Shaggy

That's a whole lot of text to admit you were wrong about your B&M Giga prediction Shaggy. Well, it's not official yet... but if the blueprints are proven true... half right ;-) That's the good thing about predictions - they can be inaccurate... but they're not harmful to those doing the actual work.

On the Mindbender at SFOG, a turn IS a loop. ;-)

I feel bad for the park no matter whether it's real or fake. A lot of hard work and effort goes into planning such things. I think it stinks that someone -although incognito - who made NONE of the decisions is getting attention and glory. The Executive Team at a park works long hours to provide exciting things for their guests. In the Marketing world, this *could be* the equivelant of someone blowing out the candles on YOUR birthday. That having been said, if it turns out the plans are accurate, then I think the placement of the lift/1st element is perfection! It would appear the *possible* coaster *may* drop off the lift and turn right above where the entrance to Adventure Express is (directly across from the Beir Garden.) Imagine the visuals... both on and off. Great photo ops! But no matter if these are real or fake... I applaud KI for finally filling the eyesore void left from the vacated KC land. I've been annoyed by that blank spot between Slingshot/Delirium/Go Karts for years! As far as the naysayers. Be very careful about pre-passing judgement on anything in life... including coasters. I've learned the hard way that criticizing something of which I'm not intimately (Or INTAMINLY... as the case may be...) familiar just makes me look like a darn fool in the long run. Statements such as "It should have been this", "I wont ride it", "It's not what I wanted" or "this would have better if it were this type of coaster" simply demonstrates a lack of forsight, narrowmindedness and immaturity. Thank God we have people like the Cedar Fair execs that are continuing the long-standing tradition of making KI such a great park. In the past 5 years, I've gotten a tinge of "the old days." Many of you didn't get to experience the early days. In the first 20+ years, the installs fit KI to a "T". Unfortunately the park lost it's direction for a while (IMO) so I am ecstatic to see it returning to it's roots of providing thrills for seekers of all levels and rides of substance and worth.

Maybe you're right... I haven't seen a picture of the supports. However that piece pictured above resembles a piece used on the transfer of Talon - and it was painted to match the track. Of course it's entirely possible that the entire coaster could be painted blue. Who knows? ;-)

If.... and only if... that piece is headed for KI... it's pretty obvious the track will be blue - supports are another color most likely. (I'd guess perhaps silver, based on the comb.)

For your consideration... New track... pic from ANDREWHOETER's files. Talon construction pic - from RideZone. Anything simular? ;-)

Bzzzzt... not always. I can name coasters that displayed trains to the public at the announcement prior to the coaster being constructed. Off the top of my head - Drachen Fire, The Bat, Legend & more. Often, trains are also displayed at IAAPA well prior to coaster construction. besides legend, it must be a arrow thing. ...and Gerstlauer, and B&M, and GCI. But if you are speaking about your beloved Intamin... then you're right - they typically don't have them ready for announcements. ;-)

Bzzzzt... not always. I can name coasters that displayed trains to the public at the announcement prior to the coaster being constructed. Off the top of my head - Drachen Fire, The Bat, Legend & more. Often, trains are also displayed at IAAPA well prior to coaster construction.

Don "Tweeted", people got their impatient little knickers in a knot and jumped to conclusions and assumed things. Now they are dissapointed and hopes are dashed and they didn't find out a secret. Any surprise?

Isn't it obvious folks? Pay attention... don't get caught up in minutia and nonsense. Simply LISTEN to what the park is NOT saying. You'll know in due time, the park is telling you that.

Which should we be doing right now? 1, 2, or 3? 4 Goodnight folks.... sweet dreams.

Nope, nothing to do with labels, or footers, or drains, or blue beams at a steel plant, or Intamin vs B&M crap. A very wise owl once told me "More can be learned by listening to what isnt being said, rather than what is." When I was a kid, the way we learned about new attractions at a park was (1.) You got your hands on a brochure from a Tourist Info Center for the upcoming season (2.) The new ride got featured on the local news (only after it opened.) or (3) You went to the park and learned for yourself by seeing what was new that year. There was no instant update via web... heck, home computers didn't even exist. Instead we relied on good old fashioned brain power. Just be patient. I know that's a hard concept... but it works. You'll figure out the news. And, well, it will satisfy you. That is, unless you fall into the ridiculous trap of pre-judgement. Shaggy

While you folks are busy arguing subjective opinions, you missed something obvious. Pay attention class, you have lots to learn.

I always loved the gal behind and to the right - she has bird guts in her eye.

You know... Fabio got hit with a bird when riding Apollo's Chariot... a Hyper.... by B&M... ;-) And there were a lot of screaming females around him...

Oy Intimidator 305 used the same square cut-outs at the top of the footings as other Intamins. Intamin uses a square cut out to fit the H-shaped insert at the base of the supports. Here's a pic (although a bit hard to see) of an Intimidator 305 footer showing the square cut outs. The footers at KI have diamond/oval shaped cut outs - typical of B&M.

Number of bolts has everything to do with stress on the base of the support, not what manufacturer it is. Round vs Rectangular vs square footings is a moot argument too... manufacturers use many variety of shapes for their footings. The only clue found with footers often lies in the cut-outs on the tops. Intamin and B&M use different "insert" shapes at the base of their supports. B&M requires a diamond/oval shape cut-out at the tops of their footings. The footings being poured for 2014 have diamond-shaped/oval cut outs. As far as the "limited space", the park is still open. And if the coaster will extend over the midways or other attractions - footings will likely not be poured until daily operations end. This project is not necessarily limited to the space that is currently cleared. Provided the coaster is a B&M, the dis-concerting issue is the fact that the Batavia plant does not have supports or track stored outside. However, with a later announce, one could suspect the construction of track and supports isn't pressing. Also, if the plant is finishing up a previously contracted job for another park - KI's track and supports may be next up.

