As an electrical engineering student, your explanation of power electronics in LIMs was outstanding. Just another reason why this is the best coaster yt channel!
I know someone who was a former ride operator of Flight of Fear at Kings Dominion. She enjoyed getting to sing happy birthday to birthday guests as the train prepared for launch, and then send everyone off in the middle of the song when they weren't expecting it. She also called the coaster a girl since it was "moody".
I’ve also been an operator for FOF at KD! It’s the best ride to operate there! I loved fucking with people so much there. One of my favorite stories was when this kid said “I’m gonna conquer this coaster!” Or along those lines and then I said “you are huh? Are you really ready for this?” He was yelling “YEAH” as I hit the button and started screaming. I gave him a high five after that because he was laughing and wanted me to get him off guard again.
lol, my brother and I drove from upstate ny to go on a VA rollercoaster trip to KD and BGW for his 20th bday. We ended up going to KD on his actual birthday. He was petrified in the seat (even being a highly seasoned enthusiast) I got the operator to sing him happy birthday and the whole que joined in. We were sent off at the crescendo.😂
My father worked for a subcontractor who helped build Flight of Fear at KI. So he was always filling me in on the cool technology he was seeing when they were building and testing.
I know it didn't work out, but the coolest thing about the Fof's is they were kind of built with this Universal/ Disney mentality to it. Two well themed really high capacity coasters. All the design choices feel like ones that Imagineering or Universal Creative might think of. Now unfortunately they didn't work out, but it was cool that they tried.
It was an awesome ride, but you'd stand in line forever, then get to a different section thinking you made it then wait some more. Didn't want to waste all day waiting for 1 ride so I'd go to the others instead. Might hit it after I hit everything else. It was an incredible ride though
@@Clay3613 I love elaborate queues. Makes waiting fun and interesting as you or your friends are staring at the scenery and pointing out little details instead of just standing in the heat. Kings Dominion has very few decorated/themed queues like this so it always made Flight of Fear unique.
I'll never forget my family and extended family waiting in line for Flight of Fear at Kings Island the summer it came out, the longest I've ever waited for a ride, 3 and a half hours. My cousin made it all the way thru till he actuallly saw the launch then chickened out the last second. I always smile getting on the ride just for him. Miss you man, RIP Mikie! 🙏❤️
I wound up just missing the Flight of Fear opening due to the delays. But my very first roller coaster was The Revolution at Magic Mountain a few weeks after it opened, and the line was about 3 hours. As we were getting ready to board, we could feel the thunder of the trains as they passed right by the station. Yes, there was a "chicken out" line for those inclined, though I never saw anyone use it. And I have been known in my professional career by the nickname "Mikie" since about 1995 or 1996. It so ingrained that it is weird when an co-worker addresses me by my actual name. Should I go on another coaster, I'll be sure to send a quiet shout out to your cousin.
This ride blew my mind when it debuted. The fact that once you entered the building, all you saw was a giant UFO was very intimidating. Then, once you finally got to the actual load station the first time, you see that launch to nowhere?😱... At that time, most had never seen a coaster launch, and I remember every time a new group would enter the loading section, they'd cheer when first seeing the trains take off!😅
A great day for "Problematic Coasters". If you said that to someone who didn't realize you were talking about a UA-cam series, they'd probably be thinking you hate roller coasters and are being forced to ride one!🤣
This is cool and all, but you're forgetting a few key factors in determining the issues with the LIM launch from an engineering perspective. For instance, an LIM in it's own block zone could be considered problematic. For those who are unfamiliar, a block zone is a section of ride that only one train may occupy at a time. At the end of a block zone there is a method to stop the train, in case the block zone ahead is still occupied. This is the safety system that prevents rollercoaster trains from colliding with one another.
@@ElToroRyan In all seriousness, the more technical your videos get the better they seem to turn out. You're explanation of how an induction motor works is the best explanation I've ever heard. Having worked as a nuclear reactor operator, I've heard a lot of them. Even better when the video explaining it is about a ride I have enjoyed since I was young. Well done. I love this video series.
The Flight of Fear coasters are such special rides IMO. Paramount and Premiere took an unbelievable gamble in attempting to make an LIM launch work. On top of that, the ride layout was expertly designed to fit into a very confined space. The elements are just janky enough to have that slight nostalgic feel, but they flow together well enough so that the ride doesn’t become too intense. The theming is just the cherry on top, especially considering the lack of theming typically seen at regional parks. I know people have their opinions on the ride experience itself, but I love Flight of Fear to death.
Yeah, Flight of Fear is a special ride and after watching this video I am impressed with the gamble Paramount took with the LIM launch. I wish Kings Island would take some gambles in the future, but they are in the middle of a massive company and probably don't have the ability to anymore.
I also love it!!! But I took my fiance on it for his first time, and my first time in 8 years this past October for Halloween Haunt, and it beat the fuck out of me. Like I basically limped out the exit and had to take an excedrin for the migraine. Wish they would refurb it and smooth it out but alas.
Such an underrated coaster and put premier on the map. May be the best and most intense indoor coaster still? Surprised that hump was placed in the layout! Don’t get started with those seat belts haha. Yeah don’t launch a train so it gets stuck on the MCBR. Rockin roller coaster doesn’t do that, it’s pretty rare two trains to be stopped on its final brake run.
5:17 I believe the reason for this is that premier was behind on track and support manufacturing so Kings Island did the building first and waited for the track to arrive…
Yes, I have a book on Kings Island that confirms this. It also mentioned that the infrared laser was developed so they could determine when to turn the LIMs on and off (running them all at once would've caused brown outs).
