New For 2007! Kings Island Presents Firehawk former X-flight Firehawk to Debut at Kings Island Memorial Day Weekend
Kings Island?s first flying coaster sends adventure-seekers soaring!
KINGS ISLAND, Ohio ? Kings Island celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2007 by soaring to new heights with its 14th roller coaster, Firehawk. Debuting Memorial Day Weekend, this innovative flying coaster propels willing test pilots 115 feet in the air and through five inversions at speeds of more than
50 mph ? all while facing the ground, experiencing the inconceivable feeling of human flight.
The best of the best begin their mission just behind Flight of Fear roller coaster in Coney Mall. After boarding their four-across yellow and red pilot seats, guests are lowered backward and begin their ascent up the 115-foot-tall red and steel gray lift hill, only to be flipped over and jetted at top speeds through ? mile of steel track over the course of 2 minutes and 30 seconds!
?The addition of Firehawk reflects our commitment to combining one-of-a-kind thrills with fantastic family entertainment,? said Greg Scheid,Kings Island ?s vice president and general manager. ?We?re looking for some real thrill seekers who are ready and willing to fly. What a way to celebrate our 35th anniversary!?
Firehawk joins a portfolio of 13 award-winning, industry-leading roller coasters including The Beast (the world?s longest wooden coaster), Son of Beast (the world?s tallest and fastest wooden coaster), Flight of Fear (the world?s first coaster with LIM launch technology), Vortex (the country?s first six-inversion coaster) and Rugrat?s Runaway Reptar (the world?s first inverted coaster for children).
Attraction Name Firehawk
Description Thrill flyers experience heart-pounding excitement as Firehawk soars through more than ? a mile of steel tracking. Willing adventure seekers lie down to experience this 51 mph., top-secret, all-altitude airborne mission. But they?re certainly not relaxing ? within seconds, each pilot is facing the ground, experiencing the inconceivable feeling of human flight.
Manufacturer Vekoma International
Track Length 3340 feet
Ride Speed 51 mph.
Height 115 feet
Angle of descent 30 degrees
Inversions 5
Hourly Capacity 400 guests per hour per train
Riders 24 (6 four-passenger rows per train) 2 trains
Ride Length 2:30 minutes
Location Coney Mall
Height Requirement 54?
Moving Firehawk to Cincinnati
Firehawk Flies Down I-71 Before Landing at Kings Island
Moving a major roller coaster takes time, engineering skill and 150 ? 200 flatbed trucks.
KINGS ISLAND, Ohio ? Building an entertainment center in one?s home takes time, patience and skill. Equipment must be inventoried, time blocked off, tools located and patience mustered. Now imagine bringing that entertainment center from a location four hours away. In 300 ? 350 gigantic pieces. On 150 ? 200 flatbed trucks.
When Firehawk, Kings Island?s 14th roller coaster debuts over Memorial Day Weekend, it will cap off seven months of extensive planning and construction by two Cedar Fair parks.
Kings Island surveyors and engineers began clearing the ride?s eventual location behind Flight of Fear roller coaster in November 2006. The approximately 5.5-acre site sat on uneven ground, making it necessary to fill in some spots with up to 25 feet of earth. All site excavation is complete, and more than 300 concrete footers will be poured this week to prepare for Firehawk?s placement. Actual ride construction will begin in mid-February.
Disassembly of the former X-flight roller coaster at Geauga Lake in Aurora, Ohio, began in December. The coaster was removed piece by piece, beginning at the ride station and continuing around the length of the track. In total, the move involves more than 300 pieces of steel track, driven down I-71 in groups of one or two. Each piece is independently numbered and specifically grouped inKings Island?s parking lot. The coaster trains will be transported separately, disassembled, tested and reassembled in Kings Island?s steel coaster shop.
The Cincinnati-based firm Fenton Rigging is overseeing the process at both parks, and local engineers are assisting Kings Island?s construction and engineering teams with the project. When the 3,340-foot red and gray steel coaster is complete, it will feature a dual-load station, two dark red and
yellow trains with 72 safety check points and two on-board computers per train, an on-ride photo station and 13 specially trained ride operators.
Kings Island opens for weekend operation Saturday, April 21. Gates open at 10 a.m. Daily operation begins Wednesday, May 23. Boomerang BayTM opens Saturday, May 26. For more information aboutKings Island, guests can call the park at (800) 288-0808 or visit
www.pki.com.
Topic: Firehawk 2007 Kings Island former X-flight (Read 1580 times)