Firehawk poll

[Daisy1380#]

I hope that y'all are having a good day.

I noticed that there is a poll called the "Vortex Poll". I looked on these forums for a while, and I could not find one on Firehawk, which I have always wanted to hear what people think about Firehawk on these forums. I ask this out of curiosity, where I am not trying to start anything, and I want your thoughts here (good or bad about Firehawk).

What are your thoughts on Firehawk? Why is that? If you want people to believe your reason, explain of any experiences you have had on Firehawk, whether the experience was good or bad on Firehawk. So do you have any examples of good or bad things on Firehawk?

Finally, would you recommend Firehawk for anyone who has never ridden it before? If someone has never ridden a flying coaster before, would you recommend Firehawk to them? Why or why not?

I not only made this poll for y'all to answer, I made it to help others out.

Please be honest with your answers, explain your position, and help others out if need to be.

I hope that y'all have a great day.

Thanks, Daisy1380#.

[McSalsa]

Firehawk is a fun ride IMO- the flying sensation feels weird, but fun, and the ride has some neat elements. The loop on Firehawk is probably one of my favorite inversions in the entire park. It can be a little rough at times (though the time it was for me I was in the very back so that might have been why), but it's also far from the roughest coaster I've ever been on. Also beware: sometimes the Sun will get in your eyes on the lift hill, since you are on your back the entire way up.

However I have only been on Firehawk twice in my 12+ visits to Kings Island for 1 major reason: it's capacity is crud (it takes a LONG time to load/unload this coaster- from what I have heard this is the case with most flying coasters though), and thus it often builds a much longer wait time than I or others in our group are willing to wait for it. If we see even a few rows in that line full, it's a no-go, because even that means a LONG, slow-moving wait when it comes to that ride, and we generally don't feel like waiting a hour plus for it when other rides in the park are 15 minutes or less.

It is worth riding though, if you are willing to either head straight for Firehawk (and Flight of Fear- it can also build up quite a lengthy line itself) when the gates open, since it's not the first ride most people head for (that seems to be the hot new Mystic Timbers this year) you can ride it with little to no wait, and in that case it is very much worth it (just not when the line starts to get huge). Or you could buy Fast Lane Plus (regular does not include Firehawk) if you showed up to the park a bit late and it's already crowded, and you're willing to drop a big chunk of cash.

 

[Honorarius]

I really enjoy it, but also, it's line dependent... Short line, I'll give it a go, long line, I'll pass...

I would recommend it to someone who's never ridden it, but I'd say that about all but the worst coasters, so I'm easy like that...
 

[SonofBaconator]

I like Firehawk for what it is, but I think B&M has made a superior coaster design with their flyers. However, it has been a popular attraction with the GP so I always recommend it to people who haven't ridden it. I honestly don't ride it on busy days just because the ride is really short to wait in line for more than 30 minutes. That shouldn't stop people from riding, it's just a personal preference. 

[YOULLBEBACK]

Firehawk:  It's ok. 

It's not really worth the wait, plus whenever I am there, it seems to be down quite a bit. 

I like X-Base, but man, the capacity of those 2 coasters usually keep me away from that area most times I visit. 

[Saerenzea]

I feel the same as the posts so far. If I have a Fast Lane I will but I have never ridden it without one because of the lines. I came to ride rides, not stand in a line. That aside.. 

I love the coaster itself. It's smooth and fun and the restraints are awesome. It's like getting hugged by a rollercoaster. I especially like the part right after the lift hill when you're way up in the air. And I wish the train went on the outside of the loop. That would be neat. 

[rhyano]

Firehawk is a ride i wouldn't wait more than 30 mins for (based on the capacity) but other than that it's just okay, I prefer Vortex and the other rides in the park.

[Haru-Kun]

I like it. Wife doesn't. She tells me it can a bit crushing in the chest area. Different people will obviously have different levels of opinion on that.

I don't think I've ever dropped anything on any coaster..other than Firehawk. Due to an insatiable appetite, it will claim your personal valuables if they are left in an open pocket. It happened once. Then I learned. 

I'll ride it if there's a short line, or out of boredom if its a slow day, or I've ridden everything else that day. But I won't make a beeline to it. To be honest, most days I go - and I go quite often - I'll skip over it.

I do have a fondness for it knowing it came from Geauga, which I miss.

[MDMC01]

I answered Yes to both questions; however, the first yes should have an astrisk next to it as I have not ridden it since 2015 as I'm preparing to make Nighthawk my 100th coaster (as it's a similar coaster). Even though I've ridden and enjoy Firehawk, I took the year off so that I could maximize the "newness" of Nighthawk to try to imagine/experience what people must have felt back in 2000 when Stealth soared across the skies as the world's first flying coaster! 

[awoody]

I like Firehawk. I don't love it. It's a long wait for a short ride. I also find it to be a bit slow, lacking speed. As many have said, the loading and unloading process eats soooo much time. Does it ever run two trains simultaneously? Every time I've been on it - loaded - run - unload. Never has one loading while one is on the track.

[King Ding Dong]

I have never seen it run only one train, but I am sure it happens.   Bad luck I suppose.  

[SonofBaconator]

Yea whenever I'm there there's always two trains running. I personally am not a fan of two track stations from an operations standpoint. I would rather have a loading station and an unloading station where the train stays right side up between unload and loading. 

[Joshua]

I use to like it, but last time I rode it, it was somewhat painful and awkward. 

[flightoffear1996]

Slow loading times and generally a pretty boring layout I avoid this ride.  If the line is short and its been awhile I will ride it.  

[LongLiveTheSmurfRide]

It's my least favorite ride in the park. I seem to get talked into riding it at least once a season (on a super slow day) and swear I'm not going to ride it ever again.

I don't get any kind of "flying" sensation when riding. I get the feeling that my entire body weight is being held in by these uncomfortable restraints and praying that they do not fail. Please please please, let me live, this time. 

I truly get no enjoyment out of the ride at all. My least hated part is the loop because it's an odd sensation going through it on your back, but that is not enough for me to return.

I've already been talked into it once this year, again, so I'm good for a while.

[Tijjer]

If the line is long I'll pass it up.  I do love Firehawk though especially its lie-to-fly elements, its loop, and its helix that feels like its pulling more Gs then it really is.

[Magenta Lizard]

I enjoy it a lot more since I've learned it is the only coaster I /want/ to be stapled into. Getting the ride-op to click the lap bar at least one more than I can do on my own makes the actual ride much more comfortable. Before I would sort of rock back and forth and it made it hell on my shinbones. But being locked in as tightly as possible stops that and I can enjoy the ride. 

I've been riding it much more often now. Yesterday I even got a zen ride on it, that was interesting.