I’ve actually read the operations manual for Flight of Fear and it says the launch block ends right after the brakes at the end of the launch. Otherwise, all the blocks are correct in this video. Also, while I understand why trains always need to stop in the waiting brake before advancing to load (otherwise it might not park correctly in load) I don’t understand why trains always slam to a halt on the trim brakes at the end of the ride even if the block ahead isn’t occupied.
Kings Dominion was my home park growing up and Flight of Fear was the first coaster with inversions I've ever ridden. It was a huge rite of passage for the kids my age, taking down Outer Limits.
I liked FOF even when it had those awful headbanger OTSRs because it was such a new, unique experience. Once the restraints were changed for lapbars, it became a must ride any time I visit the park. In fact, I'm thinking about running out to the park tonight just to get a ride... Thanks for this video. There's a lot in here that even us longtime fans didn't know.
This series is incredible, the amount of research work you put in for each video is insane! As a long time roller coaster fan I thought there was nothing else left for me to discover about the history of some of these classic coasters but I’m baffled at how much info you are able to dig up on these rides! One of my favorite channels ever!
The first half of FoF is incredible. By the time you hit the midcourse brake run it's actually hard to tell which way is up anymore. I've never felt that on any other coaster. Of course, being in the dark adds to it too!
As usual another great analysis video! I love launch coasters! But there has always been long lines for Flight of Fear when visiting Kings Island. But last week I finally got to go down during Winterfest and there were no lines! I cycled Flight of Fear four times in a row! Each reride seemed better than the last! I have a new appreciation for the amount of work and improvements that they did to that ride.
I rode the Kings Dominion version in 1996, and it was the most amazing thing I'd seen. Unfortunately, the complaints about the OTSRs were absolutely accurate. It gave me such a splitting headache, I wasn't able to ride anything else and just went home. However, years later, trying to answer the question "was it really that bad, or as it just me?" led me to discover the online coaster community in the early 2000s, which almost makes up for it.
I felt the same way. I rode Disney's "Rockin Roller Coaster" in 2005, expecting it to be as intense as FoF at KD, but while an awesome, intense ride, was not as jerky or headache inducing. Haven't rode FoF again recently to see how it has changed however.
Great video, I learned a lot. I remember when Flight of Fear launched at King's Island. I lived about an hour north of there, so I went there a lot as a kid. I was a teenager when the coaster launched, and I thought it was great. My mom called it the "headbanger," due to how the original over the shoulder restraints weren't that kind to your head. She was one of those people who wound up with a bloody earlobe due to her earring hitting the restraints. I'd forgotten about that until watching the video. The worst thing that happened to me on the ride was that I lost my wallet on it in 2000. I filed a claim with the park but never got it back. Anyway, it was neat learning about this ride that I used to enjoy. I don't go to amusement parks anymore, but I love building them in the RollerCoaster Tycoon and Planet Coaster games. It was due to watching videos related to those games that your video popped into my recommendations, and I'm glad it did.
thank you eltororyan for making such high quality and in-depth content. wishing you and everyone else reading this a merry christmas, happy holiday and hope everybody has a wonderful 2025.
this was my first Big Boy Coaster, which was only a year and a half ago lol. it has a special place in my heart now for being the ride that gave me the coaster bug.
Best UA-cam channel of all time! I hope to randomly run into you one day in a roller coaster queue and ask you to tell me about block zones. 😊 Thank you!
So many of the ki ride ops are obsessed with fof. It basically has a cult following even tho its capacity is so bad and the full squat lunge you have to do to get some people in combined with the awkward seat belts makes checking full side actual hell. One winterfest season of that was enough for me, but that being said, this did help me appreciate it more as an innovation, so ty for making this. It adds so much to the already ridiculous amount of fof lore. And in case you weren’t sure, yes, the basketball hoop is real.
I was in HS when this opened at KI. 25 years later when i took my own kids to KI for the first time, they both said FoF was the best ride there (i still love them). Iconic ride if you're under 6' tall
I'm 6'2", and I cram myself in those trains once in the summer, and a few times during winterfest. That's it. Backlot is the same. Those trains man..... those trains are bad. Not as bad as the ones with over the shoulder restraints, but still bad.
Lol I’m a submarine electrician and just gave training on induction motor theory and operation. Love the depth you go into and make what is normally meh theory exciting for its use in coaster development over the years
Ryan can't help but talk about a theoretical, never in practice, block zone scenario. Lol all love man Ik u operated coasters for a long time at SFGA so I get it.
I have been waiting for this video for so long not only as a coaster Enthusiast but as a ride OP for Flight of Fear and was plesently suprised about all the things you knew like what low/high bannana and other things like that half to say that it was very acurate especially with the isuues with the ride aborting the launch thanks for the great video and keep up the great work
I was a Flight of Fear ride operator at Kings Island for several years and just hearing the soundtrack unlocked a hell of a lot of great memories, awesome video!
Before watching, I said “if he doesn’t include the LIM sound in this video, I’ll unsubscribe.” 😂The LIM launch (on any coaster) is one of the best sounds in the world. One of the reasons I’m still salty about never getting to ride Volcano is the overhead LIMs and how that must’ve sounded in person. My only Kings Island FoF rides were during the OTSR days, and I’ve never ridden the Kings Dominion FoF. I’ve been to KI since then but the FoF line was too long and slow, considering other things I wanted to ride. If I do ride FoF again, I definitely won’t miss the old restraints, though I hear mixed reviews of the lap bars. Thanks for the new perspective and lessons on this coaster, and another great Problematic Roller Coasters video!
KI’s is still one of my fav rides. been riding it since i was teenager and i had no idea it was so groundbreaking. i remember being so excited for the queue bc it was so unlike anything else they had. the video, the lights, the ufo, and the blackout (when everyone screamed😂). love this ride!
