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The official "Bring the Flying Eagles home" thread.


Shaggy
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Cedar Fair is to be applauded for all of the nods it's making to the past in the former KECO/Paramount Parks. We are seeing a flurry of terrific things, especially out of Kings Dominion, Much loved attractions and theming elements are being restored to the parks. The return of the name "The Bat", The Singing Mushrooms etc. I can't tell you how much these fantastic decisions mean to the fans of these parks.

That having been said, I decided to start this official request to Cedar Fair:

Please bring the Flying Eagles home.

For many, the Eagles were a staple of Kings Island. They were an original attraction that made their debut at the Cincinnati Coney Island in the early 1940s, and then were re-located to Kings Island for it's grand opening in 1972. The Eagles thrilled and entertained guests at KI for 33 years (in two different locations in the park) until the shocking decision was made to remove and relocate them to Carowinds. According to the park (at the time) they were removed because the installation of Italian Job Stunt Track necessitated it. However, the truth is, a formal KD General Manager that had been transferred to Carowinds specifically pushed for the relocation.

Bottom line, my wish is for those that are currently spearheading the Cedar Fair leadership to recognize the value this attraction had at KI and to bring them back to their home in Cincinnati - KI.

This thread is meant for other fellow KI and Flying Eagle fans to chime in with their support. It's also meant for those that enjoyed the attraction to reminisce about experiences they may have had. Perhaps Cedar Fair may take note and recognize the opportunity to restore yet another piece of 70 year-old history to it's rightful place.

Thanks!

John K - aka Shaggy

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I would be all in but their is only one moral problem for me. An entire generation of kids who go to Carowinds now know of our Flying Eagles as their ride from their childhood. Although It's a shame that it left Kings Island it would be just as much of a shame for it to leave Carowinds.

Financially I don't see any issue. These rides, old or new are relatively cheap compared to rides like Banshee and Diamondback and need very little land clearing along with standard utilities.

A way that both issues can be resolved is if the one currently at Carowinds moves back to KI and Carowinds also gets a brand new one but that seems a little ridiculous.

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I concur Shaggy! That ride was, and will always be one my most memorable childhood experiences at Kings Island. I still cherish the times my dad would take me on them, more so now that he has suffered a brain aneurysm. It's amazing that even today, some 12 years later, we still talk about it!

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I say that Carowinds can get a new set of Eagles. Bring ours back home! The history with them is so rich. I loved riding them at KI. I have many great memories of them. It is a simple yet fun ride.

I have been hoping since Cedar Fair started installing these rides that KI would either get the original Coney Island model back, or one of the newer versions. Obviously, I would love to get the Coney one back to KI. There are lots of locations in the park where the ride would be a good addition. Tucked next to the Flight of Fear exit in what is currently a grassy area between Adventure Express, Flight of Fear and The Racer. Or they could go in the pad of the former Salt Water Circus, now that Snoopy`s Starlight Spectacular has been retired. Or, they could take out the Dinosaur party pavilion, and give the Eagles a nice new perch ontop of the former Flight Commander pad, which would fit in nicely since they would be in Coney Mall, an homage to their beginning at the park that I have spent.

And I agree that Cedar Fair, has been making some incredible moves towards nostalgic items at the parks. But more importantly they are really paying homage to the history of the parks and making them places that all generations can enjoy together and make memories (thus developing their future customers when the current children will take their kids to the park).

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^No, I spent plenty of time in line waiting for them!

As much as I would love to see the original set return to KI, I think that would be highly unlikely. They are the best set of scooters I've ever ridden. Try and try as I might, no other set that I've been on comes close (although Idlewild's was pretty good, but they don't let you snap them so they lose major points for that!).

I'll always remember the summer of '89, my first year working in the park. A girl that I kind of had a flirtation-thing going on with in my stand wanted to go on some rides after our shift, so of course I said yes. We got on the Flying Eagles and she asked me if I knew how to snap them. I told her that I had no idea what she was talking about. She sure showed me! I have her to thank for making me love flying scooters as much as I do. That day opened up a whole new aspect to the ride I had never known about.

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One of my fondest memories ever of KI is riding them with my older cousin for the first time who showed me how to maneuver it well enough to snap it and get it to scrape the ground. I thought that was the coolest thing ever. I'd love to give it another shot to see if I still have the magic touch that she taught me.

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I think you guys need to be more thankful for Banshee and ESPECIALLY The Bat being re-themed and -repainted. Even I was surprised that they had enough money to bring back The Bat. I agree that they do need to bring back the Flying Eagles back, but let's take one step (season) at a time.

