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Firehawk (roller coaster)

Coordinates: 39°20′33.84″N 84°15′45.82″W / 39.3427333°N 84.2627278°W / 39.3427333; -84.2627278
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Firehawk
Previously known as X-Flight (2001-2006)
Firehawk in 2007
Kings Island
Park sectionConey Mall - X-Base
Coordinates39°20′33.84″N 84°15′45.82″W / 39.3427333°N 84.2627278°W / 39.3427333; -84.2627278
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 26, 2007 (2007-05-26)
Geauga Lake
Park section50's Midway
Coordinates41°21′03″N 81°22′49″W / 41.3509°N 81.3802°W / 41.3509; -81.3802
StatusRemoved
Soft opening dateMay 24, 2001
Opening dateMay 26, 2001 (2001-05-26)
Closing dateSeptember 17, 2006 (2006-09-17)
CostUS$15 million
General statistics
TypeSteel – Flying
ManufacturerVekoma
ModelFlying Dutchman (1018m)
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height115 ft (35 m)
Length3,340 ft (1,020 m)
Speed50 mph (80 km/h)
Inversions5
Duration2:10
Max vertical angle33°
Capacity1430 riders per hour
G-force4.3
Height restriction54–80 in (137–203 cm)
Trains2 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 24 riders per train.
Fast Lane Plus only available
Firehawk at RCDB

Firehawk is a steel flying roller coaster built by Vekoma at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. It originally opened as X-Flight at Six Flags Worlds of Adventure on May 26, 2001. Cedar Fair purchased Worlds of Adventure in 2004 and began efforts to downsize the park. In November 2006, Cedar Fair announced plans to relocate X-Flight. Kings Island was later revealed as the destination, and it officially reopened as Firehawk on May 26, 2007.

Firehawk may not have been the first Flying Dutchman model from Vekoma, a title that belongs to Nighthawk at Carowinds, but it was billed as the Midwest's first and only flying roller coaster when it opened in 2001. The notability was short-lived, as the opening of Superman: Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Great America two years later meant it was no longer alone in the region. In addition, Firehawk's layout is identical to Batwing, another Vekoma Flying Dutchman, located at Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

History

Six Flags Worlds of Adventure/Geauga Lake (2001–2006)

While the park was still named Six Flags Ohio, plans for a new roller coaster known as X-Flight were revealed on January 4, 2001.[1] Six days later, Six Flags purchased SeaWorld Ohio – next to Geauga Lake – with the intent of merging the two to create Six Flags Worlds of Adventure.[2][3] The new venture advertised X-Flight as the first Flying roller coaster in the Midwest, and it was the park's tenth roller coaster overall – the fifth added since 2000.[4] The new coaster was built on a former bus parking lot, and Geauga Lake Road had to be rerouted around the ride.[5] Regarding the design of the attraction, Jake Bateman, Vice President and General Manager of Six Flags Worlds of Adventure, said:[4]

X-Flight will be so thrilling and so unique that a new category far above ultimate will have to be created to describe the experience. There is nothing to compare it to in Ohio or the Midwest, for that matter.

X-Flight while at Geauga Lake

Land clearing began on December 1, 2000, and construction on the footers began February 9, 2001. X-Flight was originally supposed to open in early May 2001,[6] but due to technical difficulties, its opening was delayed.[1] During testing, problems were discovered with several devices including the reclining mechanism on the trains and their restraints.[1] X-Flight's media day was eventually held on May 24, 2001, and the ride officially opened two days later on May 26.[7][8]

Cedar Fair purchased the park from Six Flags in 2004 for $145 million.[9] They announced intentions of returning the park to its roots as a family-oriented amusement park.[10] The efforts to downsize the park eventually led to X-Flight's removal.[11] On November 22, 2006, Geauga Lake park officials announced that X-Flight was being dismantled to be sent to another unspecified Cedar Fair property.[12][13] Moving the ride would take some time, as the final sections of track and supports wouldn't be removed until March 2007.[5]

Kings Island (2007–present)

