Flying Turns (Knoebels) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Flying Turns |
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Flying Turns as of Summer 2009.
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| Knoebels Amusement Resort | |
| Location | Knoebels Amusement Resort |
| Coordinates | 40°52′42″N 76°30′18″W / 40.878387°N 76.505095°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Soft opening date | October 4, 2013 |
| Opening date | October 5, 2013 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood – Bobsled |
| Manufacturer | Knoebels Amusement Resort |
| Designer | John Fetterman |
| Height | 50 ft (15 m) |
| Length | 1,300 ft (400 m) |
| Speed | 24 mph (39 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Height restriction | 42 in (107 cm) |
| Trains | Larson International trains with 3 cars. Riders are arranged 1 across in 2 rows for a total of 6 riders per train. |
| Flying Turns at RCDB | |
Flying Turns is a unique wooden bobsled roller coaster located at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. It's designed to look and feel like the original bobsled rides from the 1920s. These older rides were created by John Norman Bartlett and John Miller.
Unlike most modern bobsled coasters that are made of steel, Flying Turns is built entirely from wood. This makes it very similar to the first bobsled coasters ever built. Its track design is especially like the original ride that used to be at Riverview Park in Chicago, Illinois.
Contents
Building the Ride
Starting Construction
Work on the Flying Turns roller coaster began in January 2006. It was a big project for Knoebels Amusement Resort.
Early Testing and Challenges
In July 2007, the park's team started testing the ride. They used a single test car to make sure everything worked. Later that year, in October, they did more tests with the car moving on its own. Roller coaster fans even got a special tour during an event called Phoenix Phall Phunfest. Soon after, they began testing a longer, five-car train.
There were some challenges along the way. At first, the wheels on the roller coaster cars had a problem. They had to be sent back to the company that made them in California to be fixed.
Even after the wheels were fixed, the ride didn't open in 2008. The cars were going too fast. This would have made the ride uncomfortable for people.
Making Adjustments
Knoebels worked hard to fix the speed issue. They even changed parts of the track to fit new trains. In June 2011, the park shared good news. They had been testing a newer version of the ride vehicles. They felt very positive about the improvements. They even posted a video of a test run on their Facebook page.
More changes were made in 2012. In May, a part of the track and the brake area were removed. By July, these sections were rebuilt to fit the newest trains. In August 2012, Knoebels announced they were ready to test the new trains. They believed they had finally found a way to make the ride smooth.
Grand Opening
The Flying Turns officially opened to the public on October 5, 2013. However, it actually started running for guests the evening before, on October 4, 2013.
The ride uses three trains, and each train has three cars. Each car can hold one larger rider or two smaller riders. There is a weight limit of 400 pounds (about 181 kg) per car. The trains are painted green, yellow, and mauve. The park plans to add a fourth train in the future.
Awards
Flying Turns has received special recognition. It won the "Best New Ride (Amusement Park)" award in 2014.