Who says we're not thankful and what's so wrong with thinking about the future?

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I have ridden Flying Scooters in nearly every American park. In my opinion, Kings Island had and Carowinds has the best set in the land. The modern editions are not a comparable substitute.

To be able to snap a set like the Flying Eagles was and is one of the true joys of my life.

I'd love to see them back. And now, I bet even Tim Fisher would approve.

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Go to Camden Park. Ride their Flying Scooters. Tell me they compare to Carowinds. And watch me collapse into fits of uncontrollable peals of laughter, wave after wave. I'd actually rather not have ANY Flying Scooters than to have a set like Camden's, or Holiday World's, or Indiana Beach's...and on and on and on.

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I'm on board. I would give up the Backlot Coaster for the Eagles any day of the week.

Me too. How about we give Carowinds the Back Lot Stunt Coaster in exchange for the Flying Eagles...then we'd have free land for Les Taxis and the Ohio Overland Livery (the Antique Cars, for those not familiar with the real names) to return...along with all of the beautiful landscaping that was decimated by Paramount.

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After ten seasons, ya'll still haven't got over the Flyers. From what I heard, they were always walk on at KI. They ae still pulling 1/2 hour lines at Carowinds.

They were totally not always a walk on at Kings Island.

Too frequently there were so many people in line that the big meanies wouldn't let us ride unless we paired up with someone.

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I'm on board. I would give up the Backlot Coaster for the Eagles any day of the week.

Me too. How about we give Carowinds the Back Lot Stunt coaster in exchange for the Flying Eagles...then we'd have free land for Les Taxis and the Ohio Overland Livery (the Antique Cars, for those not familiar with the real names) to return...along with all of the beautiful landscaping that was decimated by Paramount.

I actually enjoy BL:SC! (:

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I enjoyed BB, and look where I am now.

BB1, just warning you of the ever changing cycle of Kings Island.

I second the destruction of BL:SC, sure it is an fantastic coaster, but sometimes, I do feel a bit cramp in there. Plus, I really could go without the whole helix and the bunny hills, for they are not my cup of tea with the little cars with little leg room for those of the larger legs. Yet, I am a fan of using the small pavilion for the classic Eagles, though, getting the same exact ones are one in a million chance.

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The dislike for Stricker's scooters surprises me a little bit. Of the flying scooters I've ridden*, that set seemed closest to Kings Island's than any of the others. You want a sad set of scooters? Go ride the ones at the Columbus Zoo. Slowest set I've ever been on; I'm convinced it would be impossible to snap them. In case you somehow manage to defy physics, they've got hard stops (apart from the normal ones) that limit the angle range you can move the rudder in. Snore.

*Disclaimer: I've been on Holiday World's, Camden Park's, Conneaut's, Kings Dominion's, Columbus Zoo's, and, of course, Kings Island's and Stricker's Grove's. Unfortunately, I've never been to Carowinds, so I haven't ridden Kings Island's for what I'd estimate to be about 15 years, and I don't remember them extremely well apart from the snapping. (Yes, I know they left 10 years ago. I didn't go to KI very much back then.) I haven't been to Knoebels, either, but that may change this summer. So maybe my perspective on scooters will change?

EDIT: On that note... no, it doesn't make much business sense, but I'm 100% with Shaggy. Bring back the Bisch-Rocco flying scooters from Carowinds!

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I'm on board. I would give up the Backlot Coaster for the Eagles any day of the week.

Me too. How about we give Carowinds the Back Lot Stunt coaster in exchange for the Flying Eagles...then we'd have free land for Les Taxis and the Ohio Overland Livery (the Antique Cars, for those not familiar with the real names) to return...along with all of the beautiful landscaping that was decimated by Paramount.

I actually enjoy BL:SC! (:

You could always enjoy it at Carowinds....(just joking...lol)

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I miss the Flying Eagles just as much as anyone, but I'm actually really impressed that the former GM was respected enough that he got to pick up our ride and bring it down to Carowinds with him. It sounds so cool to have that much power!

But actually though, getting ours back and replacing them with another set at Carowinds is highly improbable. CF would probably give us a modern interpretation of the Flying Eagles rather than our original set. I really want the originals return, though!

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I'm all for it. Even though they once scared me to death, I love the ride, and anything that came from Old Coney never should've left. I can't ever express disapointment with the ones at Stricker's Grove, because at least I can ride them without going out of town. I like the ones at Indiana Beach because the go out over the water. Perhaps Cedar Fair can buy the ones at Conneaut Lake if that auction does happen, although I hope it doesn't.

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