I loved Outer Limits Flight of Fear back in the day. You get launched into pitch darkness and within a few seconds, after repeated inversions you’re not quite sure which way is up or down. You’re just hanging on for dear life and enjoying the ride. Unfortunately in my late 50s I can’t handle thrill rides as I did 20-30 years ago. But I still remember how awesome it felt to be launched at high velocity into the dark void. I couldn’t get enough. I’d probably still ride it again given the chance, even though doing so would mean finding a bench to chill on for half an hour or so while I recovered my equilibrium.
Great video as always Ryan, I love how in depth you go into these rides. I love flight of fear... Unlike most though, I think I liked the OTS restraint better than the new one... The way the belt and lap bar work makes it very uncomfortable. I never thought the OTS restraints were a problem if you know how to ride with your head forward... I'd much rather have a comfortable lap bar, but the ones on flight of fear are horrible, and seems like they always staple the hell out of me on that one ride at kings island.
The feeling when the ride first opened was so great. It was completely hidden, with just bits and pieces of details in the papers/news. The queue was long but immersive and then the actual ride was unique and disorienting enough it was worth going back to over and over. Just not usually in the same visit, since it's some of the longest waiting I've ever done for a coaster!
This is one of my top rides at the park. The hum of the LIMs, the speed of the launch, the theming (& Dan Cummings), the thrills, the odd fact that it reduced my motion sickness, it’s just all so much fun, I love this ride. This was a great video and I loved being able to learn more about this coaster, I enjoyed this video quite a lot. Having not experienced its clones, I kind of like it stopping at the top, gives you a small feeling of unease with it shaking and you look out into the dark, then slowly falling into the banked left before it picks up speed, it adds to the theming for me.
I loved both Flight of Fear and Backlot Stunt Coaster when I visited King's Island back in 2019. Never noticed the difference in the orientation of the LIM fins on the side of the vehicle! For Flight of Fear I can see why the lapbar is a much more comfortable experience than over the should restraints. Getting into the train does look to have been made more difficult due to the smaller amount of leg room with the lap bar blocking part of the entry to the car. I remember I got into the vehicle by stepping on the side, then on the seat, then on the floor.
What a fantastic christmas gift. Fantastic video as always, with lots of details and really awesome footage of way more coasters than usual. Great job Ryan, thank you so much and happy holidays everyone!
Remember riding the one at KI a couple years ago during Haunt and ending up getting a rollback on it, only making it partly up that first incline before sliding back to the brakes. Was interesting getting to see the lights on (outside of an event or a last ride of the night neither of which I've experienced) and also seeing the workers push the train back to the station. Been riding it for years and that was the first time I've ever been on it during a malfunction.
Flight of Fear was the first rollercoaster I ever rode. I was afraid but got tricked into riding it after being told that it launched but didnt flip. I had so much fun and i have loved rollercoasters ever since!
Unironically one of my favorite coasters at KI and, arguably, ever. I knew it had issues but damn I will never get over the sound of the train zooming down the tunnel and exiting, and all you hear is the woosh of it vanishing into the night from the station. Some of my favorite childhood memories were made in that line. And dont even get me started at all the creative ways the ride ops would ship the riders. I cant imagine how much fun that had to be.
When I was a kid my parents took my sister and I to ride Flight of Fear and the combination of mannequins in alien test tubes, the intense film shown during the waiting line, and the loud noise it makes upon launch is what made my sister and I have to wait another year to muster up the courage to ride. 10/10 ride though I’ll never forget it.
Great, simple explanation of LIMs. It's great to see those original magnetic launch coasters still going strong, even if Flight of Fear is a bit rough for me now.
A few things to add, Kings Island version had to make the building taller when they installed the track. It didn’t fit. This could be a rumor, but when it first operated, they had safeties on the loading/launch area. Riders could not be in the loading area during the launch. The first year for sure (from experience), they held you outside the spaceship entrance. For someone’s first ride, you had no idea it was launched in the station until you boarded. At the time it these were being built, the military was taking interest into the LIM launch for a possible system for aircraft carriers at the time. When I visited Disney World, R&R was in its first year. It was funny watching and listening to people in line seeing the launch. To me it was nothing new, as KI is my home park.
I worked at Kings Island on Outer Limits: Flight of Fear during the inaugural year. I remember when the complaints about the head-banging got too loud, and they glued cushions on to either side of the over-the-shoulder restraints. The cushions kept falling off, and we had to close seats on the train until the maintenance guys could re-glue them. I saw one failed launch from the operator's console where the train valley-ed about 1/2 way through the layout. There were no catwalks at that point, and the riders had be be taken off in a cherry-picker that was kept out in the bowl. Occasionally, the park would hold an employee ride night after the guests had left for the night. On at least one occasion, we turned off ALL the lights in the bowl for a ride. Completely different experience.
I worked on Flight of fear at KD as part of my rotation and you were spot on. Alot of people or enthusiasts dont know about the odd design of the block zones or about the launch. The capacity issue is no joke we would only average about 450-500PPH. Our best was around 550. When running 3 trains it was around 750. Still not great considering 3 trains. Also the way to tell if it's 3 trains is if you come to a stop at the midcourse. If its 2 trains youll slow down. But not to a stop. At least the one at Kingd Dominion. Also even with the power consumption kinda fixed. It still pulls alot of power. So much that youll notice the lights dim. Its also part of the reason the lights are dim across the queue. Part of it also being for theming.
Thanks for this video! I now know a lot more about one of my favorite coasters. It was my second ever "big" coaster, which is arguably more important than the first!
Great Video i was raised in maryland so I’ve been going to king’s domain all my life and those lines for outer limits in “96” where crucial back then that was the only launch coaster around in our area.
