CoastersRZ Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Ok. After doing a little digging, there is a road between X-Flight and the parking lot. I don`t know if it is officially a public road, but it does connect to North Aurora Road, which is located to the southwest of the park. I would presume that all the pictures on the site were taken from this road. So, I guess the photographer was not in the wrong. They are some wonderful pictures! Now, if only the X-Flight parts will start to leave Geauga`s parking lot and head to their destination park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKIDelirium Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 That's Jason Hammond's site right? I know for a fact he has a pretty big zoom lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Bombay Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Ok. After doing a little digging, there is a road between X-Flight and the parking lot. I don`t know if it is officially a public road, but it does connect to North Aurora Road, which is located to the southwest of the park. I would presume that all the pictures on the site were taken from this road. So, I guess the photographer was not in the wrong. They are some wonderful pictures! Now, if only the X-Flight parts will start to leave Geauga`s parking lot and head to their destination park. Correct, you can even stand at the gas station across the street from the park and take the pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomTheater Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 That road is the first rerouting of Geauga Lake Rd. It use to go straght through where x-flight is, then reroute around x-flight. Finnally, it was routed around the parking lot and the road was truancated to a drop of circle before the old crosswalk. I dont know if its public anymore or is owned by GL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Right. But I know that in some of his pictures, they are looking back towards North Aurora Road from the road between X-Flight and the parking lot, and not from the gas station. For example, the last image displayed on this page is clearly taken from the road in question. (Along with several other images in that set). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flightoffear1996 Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 It looks liek to me the pictures are taking from public property. Maybe that is why the X-Flight trains are all ready off the track so they can do the maintance on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cory Butcher Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 looks to me like he is behind any and all gates, I see no problem with it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ensign Smith Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Hi guys! First time poster, long time lurker here. GL is my 'home' park, although KI and CP are my most beloved parks. From the looks of that picture, I would guess that that picture was taken from park property. It's hard to say for sure, but to me it looks like the angle that the photographer was shooting from would have intercepted the X-Flight deconstruction site. So if he had been shooting from across the road, it would have been through a whole lot of fencing and other obstructions. By the way, I love this forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Hi guys! First time poster, long time lurker here. GL is my 'home' park, although KI and CP are my most beloved parks. From the looks of that picture, I would guess that that picture was taken from park property. It's hard to say for sure, but to me it looks like the angle that the photographer was shooting from would have intercepted the X-Flight deconstruction site. So if he had been shooting from across the road, it would have been through a whole lot of fencing and other obstructions. By the way, I love this forum! Welcome to PKIC! Take your coat off, kick your shoes off and stay a while! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mutedarkness Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 That road is acctualy blocked off right now and he would have to walk up to the front gate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ensign Smith Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 ^^ Thanks, BoddaH. I hope PKI fans aren't too revved up about X-Flight. When it was at Geauga Lake it was about my sixth or seventh favorite coaster at the park. For me, it was always boring and fairly uncomfortable. I'd much rather take a spin on Raging Wolf Bobs or Dominator any day. But then again, every ride has its fans. It ought to be a decent complement to FOF and Face Off. I'm just wondering if at this juncture there's even enough time to get it installed for an early season opening. Last I saw in the photos, there weren't any footers put in in the construction zone yet. That's not leaving a whole lot of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Well, the latest pictures are a couple of weeks old now. So a lot of progress can be made. Also, don`t forget about when they started building X-Flight at GL. They started in January and the ride was open by Memorial day weekend. I doubt that the ride will be ready by opening day, but it will likely be ready by the time daily operation begins or shortly thereafter. A lot of the time consuming part is site preparation and getting the infrastructure in place (water, electric, etc.). Once that is done, they will be able to start the footings. And once that is underway, it would only be a matter of time before steel goes up. Painting can be done while they wait for the concrete footings cure, or after the steel has been put in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tubaman Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Let me clear this up. Yes I am a fanboy. I just didn't want to anger somebody who doesn't like to admit to being one. Let's add in the fact that I'm a tuba player, it makes me twice more likely to do something illegal, like trespassing just for one picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outdoor Man Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 I don't think it would be a stretch to have an attraction up and running before opening day. Remember, the site preparations were started back in November (and possibly before). It has been a while since pictures have been taken (well, posted anyway)- footers could already be in place waiting on steel forms to be bolted to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiana1986 Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Just because they are waiting to set it up until the middle of January doesn't mean that it won't be ready for Memorial Day Weekend becasue i bet that's what the park will be shooting for anyway. It's the most popular weekend to open a new ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausty1983 Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Just because they are waiting to set it up until the middle of January doesn't mean that it won't be ready for Memorial Day Weekend becasue i bet that's what the park will be shooting for anyway. It's the most popular weekend to open a new ride. I would have to agree because that amount of time would be right for them to complete it and test it out,have the training done by then only time will tell... