staff and the guests enjoy the experience even more.

And now, other park happenings...

Look at that. It's like seeing an old friend.

Phoenix was running wonderfully as always. Four rides total, and I even got one in the pouring rain! It was so much fun! They were only running one train all day which made queue times kind of long early but they fizzled out as the hours went by.

Did the nice-looking dancer that drives the ride break her leg or something? Fandango was down.

Twister is...incredibly aggressive this year. It's not "totally rough" but it basically takes your body and whips it around in every horizontal direction possible. It's great fun if you like lateral Gs on coasters but it can be kind of painful for everyone else.

But there's GOOD NEWS because Twister hasn't just been re-tracked, it's been completely rebuilt in certain places! Look at that nice new structure! It rides pretty well.

There's something missing here... I wonder what it could be?

It's the Power Surge! Power Surge is currently sitting folded up in the parking lot near one of the pavilions. It looks like it's been freshly painted, but I didn't want to get any closer because I wasn't sure if I was allowed to or not. But it does look like they are definitely working on it. Maybe it will get new seats with the thinner, less intrusive shoulder harnesses from Zamperla?