Working at Kings Dominion during the 1997-1999 years was an amazing time. I remember playing softball for the park league on the fields behind volcano and watching it test. the first year they had to remove half the cars on the trains in order for it to launch up the hill. the power required was just not there. Its nice to see how it all started with this ride and the challenges they adapted to.
I first rode FOF at Kings Island the year it opened. I stood in line for just over 3 hours waiting to ride; delayed multiple times due to breakdowns. I wanted to bail several times but I stuck it out and then, once I made it into the saucer, I knew that I just could not give up. I knew that I had to stick it out because I didn't know when I would return to the park. I finally boarded it. The ride was worth the wait. I'm glad I stuck it out because I haven't been back to the park since, which means the last time I was there, The Son Of Beast had not yet been built.
My first ride at Kings Dominion was harsh because we queued after dark and waited for over 2 hours to ride still in the dark. Great theming and until the last inversion, I had no idea that the coaster had 4 inversions, very disorienting with all the terrible head banging. I'm so glad they made all the updates and its now an enjoyable ride! I'm also glad you went into the power issues as so many people don't believe me when I tell them that Volcano Blast was most fun when it ran with only half the seats per train until the grid updates were made ....
Outer limits flight of fear at Paramount Kings Dominion with my first coaster credit all the way back in 1996. I did not know it was a coaster as I never heard of an LIM coaster before. I went there with a youth group, and I had kind of told myself that I would not ride roller coasters . I skipped out on berserker because it went upside down and then we went for the line for flight of fear which was over two hours. The ride blew me away and it got me started liking roller coasters. I rode Anaconda as my second credit and rebel yell as my third and then another ride on flight of fear that day.
Great video, Ryan! Especially the description of how the LIMs work. I am surprised they weren't able to have a separate program in the controller for the LIMs to slowly jog a train back to the load station when a launch is aborted, as technically the stators themselves don't care for direction, and if run at low currents, should be able to not launch but jog the train. But maybe the technology wasn't there yet. It is probably just a mismatch of audio and video, when you talk about earlier launch coasters using a flywheel, you show Diamond Back, the Arrow Launched Loop at Frontier City. While Schwarzkopf built flywheel launches, Arrow didn't. Their Launched Loops are just using a motorized winch to shove the train out of the station and the reversal track (like a cat shoving objects off a table). Hence the drop before going through the loop. So they are even more simple than Schwarzkopf's Shuttle Loops. But I am sure you know that, you just didn't mention the winch "launch" part.
I'm a merely *somewhat* larger rider who gets accommodated just fine on most coasters, but I can confirm on my ride today that this one is not particularly forgiving on that. My bar was locked and belted, but it was not comfortable.
I have actually operated both Mr. freeze coasters and i always thought the lap bars were surprisingly accommodating to the many different body shapes i saw that i surly thought would not make it based on my experience with other coasters. and as for the lap bar being harder and slower to check than an OTSR i disagree with. i actually found freeze pretty easy to go fast on, you just sorta adopt a low stance and you can zoom down that train tugging on the seat belt and then the lap-bar in a pretty easy fluid motion. bending hunched over in that low stance isnt the most comfortable thing in the world but it never really bothered me long term
I was born in 1996 and I’ve ridden this ride twice at kings dominion. Regardless what your opinion is about on these rides it’s so cool to know this one was opened the year i was born and I rode it for the second time every this year
Just gotta say, I absolutely love the sound the LIM’s make when this ride launches. The VRMMMMMMMM is so cool to hear.
Always love to hear it
Yeah I like hearing launch coaster sounds.
LIMs have SUCH good sounds. Volcano’s is/was my absolute favorite. Something about that whoosh scratched an itch in my brain in the best way!
You can definitely hear the sound much better on Backlot Stunt Coaster, which is problematic for its own reasons
I love the clunk of the brakes dropping
As an electrical engineering student, your explanation of power electronics in LIMs was outstanding. Just another reason why this is the best coaster yt channel!
He's an engineer. He knows what he's talking about. 😊
I know someone who was a former ride operator of Flight of Fear at Kings Dominion. She enjoyed getting to sing happy birthday to birthday guests as the train prepared for launch, and then send everyone off in the middle of the song when they weren't expecting it. She also called the coaster a girl since it was "moody".
I’ve also been an operator for FOF at KD! It’s the best ride to operate there! I loved fucking with people so much there. One of my favorite stories was when this kid said “I’m gonna conquer this coaster!” Or along those lines and then I said “you are huh? Are you really ready for this?” He was yelling “YEAH” as I hit the button and started screaming. I gave him a high five after that because he was laughing and wanted me to get him off guard again.
lol, my brother and I drove from upstate ny to go on a VA rollercoaster trip to KD and BGW for his 20th bday. We ended up going to KD on his actual birthday. He was petrified in the seat (even being a highly seasoned enthusiast) I got the operator to sing him happy birthday and the whole que joined in. We were sent off at the crescendo.😂
My mother always referred to her many cars as female.
A lot of modes of transportation (boats, cars) are often referred to with feminine pronouns and such
Hands down this is the best coaster series on YT.
agree
You mean hand hands up!
My father worked for a subcontractor who helped build Flight of Fear at KI. So he was always filling me in on the cool technology he was seeing when they were building and testing.
That's awesome
As an electrician by trade, and a relentless tinkerer, he was absolutely over the moon seeing FoF up close.
I know it didn't work out, but the coolest thing about the Fof's is they were kind of built with this Universal/ Disney mentality to it. Two well themed really high capacity coasters. All the design choices feel like ones that Imagineering or Universal Creative might think of.
Now unfortunately they didn't work out, but it was cool that they tried.
The ride needed less queues, more coaster.
@@Clay3613 strongly disagree. If it had better capacity and was a little smother, it’d be a wonderful attraction
I still loved the flight of fear one of my favorites if i could get through the lines
It was an awesome ride, but you'd stand in line forever, then get to a different section thinking you made it then wait some more.