You are incorrect

If the woman was sitting by herself, that explains a lot. I believe the findings will reveal that there was a flaw in the restraints that allowed her to fall to the side and out of the lapbar on one of the highly banked turns. No doubt her weight contributed to her inability to hold herself in, and interia took over. I would suspect it was simular to the Flight Commander incident that caused the death at KI 20 years ago. As far as Senator Markey, he's been whining his tune for years... snzzzzz... meanwhile his state had over 28,000 instances of violent crime last year. That's an average of .05% of the states population. Seems he needs a better attention-seeking platform.

Any word on what the original theme/name to Top Gun was to have been? I always heard the working name was "Raven."

Yes. As I understand it... It was designed and proposed by the Dinn Corp to Americana originally. This was one of the last coasters built by the Dinn Corp before it became Custom Coasters International. Denise Dinn actually was driving Dinn Corp by then, her father was semi-retired I believe. They proposed the coaster to Americana - who ultimately couldn't afford it and/or passed. Ed Hart (who was in the midst of a building frenzy at KK) then contracted them to build a wooden coaster for KK and they used the drafts from the Americana proposal to build Thunder Run. Ironically, the Dinn Corp was also proposing a design to KI at the very same time. There was a fallout at the Dinn Corp, Charles Dinn retired, and the company folded - negating the wooden coaster proposal for KI. KI, under the leadership of Carl Linder, then contracted Arrow to build a suspended coaster. In late 1992 Linder sold KI to Paramount, but the suspended was still contracted to be built, and the theme was altered to "Top Gun."

That's a great video. Many don't realize how under-rated Thunder Run was when it was first built. Bunny hill #1 (:59 on the video) had insane ejector air. Bunny hill #3 (1:05 on the video) was also a great off-your seat moment. There was also a double-up 3/4 of the way through that was later removed/modified (1:16 in the video.) It's nice to "virtually" ride the original again. I'll have to admit, TR was the only reason I would visit KK in those later years.

A test seat doesn't enforce the rule. Many would ignore the test seat and venture in anyways. Some may try the test seat, and even if they didn't fit, still attempt. The employees at an entrance (park or ride) can't profile (tell larger folks to try the test seat) otherwise it's mis-construed as discrimination. While test seats do work for those that actually take their limitations into consideration, they do not work for those that are either mentally oblivious or mentally ignorant of the restrictions.

I told you an outside factor related to the guest - such as obsesity - would be one of the lead contributing factors. I'm going to ruffle some feathers here, but I'll come right out with it. Parks should, under the law, have the right to refuse anyone of exceptional size and/or physical handicap to ride. ADA regulations have reached a ridiculous fever pitch, and those that are obsese are developing a mentality that "what everyone else can do, I should be allowed to do." Sorry, but that's crap. They should NOT be allowed to do something that could compromise their safety. A park should be protected, just as any citizen is, should they refuse a person. If I have a backyard pool with a slide, I can - by law - refuse someone access to it for fear their physical limitation would endanger them should they go on the slide. However if a park does such, it's considered discrimination, and the ADA gives the guest the right to sue. It's a fact of life that those of larger proportions simply cannot do, or should not do, things that would be impeded by size. By living in a "PC" society, we are perpetuating myths. By "pretending" that a person of extreme size or limitation is completely able-bodied endangers them. It generates a mentality, in cases such as coaster riding, that they are superior to a mechanical device. It's lose-lose for the parks. If they refuse the rider - they get sued. If they allow the rider - they run the risk of getting sued should any accident (no matter how small) occurr. When I worked on Beast crew, there was a fellow who came with his Dad to KI every weekend and rode The Beast. He was middle-aged, wheelchair bound and LOVED KI. I really appreciated his love of the park. However, he was handicapped to the point that he could not lift or manuever himself out of his chair or into the train whatsoever. As a matter of fact, (as I recall) his arms had very limited mobility and he was not able to hold the lap bar properly. (I believe, he had Cerebral Palsy to the point that he was constricted to the chair) We'd have to hold the trains while three of us lifted him from his chair onto the ride. We then had to adhere him to the seat with a special torso strap and click his lapbar down on him. This was AFTER we had notified those that had waited in line (he didn't have to - came up the exit) that he would be riding in front of them for the next two circuits (he was permitted two consecutive rides.) We'd send him on his way, and every single time I'd pray to God that he came back in one piece. I stayed scared to death something would happen and I'd be responsible. However, by law, I was not allowed to refuse this. But also, had something happened, my neck was on the chopping block for blame. Now I was in my late 20's - and working at KI for kicks. Most employees at KI are teens - or young 20s. That's an immense responsibility to place on "a kid." Yet, had I refused to allow him - or even refused to assist him - I would have been fired and the park sued. Now I ask... is that fair to anyone? Him? Me? The park?

I was referring to the Superman ROS at Six Flags Darien lake - where the passenger fell out of the train as it hit the final brake run. The passenger was missing his legs as I recall. In regards to the Superman New England (now Bizarro) incident, there are no high sides to the train. Actually, there are NO sides to the train. It uses open-air style trains by Intamin. You mentioned the rider had a physical handicap - Cerebral Palsy - and was obsese. These contributed to his fall. Again, as terrible as the SFOT accident is, I still believe several factors will be found as contributing factors. I believe a physical limitation - likely obsesity- may have played a part in this, as it often does.