It seems like it's been a slow "news" day here, and apparently it is locally too as the local news channel posted some coaster videos as lead stories.... :roll:

But it did bring back memories.
We are big coaster nuts in our family. Started the kids off when they were tall enough to hop on their first one at 36". Here is my all time favorite coaster.

http://www.wtae.com/news/entertainment/ ... index.html

. Nothing too fancy. As is typical of coasters here in Western PA, they make use of the terrain. 2nd hill is the Big hill. First one is just a warm up. It is only about 160 foot tall, but has a drop of 228 foot. The thing hits about 90MPH at the bottom of the 2nd hill. Lots of air time on the bunny hills on the back end. Great simple ride.
My daughter wanted to sit in the front seat for her first ride on this. I think she was in Kindergarten at the time. Made the 42" height requirements by the having "tall" shoes. She had her hands up and was all smiles from the very start until we reached the crest of the 2nd hill. That look went to shear terror as she stared down the 2nd hill ( all 228 foot of it) When it was all over she couldn't wait to go on again. I think we rode it at least 5 more times in a row that day; and then some more thorough out the day.

Now that the kids are older they go their own way on school picnics, while I ride the rides with one of the swim team mothers.... my wife doesn't ride them any more.

2nd Ride video they posted is of the Jack Rabbit. A rather tame coaster, but I'm sure it was a real thriller when it was built in 1920. It too is a terrain following coaster, and It's lift hill isn't until after the 2nd drop. It's only 40 foot tall, but the large drop is 70 foot. It is the 3rd drop and is a double dip where you swear you are going to fly out. It's a great first coaster as you only need to be 36" to ride.

http://www.wtae.com/news/local/alleghen ... index.html

So any other coaster nuts out there? Attached files

 

I love coasters too.
I wish my wife liked them as much as I do because then I'm sure our vacations would be centered toward which coaster do we want to go on this year lol.
Out of all the coasters in Florida I think I like the ones at Busch Gardens the best. I haven't been on many outside of Florida but I did get to go to Cedar Point in Ohio and was totally amazed at their coasters. At the time I went they had the 2nd tallest coaster and the bummer was I didn't get to ride it due to a maintenance issue.

 

Dude thoses things freak me out! I like'em and once in a while I will ride ones like these but the new ones they have out today are CRAZY!!!
I found this video and I have to say #17 Storm Rider looks the worse(best ) to me.

 

Nice Coasters I have been on 5 of the ones in the video. Medusa, Millenium Force, Kingda Ka, Vertical Velocity, And My Favorite Top Thrill Dragster because it didn't go over the top the first time.

Also My Favorite Led Zeppelin The Ride

And Rip Ride Rocket


Music Just makes them better.

Cheers
E-T

 

I have to say that both of those are awesome looking!
Mark and Trish

 

@3dMon... Yep I would have to agree Tampa Bush Gardens coasters are GREAT. I don't remember the names of them, but I don't think there was a bad one in the bunch. Bush Gardens in VA has some GREAT ones too. My all time favorite, Drachen Fire, was sold off not too long after it opened as they said it was too viloent. I rode it 11 times in a row as there was no line. Only time I ever was dizzy after riding a coaster. It had a roll going down the first hill , and 2 places were there were 0 Gs. Not the 0Gs in a bunny hill, but extended 0Gs while you were upside down... Ahh what a GREAT ride. It still lives in a roller coaster simulator at he Science Center in Pgh, and it is dang close to what I remembered. I talked with the guy operating it, and he said it is one of the most requested repeat rides.
RC DB on Drachen Fire http://www.rcdb.com/112.htm


Another great coaster at Busch Gardens VA, is Apollo's Chariot. A simple out and back, but what is unique about it is the way you sit. You basically sit on a chair on a platform. It has the padded formed, thingie that captures you around your waist, but there is nothing on the sides, and nothing to hold onto. The first drop, you maybe drop a few feet, then level off to get some speed.... then the bottom drops out as you plunge about 200 and some feet.....with nothing to hold onto When we were there, there was almost no crowd, and as the train was coming up to the back side of the station, the attendant asked us if we wanted to go again... and we did... No one was waiting at the station so the train didn't even stop..... Never had that happen before.

@Mark re the list you posted:
Melinum force, and Magnum 20000 Thorpe Park, and Steel Force at Dorney Park are the same coasters. A nice out and back. Back when I made TV commercials for a living we did the Cedar Point ones. It was great as the crew was were the extras for the coaster shots as we shot before the park opened for the season. It usually worked out, but the year we did the Melinum Force, it was about 40 degrees, windy and rainy. I don't mind riding a coaster a ton of times in a row, but it was a chore riding a fast one in the cold and RAIN.... I remember that hurting A LOT!!!
Storm Runner at Hershey Park. ONe of my all time favorites. 0-72 in 2 seconds... Now that is some Gs http://www.rcdb.com/2498.htm Actually better acceleration than Top Fuel Dragster...which I have yet to ride. The 2 times we've been there since it opened, it has been down for Maintenance :-(
And hay that video included the Phantom's revenge

E-T, only coaster I've been on with Music is the Rockin' Roller Coaster at Dizney. Neat theme and all, and the most thrilling ride at Dizney, but all in all a really tame ride. The Zeppelin one looks cool, but I see it's had some hard times, and is now called the Time Machine with different music. Would make a great Rush coaster as their last tour was called the Time Machine Tour.