Didn't want to waste all day waiting for 1 ride so I'd go to the others instead. Might hit it after I hit everything else.
It was an incredible ride though
@@Clay3613 I love elaborate queues. Makes waiting fun and interesting as you or your friends are staring at the scenery and pointing out little details instead of just standing in the heat. Kings Dominion has very few decorated/themed queues like this so it always made Flight of Fear unique.
I'll never forget my family and extended family waiting in line for Flight of Fear at Kings Island the summer it came out, the longest I've ever waited for a ride, 3 and a half hours. My cousin made it all the way thru till he actuallly saw the launch then chickened out the last second. I always smile getting on the ride just for him. Miss you man, RIP Mikie! 🙏❤️
I wound up just missing the Flight of Fear opening due to the delays. But my very first roller coaster was The Revolution at Magic Mountain a few weeks after it opened, and the line was about 3 hours. As we were getting ready to board, we could feel the thunder of the trains as they passed right by the station. Yes, there was a "chicken out" line for those inclined, though I never saw anyone use it.
And I have been known in my professional career by the nickname "Mikie" since about 1995 or 1996. It so ingrained that it is weird when an co-worker addresses me by my actual name. Should I go on another coaster, I'll be sure to send a quiet shout out to your cousin.
You know whenever eltoro ryan drops its gona be a banger.
Yes
16:15 Banger confirmed. 😂
This ride blew my mind when it debuted. The fact that once you entered the building, all you saw was a giant UFO was very intimidating. Then, once you finally got to the actual load station the first time, you see that launch to nowhere?😱... At that time, most had never seen a coaster launch, and I remember every time a new group would enter the loading section, they'd cheer when first seeing the trains take off!😅
You know it’s a great day when a new problematic coasters video gets released :)
Yup
A great day for "Problematic Coasters".
If you said that to someone who didn't realize you were talking about a UA-cam series, they'd probably be thinking you hate roller coasters and are being forced to ride one!🤣
This is cool and all, but you're forgetting a few key factors in determining the issues with the LIM launch from an engineering perspective. For instance, an LIM in it's own block zone could be considered problematic.
For those who are unfamiliar, a block zone is a section of ride that only one train may occupy at a time. At the end of a block zone there is a method to stop the train, in case the block zone ahead is still occupied. This is the safety system that prevents rollercoaster trains from colliding with one another.
Shit you’re right
@@ElToroRyan In all seriousness, the more technical your videos get the better they seem to turn out. You're explanation of how an induction motor works is the best explanation I've ever heard. Having worked as a nuclear reactor operator, I've heard a lot of them. Even better when the video explaining it is about a ride I have enjoyed since I was young. Well done. I love this video series.
@@BrianCommentaries A video covering the LSM and the difference between the two is what I want to see next.
@@ElToroRyan A video covering the LSM and the difference between the two is what I want to see next.
The Flight of Fear coasters are such special rides IMO. Paramount and Premiere took an unbelievable gamble in attempting to make an LIM launch work.
On top of that, the ride layout was expertly designed to fit into a very confined space. The elements are just janky enough to have that slight nostalgic feel, but they flow together well enough so that the ride doesn’t become too intense. The theming is just the cherry on top, especially considering the lack of theming typically seen at regional parks.
I know people have their opinions on the ride experience itself, but I love Flight of Fear to death.
Yeah, Flight of Fear is a special ride and after watching this video I am impressed with the gamble Paramount took with the LIM launch. I wish Kings Island would take some gambles in the future, but they are in the middle of a massive company and probably don't have the ability to anymore.
I also love it!!! But I took my fiance on it for his first time, and my first time in 8 years this past October for Halloween Haunt, and it beat the fuck out of me. Like I basically limped out the exit and had to take an excedrin for the migraine. Wish they would refurb it and smooth it out but alas.
You know when block zone segment is the longest segment in the video it’s gonna be good
Merry Christmas Ryan thanks for dropping this banger
Such an underrated coaster and put premier on the map. May be the best and most intense indoor coaster still? Surprised that hump was placed in the layout! Don’t get started with those seat belts haha. Yeah don’t launch a train so it gets stuck on the MCBR. Rockin roller coaster doesn’t do that, it’s pretty rare two trains to be stopped on its final brake run.
5:17 I believe the reason for this is that premier was behind on track and support manufacturing so Kings Island did the building first and waited for the track to arrive…
That makes sense!
Yes, I have a book on Kings Island that confirms this. It also mentioned that the infrared laser was developed so they could determine when to turn the LIMs on and off (running them all at once would've caused brown outs).
I’ve actually read the operations manual for Flight of Fear and it says the launch block ends right after the brakes at the end of the launch. Otherwise, all the blocks are correct in this video. Also, while I understand why trains always need to stop in the waiting brake before advancing to load (otherwise it might not park correctly in load) I don’t understand why trains always slam to a halt on the trim brakes at the end of the ride even if the block ahead isn’t occupied.
CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY BABY!!!!
Thank you so much ElToroRyan, i have loved your videos for years!!
Yessir it did
So glad this dropped. This is my favorite coaster. I love coasters that are completely in the dark.
Kings Dominion was my home park growing up and Flight of Fear was the first coaster with inversions I've ever ridden. It was a huge rite of passage for the kids my age, taking down Outer Limits.
I liked FOF even when it had those awful headbanger OTSRs because it was such a new, unique experience. Once the restraints were changed for lapbars, it became a must ride any time I visit the park. In fact, I'm thinking about running out to the park tonight just to get a ride... Thanks for this video. There's a lot in here that even us longtime fans didn't know.
Great as always! Thank you!
