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Flight of Fear no longer part of Fast Lane


kirbias1
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I was recently at the park and purchased a Fast Lane Plus. I made the assumption that FoF was part of FLP because it was for the 2013 season. I was disappointed when we tried to enter where the FL was located on FoF last year, only to find out it was no longer available. I think that is absolutely ridiculous that KI took one of the best rides out of the FLP package for the price that they charge for it.

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No Fast Lane means no line separator, so the UFO and station are packed full. This makes the line longer than it looks, which has increased wait times by some extent.

Capacity is down by 20% with 1 car unused. Depending on the day, this could be more or less than the capacity hit from Fast Lane (Plus). (Earlier this season, they'd fill up to 1/3 of the capacity with Fast Lane riders. When the Fast Lane queue didn't have that many waiting, more standby riders would be taken.)

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No Fast Lane means no line separator, so the UFO and station are packed full. This makes the line longer than it looks, which has increased wait times by some extent.

Capacity is down by 20% with 1 car unused. Depending on the day, this could be more or less than the capacity hit from Fast Lane (Plus). (Earlier this season, they'd fill up to 1/3 of the capacity with Fast Lane riders. When the Fast Lane queue didn't have that many waiting, more standby riders would be taken.)

However, there is nothing like standing on the steps and watching streams of Fastlaner-s fill the line. Then a long pause...a Fastlane buildup....then streams of Fastlaner-s fill the line (mainly because a Fastlaner dropped the chain and walked their group in).......several times until someone at the lead of the standby line finally dropped the chain because they were frustrated with how it was being handled. That day we stood on the bottom stairs for over 20 minutes....real efficiency there.

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As much as I love this ride, it's my favorite even with The addition of Banshee, I'm curious to see what they do long term. Are we seeing the end of FOF? Are they going to do an overhaul during the off season? I purchase FastLane Plus every time I go do to medical reasons and it saddens me I won't be able to ride this any more.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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When FOF opened it had four trains of 6 cars....24 riders times 4 = 96 riders per complete cycle.....then one car was removed from each train (I believe before the ride was officially opened to the public, correct me if I'm wrong.) leaving 20 seats per train or 80 riders per cycle. Then one train was removed from the coaster leaving 60 riders per cycle with three trains in operation. Then the over the head restraints were removed (Thank God) and replaced with lap bars and seatbelts. I believe since then another train has been removed leaving 2 train operation or 40 riders per cycle.

So since the ride originally was created for 96 riders per cycle it has since been reduced to 40 riders per cycle... a 61% reduction... could this be why it takes so long to get on this coaster?

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So if it had 8 trains when it opened, it would have 24 x 8 = 192 riders "per complete cycle?" Okay... what's a complete cycle exactly? If it had 16 trains, a complete cycle would have 384 riders? That's not a standard measurement...

To my knowledge, what's important is (number of available seats) minus (number of empty seats) on each train. After an hour, that equals the ride's hourly throughput. Hopefully it's close to the theoretical hourly capacity. It could run 2 trains. It could run 12 trains (not really). Hourly capacity would still be the number of people who can ride in one hour. Changing the number of available seats on each train definitely makes a difference. Changing the number of trains does, but only to a degree. If trains stacked on the brake run running 3 trains, then running 2 would have little negative impact. In fact, running 2 might be the same as running 3, just with the train able to roll right into the unload station instead of waiting on the final brakes.

I don't believe the coaster ever used all four trains. (EDIT: It doesn't have the blocks for it...?)

I think it's just a difficult coater to load. It's sunk down into the ground, so riders have to climb in, shimmy through Premier's ankle restraints, and buckle the awkward safety belt. Then, operators have to bend over at each row to check said buried belt and the restraint. It's not like Diamondback where people jump right on and operators run right down the line.

Edited by goodyellowkorn182
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I was sure I remembered four trains, oh well. The one on the course often stopped on the mcbr because there was often one in the exit and the breakrun before the exit, eliminating one block break. Theoretical capacity for the ride was originally set at 2000 riders per hour. I don't believe it is reaching 2000 riders per hour at this time.

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It's not like Diamondback where people jump right on and operators run right down the line.

DB doesn't run down the line..however if they did...

I think you know where I'm going with this :P

Y'all make this too hard, figure out total trip time for one train from train park to park, or the average. Figure out how many dispatches that train could have in an hour, multiply by two, then how many seats. That's the rides capacity for that hour. Then you just need to subtract any seats.

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Its my understanding that it has not operated 3 trains since the CF purchase, is that correct or am I misremembering?

Flight of Fear hasn't ran three trains on quite some time, even before the CF Purchase. 3 trains were converted to lap bars but only 2 trains have been on the track at one time. They rotate one of the trains around each year, like what has been done with Adventure Express the last few years under CF.

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Yep. And that third train that is not on the tracks can actually undergo its offseason maintenance in the normal season, which is actually the down time for the rides maintenance mechanics. Then when the off season arrives, they only have to do off season maintenance on one train, as they already rebuilt the third train.

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Oh so that's why Adventure Express has three separate containers to hold lose articles. I've always wondered why that was. So how did Adventure Express have three trains operating at once (where would the third train stop if there was a hold up at the station)? Does anyone remember? Would it stop on the final lift hill?

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Well I remember sitting on the brake run outside of the station with a train in the station. I would assume they could hold a train loading, one on the brake and one running the the course with a stop at either of the two lift hills

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Yes the second lift would set up if the train ahead was still sitting waiting to come into the station. I heard one of the reasons that the third train was removed from Adventure Express was to cut down on wear and tear on the lift motor. Also many Guests thought the ride broke down when the ride set up on the second lift.

Iron Dragon used the second lift also as a stopping point if they were a delay in the station under three train operation.

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