 

I noticed that to
I can imagine riding one of these into cold rain like trying to ride a motor cycle through a hail storm

 

Yea, the ride in the rain was bruttle... It was in the late 80s and I STILL remember how painful it was...that and knowing we had to do it again...and again..and..

Anywho, another slow news day in the burgh... They posted another video. This is the latest coaster at Kennywood. Actually a rather tame ride. It's a launch coaster and they say 0-50 in 3 seconds, but your actually going at a pretty good clip when the launch kicks in, so the Gs really aren't all that much. Once on the ride, they break it a lot, so just as you think it's gonna get good, it slows you down... I think they should have put it in kiddie land We still manage to ride it at least once a trip though
http://www.wtae.com/news/entertainment/ ... index.html

 

I do NOT see that as tame. I think that I must be a coaster chicken

Mark and Trish

 

Ha ha ha. GREAT cartoon. So I take it you don't like coasters? OR as you said above, often My son was like this....when he was about 4 We got him on the Jack Rabbit (2nd video in post #1) by telling him it was the Bob the Builder train. We must of went on it about 10 times that day. Then the next year as we were waiting in line for the fist ride of the day (He couldn't wait all year to go on it again) he got this look on his face, and said.... Haaaay wait a minute...this isn't the Bob the Builder Train....it's a roller coaster. He too has been hooked ever since.

 

The Wife and I Took a Scenic tour of Alantic City In this

[attachment=0]IMG_1292[1].JPG[/attachment]


Then we each had a aerobatic ride. We did 3 sets of Aileron Rolls, Barrel Rolls, Half Cuban Eights, loops, and Hammerheads. Man that was the best roller coaster ride I was ever on.

What a Great Day

Cheers
E-T Attached files .JPG]

 

Oh man I bet that was an awesome ride. Some day I want to do some aerobatics too.

 

He E.T. That sounds really COOL GREAT pic. But ya know that picture Mark posted with the chickens riding the coasters.... That's me with planes. Love aviation, but hate to fly..... We're going on vacation here soon, and when we go I take a little pill the wife gives me for the plane ride. Not sure what it is, (could be a sugar pill for all I know) but I fall asleep even before we take off, and am out the whole time.

 

@ ET you guys are crazy cool! Thats awesome
@ Dave I know what you mean bro! Being 4 miles high above the earth plowing through below freezing temperatures in thin air with little to no oxygen, strapped into a seat in an aluminum tube going over 600 miles per hour can only be consdered fun for the driver!
Mark and Trish

 

Hay ET Did ya get to drive any, or just go along for the ride? I would love to actually fly the plane, but it would involve being in the plane while awake

So trying to make me fell better are ya .

Funny story: When leaving Barcelona last trip, we had to wait forever to get our slot to come across the Atlantic, and had to get out of line to re-fuel, so it was REALLY delayed. About 1/2 way into the flight I was kind-a awake, so I started to thumb through the in flight entertainment, and found a movie that was shot in Pgh, and had actual Penguins vs Rangers footage, so I figured why not. Well the move was a typical boy meets girl, boy looses girl, boy goes to get girl back chick flick (but it had Hockey ) The guys in the movie worked at the airport, and after boy lost girl she hops a plane and as it is taxing out, one of his buddies who works in the tower gets the pilot to pull the plane over. (yea, it's just a movie remember ;-) ) well in the movie the pilot comes over the intercom and tells the passenger that he has developed some engine troubles and needs to pull over to have the mechanics look at it. Well on the in-flight movies, when they make announcements, it interrupts the movies, and comes over your head phones. I was drifting in and out of sleep when that came on. (in the movie), but I thought it was our captin. I immediately looked out the window and saw nothing but ocean.. And I thought to myself---where in the heck is this guy gonna pull over????? It took me a good 10 seconds of shear panic before I realized it was the movie. What clued me in was that everyone else on the plane wasn't reacting... (I rewound the movie to see exactly how that came about) Maybe the sugar pills aren't such a good idea

 

Now that's just funny.
I bet you weren't laughing at the time though.

 

I have flown my Father In Laws plane for a bit, I think it was a 182? It dosent excite me much :questions: The best part for me is Listening on the head sets to the controll towers and such....
The steering was takin out of the front of the biplane but, the Throttle and Rudder Pedals were still there. I was thinking wow if some one didn't know and started playing with them that would freak out the pilot. :girl_cray2:

Yea I thaught about doing it :tease:

Cheers
Glen

 

I showed Trish the pic of you guys with the plane but it wasn't until after I explained some of the acrobatic moves that you went though, she was wide eyed and jaw dropped
BTW worlds fastest roller coaster in Ferrari world (Formula Rosso)
http://www.ferrariworldabudhabi.com/en- ... rossa.aspx

 

I'm a jokster as much as the next guy, but there are 2 people I don't want to tick off.... My Dentist, and my pilot And maybe my barber ;-)

@3Dmon... After I re wound the movie, and realized what was really going on is when I started to chuckle... Of course the rest of the family was out cold so I had to keep that to myself.

@ Mark... 0-149 in just under 5 seconds... now that's FAST And you have to wear safety goggles ... Sounds like my kind of ride... Video won't play at work though