Thank you so much!!
Still one of my favorite coasters. It never gets old. I hope it being indoors helps keep it around longer than normal.
This series is incredible, the amount of research work you put in for each video is insane! As a long time roller coaster fan I thought there was nothing else left for me to discover about the history of some of these classic coasters but I’m baffled at how much info you are able to dig up on these rides! One of my favorite channels ever!
The first half of FoF is incredible. By the time you hit the midcourse brake run it's actually hard to tell which way is up anymore. I've never felt that on any other coaster. Of course, being in the dark adds to it too!
As usual another great analysis video!
I love launch coasters! But there has always been long lines for Flight of Fear when visiting Kings Island.
But last week I finally got to go down during Winterfest and there were no lines!
I cycled Flight of Fear four times in a row! Each reride seemed better than the last!
I have a new appreciation for the amount of work and improvements that they did to that ride.
I rode the Kings Dominion version in 1996, and it was the most amazing thing I'd seen. Unfortunately, the complaints about the OTSRs were absolutely accurate. It gave me such a splitting headache, I wasn't able to ride anything else and just went home. However, years later, trying to answer the question "was it really that bad, or as it just me?" led me to discover the online coaster community in the early 2000s, which almost makes up for it.
I felt the same way. I rode Disney's "Rockin Roller Coaster" in 2005, expecting it to be as intense as FoF at KD, but while an awesome, intense ride, was not as jerky or headache inducing. Haven't rode FoF again recently to see how it has changed however.
I love your problematic roller coaster videos and they are some of my favorite videos ever
Great video, I learned a lot. I remember when Flight of Fear launched at King's Island. I lived about an hour north of there, so I went there a lot as a kid. I was a teenager when the coaster launched, and I thought it was great. My mom called it the "headbanger," due to how the original over the shoulder restraints weren't that kind to your head. She was one of those people who wound up with a bloody earlobe due to her earring hitting the restraints. I'd forgotten about that until watching the video. The worst thing that happened to me on the ride was that I lost my wallet on it in 2000. I filed a claim with the park but never got it back.
Anyway, it was neat learning about this ride that I used to enjoy. I don't go to amusement parks anymore, but I love building them in the RollerCoaster Tycoon and Planet Coaster games. It was due to watching videos related to those games that your video popped into my recommendations, and I'm glad it did.
thank you eltororyan for making such high quality and in-depth content. wishing you and everyone else reading this a merry christmas, happy holiday and hope everybody has a wonderful 2025.
this was my first Big Boy Coaster, which was only a year and a half ago lol. it has a special place in my heart now for being the ride that gave me the coaster bug.
Best UA-cam channel of all time! I hope to randomly run into you one day in a roller coaster queue and ask you to tell me about block zones. 😊 Thank you!
So many of the ki ride ops are obsessed with fof. It basically has a cult following even tho its capacity is so bad and the full squat lunge you have to do to get some people in combined with the awkward seat belts makes checking full side actual hell. One winterfest season of that was enough for me, but that being said, this did help me appreciate it more as an innovation, so ty for making this. It adds so much to the already ridiculous amount of fof lore. And in case you weren’t sure, yes, the basketball hoop is real.
my friends and i would always try to figure out what all the test tube people were wearing. the launch sound is also one of my favs
Holy Trinity of rollercoaster videos: Eltoro Ryan, Defunctland, and Expedition Theme Park
I was in HS when this opened at KI. 25 years later when i took my own kids to KI for the first time, they both said FoF was the best ride there (i still love them).
Iconic ride if you're under 6' tall
I'm 6'2", and I cram myself in those trains once in the summer, and a few times during winterfest. That's it. Backlot is the same. Those trains man..... those trains are bad. Not as bad as the ones with over the shoulder restraints, but still bad.
Flight of Fear is a bucket list coaster for me because I absolutely loved RNRC at Walt Disney Studios and this looks like an even more insane version
I have been a huge fan of Flight of Fear for years. Glad you covered it!
I really enjoy your videos, Ryan! It’s funny how roller coaster terminology makes me think of Doc Brown explaining time travel to Marty
Lol I’m a submarine electrician and just gave training on induction motor theory and operation. Love the depth you go into and make what is normally meh theory exciting for its use in coaster development over the years
Ryan can't help but talk about a theoretical, never in practice, block zone scenario. Lol all love man Ik u operated coasters for a long time at SFGA so I get it.
What a great early Christmas present! Thanks for the wonderful vid as always Ryan and Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Merry Christmas to you and your family as well!!
@ Thank you Ryan, I appreciate that very much!
Oh yes back to the classic series of problematic roller coasters! love these. keep em coming
I have been waiting for this video for so long not only as a coaster Enthusiast but as a ride OP for Flight of Fear and was plesently suprised about all the things you knew like what low/high bannana and other things like that half to say that it was very acurate especially with the isuues with the ride aborting the launch thanks for the great video and keep up the great work
Next level coaster coverage. I absolutely love the depth and appreciate all the hard work it takes to put a video like this together.
I was a Flight of Fear ride operator at Kings Island for several years and just hearing the soundtrack unlocked a hell of a lot of great memories, awesome video!
Before watching, I said “if he doesn’t include the LIM sound in this video, I’ll unsubscribe.” 😂The LIM launch (on any coaster) is one of the best sounds in the world. One of the reasons I’m still salty about never getting to ride Volcano is the overhead LIMs and how that must’ve sounded in person.
My only Kings Island FoF rides were during the OTSR days, and I’ve never ridden the Kings Dominion FoF. I’ve been to KI since then but the FoF line was too long and slow, considering other things I wanted to ride. If I do ride FoF again, I definitely won’t miss the old restraints, though I hear mixed reviews of the lap bars. Thanks for the new perspective and lessons on this coaster, and another great Problematic Roller Coasters video!