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIBeast Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 Let me clear this up. Yes I am a fanboy. I just didn't want to anger somebody who doesn't like to admit to being one. Let's add in the fact that I'm a tuba player, it makes me twice more likely to do something illegal, like trespassing just for one picture. Oh, the power of the tuba Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Picard Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 If understand what I read it was planed to take 70 days to install when it was put in at Six Flags. I don't know if that included the site prep or just the ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vortex Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 Have any new pictures been taken from the air? The weather this winter is not that cold and alot of work could be done outside during this time frame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 Rest assured that we will have pictures if anything major develops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikewhy Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 I have ridden the Vekoma flyers X-Flight, Borg Assimilator and Batwing. Of the three, I liked X-Flight the best and found it to be the smoothest. Borg and Batwing was not too bad, but did have a little rattling and shaking in places. I personally find the restraints to be less than enjoyable on these coasters though. If the trains are stacking and you are laying on your back for too long, it gets rather uncomfortable, and when turned around the other way you feel a little too loose for my liking (although I am told some people love this sensation, so it is a matter of taste.) I have also ridden B&M's Superman Ultimate Flight at both Six Flags Great America and Six Flags Over Georgia. I vastly prefer the B&M trains and restaints, which I find so much more comfortable and reassuring while in flight. I also find the ride to be smoother than the Vekoma ones. I do think the Vekoma flying coasters have a more interesting layout, although I do love the huge pretzel loops on the B&Ms. I think X-Flight will be a huge hit for PKI, although to be honest, I still wish we were getting something from B&M or Intamin. But oh well, this will still overall be an exciting new addition. I hope they paint it well and make the new area it is in look good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cstrwomann Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 I just hope that they aren't going to take out Son of Beast for this coaster. After all they haven't said that it will be open for Opening Day. I hope PKI get's X-Flight because it's a great coaster but I hope they get it next year and not this year. They were having alot of problems with it at GL. It was always breaking down. I hope they can fix the problems with it and retheme the area and give it a new name if PKI is getting it. Only time will tell if PKI is getting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cewldre Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 I do not know anything about X-flight or GL, but, after hearing that X-flight is very similar to Borg, I would have to assume that, despite it's problems at GL, they could be addressed at a new park, hence the move. We saw this directly when Borg moved from California to Carolina. Stealth was a bit much for the maintenance crew, but Carowinds was able to keep up with the maintenace and runs fine (for the most part). If that's true, could it not also be true that we might have a more reputable maintenance staff than GL and could, on a daily basis, take better care of the ride? Someone correct my info if it's wrong, but that has been what I have heard about Borg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 What you have heard about Stealth/Borg is exactly right. The coaster was not just moved, but totally rehabbed during that process. And Carowinds has one of the very best maintenance teams in the country, bar none. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 I think a lot of it comes down to the budget that is alloted for maintenance at each park. Obviously, the larger the park and the more steel coasters it has, their steel coaster maintenance department would be bigger and have a larger budget to work with. If X-Flight is relocated to KI will it still have some issues? Sure. All rides from time to time will have some sort of mechanical issues. Right down to rides like the Scrambler that have been around for more years than the park has been open will occasionally have some mechanical issues. If Kings Island were to get X-Flight, I`d be happy. Having ridden the ride several times on my visit to, at the time Six Flags World of Adventure in 2001, I found it to be a fun ride. True, it isn`t glass smooth like some of the coaster from B&M. But it is generally a fun ride with a rather unique feeling as you ride in the prone flying position. I think that the ride will be a huge hit if it comes to Kings Island, and would likely draw similar type lines as what Flight of Fear has been drawing since they removed the old restraints in 2001. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 Heck, I'm one of those people who hates everyone and everything and I still rode X Flight over and over at Geauga. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flightoffear1996 Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 That is the only thing I am fearing for X-Flight at this point in time if it indeed comes to Kings Island is what kind of lines will this ride have. I mean at GL I was hearing of reports of this ride getting lines over 2 hours. How long do you think the line will be for that ride in a park that gets 3 times as many visitors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 Joe, I think both you and I know that the lines will be long for this thing... maybe even very long. For anyone out there less familiar with PKI, please read our Trip Planner under the Park Info section to determine when is the best time to visit the park. That is of course IF it's coming to KI... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flightoffear1996 Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 I bet on the average weekend that line will upwards of 31/2-4 hours long with no doubt in my mind at all. Really instead of rushing this I really think the park would have been better to focus on Son of Beast this year and just cleaning up the park. And waiting to put a B&M flier in the spot until 2008. B&M fliers I think have much better capcity than the Vekmoa fliers because of how the two rides load the guest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Bombay Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 ^How did you get the estimates for the wait time? When the ride runs all 3 trains and both stations and the crew knows what they are doing then it can be a capacity monster, however GL never ran it well at all. Every time I had been there it was always one station, one train. PKI has a much larger staff and from working there myself I can tell you that the rides managers will make capacity their first priority next go guest safety and satisfaction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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