Volcano was one of my favorites. So disappointing that KD took that out! ...now KD is taking out Anaconda too. GRRR!!!
Thanks for the informative video Ryan! Love watching all your vids!
Problematic rollercoasters it’s the BESTT❤❤❤ ty for the detial and much love going into these videos 45 mins of pure amazingness
KI’s is still one of my fav rides. been riding it since i was teenager and i had no idea it was so groundbreaking. i remember being so excited for the queue bc it was so unlike anything else they had. the video, the lights, the ufo, and the blackout (when everyone screamed😂). love this ride!
So happy to see another problemaric coaster video! One of my all time favorite series since 2020. Thank you Ryan!
I loved Outer Limits Flight of Fear back in the day. You get launched into pitch darkness and within a few seconds, after repeated inversions you’re not quite sure which way is up or down. You’re just hanging on for dear life and enjoying the ride. Unfortunately in my late 50s I can’t handle thrill rides as I did 20-30 years ago. But I still remember how awesome it felt to be launched at high velocity into the dark void. I couldn’t get enough. I’d probably still ride it again given the chance, even though doing so would mean finding a bench to chill on for half an hour or so while I recovered my equilibrium.
My very favorite YT series is back with another excellent episode!
Great video as always Ryan, I love how in depth you go into these rides. I love flight of fear... Unlike most though, I think I liked the OTS restraint better than the new one... The way the belt and lap bar work makes it very uncomfortable. I never thought the OTS restraints were a problem if you know how to ride with your head forward... I'd much rather have a comfortable lap bar, but the ones on flight of fear are horrible, and seems like they always staple the hell out of me on that one ride at kings island.
The feeling when the ride first opened was so great. It was completely hidden, with just bits and pieces of details in the papers/news. The queue was long but immersive and then the actual ride was unique and disorienting enough it was worth going back to over and over. Just not usually in the same visit, since it's some of the longest waiting I've ever done for a coaster!
This is one of my top rides at the park. The hum of the LIMs, the speed of the launch, the theming (& Dan Cummings), the thrills, the odd fact that it reduced my motion sickness, it’s just all so much fun, I love this ride. This was a great video and I loved being able to learn more about this coaster, I enjoyed this video quite a lot. Having not experienced its clones, I kind of like it stopping at the top, gives you a small feeling of unease with it shaking and you look out into the dark, then slowly falling into the banked left before it picks up speed, it adds to the theming for me.
I loved both Flight of Fear and Backlot Stunt Coaster when I visited King's Island back in 2019. Never noticed the difference in the orientation of the LIM fins on the side of the vehicle! For Flight of Fear I can see why the lapbar is a much more comfortable experience than over the should restraints. Getting into the train does look to have been made more difficult due to the smaller amount of leg room with the lap bar blocking part of the entry to the car. I remember I got into the vehicle by stepping on the side, then on the seat, then on the floor.
This is a great one, cheers Ryan!
What a fantastic christmas gift. Fantastic video as always, with lots of details and really awesome footage of way more coasters than usual. Great job Ryan, thank you so much and happy holidays everyone!
Great videos as expected. Really appreciate the work you do for us enthusiasts! Thank you Ryan ❤
Remember riding the one at KI a couple years ago during Haunt and ending up getting a rollback on it, only making it partly up that first incline before sliding back to the brakes. Was interesting getting to see the lights on (outside of an event or a last ride of the night neither of which I've experienced) and also seeing the workers push the train back to the station. Been riding it for years and that was the first time I've ever been on it during a malfunction.
Flight of Fear was the first rollercoaster I ever rode. I was afraid but got tricked into riding it after being told that it launched but didnt flip.
I had so much fun and i have loved rollercoasters ever since!
Unironically one of my favorite coasters at KI and, arguably, ever. I knew it had issues but damn I will never get over the sound of the train zooming down the tunnel and exiting, and all you hear is the woosh of it vanishing into the night from the station. Some of my favorite childhood memories were made in that line. And dont even get me started at all the creative ways the ride ops would ship the riders. I cant imagine how much fun that had to be.
Super interesting! These documentary-analysis videos never disappoint, and I'm really looking forward to the Chiller and Mr. Freeze videos :D
@ 16:30 Is that Kurt Angle? Thanks for the content Ryan! Great job! Appreciate it!
I love watching these videos
I always enjoy a early Christmas present lol, Defiantly my favorite series on UA-cam ngl.
This video is fantastic! It was great seeing a dive into these rides!
Nice video!
Love the videos you always do a great job
When I was a kid my parents took my sister and I to ride Flight of Fear and the combination of mannequins in alien test tubes, the intense film shown during the waiting line, and the loud noise it makes upon launch is what made my sister and I have to wait another year to muster up the courage to ride. 10/10 ride though I’ll never forget it.
Great, simple explanation of LIMs. It's great to see those original magnetic launch coasters still going strong, even if Flight of Fear is a bit rough for me now.
Was not expecting a behind the scenes look at ElToroRyan’s house fan
My favorite ride when I was a kid. Rode it a couple years ago and it is sooo rough now.
A few things to add, Kings Island version had to make the building taller when they installed the track. It didn’t fit.
This could be a rumor, but when it first operated, they had safeties on the loading/launch area. Riders could not be in the loading area during the launch. The first year for sure (from experience), they held you outside the spaceship entrance. For someone’s first ride, you had no idea it was launched in the station until you boarded.
At the time it these were being built, the military was taking interest into the LIM launch for a possible system for aircraft carriers at the time.
When I visited Disney World, R&R was in its first year. It was funny watching and listening to people in line seeing the launch. To me it was nothing new, as KI is my home park.
Fantastic! Really enjoyed this video.
I worked at Kings Island on Outer Limits: Flight of Fear during the inaugural year. I remember when the complaints about the head-banging got too loud, and they glued cushions on to either side of the over-the-shoulder restraints. The cushions kept falling off, and we had to close seats on the train until the maintenance guys could re-glue them.
I saw one failed launch from the operator's console where the train valley-ed about 1/2 way through the layout. There were no catwalks at that point, and the riders had be be taken off in a cherry-picker that was kept out in the bowl.
Occasionally, the park would hold an employee ride night after the guests had left for the night. On at least one occasion, we turned off ALL the lights in the bowl for a ride. Completely different experience.
I worked on Flight of fear at KD as part of my rotation and you were spot on. Alot of people or enthusiasts dont know about the odd design of the block zones or about the launch. The capacity issue is no joke we would only average about 450-500PPH. Our best was around 550. When running 3 trains it was around 750. Still not great considering 3 trains. Also the way to tell if it's 3 trains is if you come to a stop at the midcourse. If its 2 trains youll slow down. But not to a stop. At least the one at Kingd Dominion. Also even with the power consumption kinda fixed. It still pulls alot of power. So much that youll notice the lights dim. Its also part of the reason the lights are dim across the queue. Part of it also being for theming.
Thanks for this video! I now know a lot more about one of my favorite coasters. It was my second ever "big" coaster, which is arguably more important than the first!
Great Video i was raised in maryland so I’ve been going to king’s domain all my life and those lines for outer limits in “96” where crucial back then that was the only launch coaster around in our area.
Had no idea about the wheel arrangements or joint axle setups of premiers trains, very informative.
Working at Kings Dominion during the 1997-1999 years was an amazing time. I remember playing softball for the park league on the fields behind volcano and watching it test. the first year they had to remove half the cars on the trains in order for it to launch up the hill. the power required was just not there. Its nice to see how it all started with this ride and the challenges they adapted to.
I first rode FOF at Kings Island the year it opened. I stood in line for just over 3 hours waiting to ride; delayed multiple times due to breakdowns. I wanted to bail several times but I stuck it out and then, once I made it into the saucer, I knew that I just could not give up. I knew that I had to stick it out because I didn't know when I would return to the park. I finally boarded it. The ride was worth the wait. I'm glad I stuck it out because I haven't been back to the park since, which means the last time I was there, The Son Of Beast had not yet been built.
My first ride at Kings Dominion was harsh because we queued after dark and waited for over 2 hours to ride still in the dark. Great theming and until the last inversion, I had no idea that the coaster had 4 inversions, very disorienting with all the terrible head banging. I'm so glad they made all the updates and its now an enjoyable ride! I'm also glad you went into the power issues as so many people don't believe me when I tell them that Volcano Blast was most fun when it ran with only half the seats per train until the grid updates were made ....
Outer limits flight of fear at Paramount Kings Dominion with my first coaster credit all the way back in 1996. I did not know it was a coaster as I never heard of an LIM coaster before. I went there with a youth group, and I had kind of told myself that I would not ride roller coasters . I skipped out on berserker because it went upside down and then we went for the line for flight of fear which was over two hours. The ride blew me away and it got me started liking roller coasters. I rode Anaconda as my second credit and rebel yell as my third and then another ride on flight of fear that day.
Great video, Ryan! Especially the description of how the LIMs work.
I am surprised they weren't able to have a separate program in the controller for the LIMs to slowly jog a train back to the load station when a launch is aborted, as technically the stators themselves don't care for direction, and if run at low currents, should be able to not launch but jog the train. But maybe the technology wasn't there yet.
It is probably just a mismatch of audio and video, when you talk about earlier launch coasters using a flywheel, you show Diamond Back, the Arrow Launched Loop at Frontier City. While Schwarzkopf built flywheel launches, Arrow didn't. Their Launched Loops are just using a motorized winch to shove the train out of the station and the reversal track (like a cat shoving objects off a table). Hence the drop before going through the loop. So they are even more simple than Schwarzkopf's Shuttle Loops. But I am sure you know that, you just didn't mention the winch "launch" part.
Sick video!
It really is
Aww, you guys, Ryan got us a Christmas present!
Glad that clip was helpful. Great video.
interesting to see how complicated some roller coasters are. there’s a lot of crazy components that make them so much fun for us
That coaster was sick AF when it was new! I was a kid, loved it!
Hello Christmas gift! Thank you!!!
I'm a merely *somewhat* larger rider who gets accommodated just fine on most coasters, but I can confirm on my ride today that this one is not particularly forgiving on that. My bar was locked and belted, but it was not comfortable.
I have actually operated both Mr. freeze coasters and i always thought the lap bars were surprisingly accommodating to the many different body shapes i saw that i surly thought would not make it based on my experience with other coasters. and as for the lap bar being harder and slower to check than an OTSR i disagree with. i actually found freeze pretty easy to go fast on, you just sorta adopt a low stance and you can zoom down that train tugging on the seat belt and then the lap-bar in a pretty easy fluid motion. bending hunched over in that low stance isnt the most comfortable thing in the world but it never really bothered me long term
That was awesome! The nerd in me was always curious about these coasters and how they worked.
Rock n rollercoaster deserves its own video!!
Can’t ever complain about a Problematic Coaster video dropping! Makes my day better. Patiently waiting for one on Lightning Rod.
gottaa be one of the best promo videos for a coaster i;ve seen.wooh!
I was born in 1996 and I’ve ridden this ride twice at kings dominion. Regardless what your opinion is about on these rides it’s so cool to know this one was opened the year i was born and I rode it for the second time every this year
awesome video ryan
Early Christmas present, thanks ETR!
The corny jokes the operator would say at kings islands when launching the coaster made me never forget it