On January 22, 2007, green Vekoma track resembling the track of X-Flight was spotted at Kings Island, a Cedar Fair park in Mason, Ohio.[14] On February 5, 2007, Kings Island officially announced Firehawk as the former X-Flight roller coaster from Geauga Lake.[15] Construction was scheduled to begin later that month, and the opening was set for Memorial Day weekend later that year.[15] X-Flight's neon green track and dark blue supports were re-painted red and steel gray, respectively. It was built in an area next to Flight of Fear, creating a new area named X-Base which connects to nearby area Coney Mall.[16] Firehawk officially opened as scheduled on May 26, 2007. It was the first roller coaster to be introduced at the park since Cedar Fair purchased it from Paramount Parks in 2006. The first 2,500 riders received commemorative Firehawk T-shirts.[17]

Ride experience

Track

Train in final helix

The steel track is 3,340 feet (1,020 m) in length, and the height of the lift is 115 feet (35 m).[8] There are approximately 300 sections of track colored red with steel gray supports.[16] When the ride operated at Geauga Lake, the track was neon green with dark blue supports.[5]

Firehawk has a total of five inversions - one vertical loop, two inline twists, and four 180-degree inline twists that are each counted as a half inversion.[8] These 180-degree inline twists are also known as "Lie to Fly" and "Fly to Lie" elements, in which riders on their backs are flipped to face the ground or vice versa.[18][19][20]

Layout

Once riders are seated and restrained, the train is tilted backwards into a 'lay-down' position and dispatched. The train travels backwards out of the station, turns left and travels up the 115-foot (35 m) lift hill at a 33 degree angle. Once the train reaches the top of the lift hill, it dips down into a twist (called a "Lie-to-Fly") that turns the trains upside down into a flying position where riders face the ground. After the twist, the train travels down the first drop, reaching speeds of 51 mph (82 km/h). Riders then proceed through an over banked Horseshoe Curve element, passing the queue area. Following the Horseshoe, the train enters a "Fly-to-Lie" element that turns riders back to a lay-down position. After the banked turn, the ride enters the 66-foot (20 m) tall vertical loop, where riders experience 4.3 G's. The train then goes into another "Lie-to-Fly" element. Following the loop, riders enter another turn and hit two consecutive inline twists. Following the inline twists, the train enters the final helix followed by the final "Fly-to-Lie" element. Afterwards, the train is slowed to a stop on the brake run before returning to the station.[8][21][22]

Station

Firehawk's red train in the station

The coaster features a dual station which is connected to the main track using a switch track segment (similar to a railroad switch). Dual-station operation allows for two trains to be loaded simultaneously for more efficient operation. This configuration existed since the ride debuted at Geauga Lake.[1][22]

Trains

Firehawk currently operates with two trains. There are six cars with four seats in each row for a total of 24 riders per train.[8] There were three trains during the ride's first year at Geauga Lake, however only two have been used since. The third train became a parts donor for the first two.[8][23] Originally, riders reclined on the lift hill – rather than in the station – and returned to an upright position prior to re-entering the station.[6][24] However, this was changed to occur in the station due to problems that arose during the ride's first season.[22] The trains feature the Firehawk logo on the front colored yellow and red. Previously at Geauga Lake, the X-Flight logo was colored lime green and dark blue.[1]

Incident

On August 8, 2009, an adult male passenger was rushed to a hospital after he was found with breathing problems following the ride. He died the same evening. The Hamilton County Coroner's Office reported that a heart condition was the likely cause of death and ruled it natural.[25] The ride was re-opened at 12:10 pm on August 9, 2009, after an inspection by the Ohio Department of Agriculture – a division of the state government responsible for amusement park ride safety in Ohio. They determined the ride was operating within the manufacturer's specifications.[26]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "A Blast From The Past - Six Flags Worlds of Adventures X-Flight Pt. 2". News Plus Notes. April 21, 2011. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  2. ^ "Six Flags, Inc. Purchases SeaWorld in Ohio". PR Newswire. January 10, 2001. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
  3. ^ "Six Flags Buys SeaWorld Ohio To Combine Parks". Ultimate Roller Coaster. January 10, 2001. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  4. ^ a b "X-Flight to Take Riders Flying at Six Flags Ohio". Ultimate Roller Coaster. January 7, 2001. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c "X-Flight (Geauga Lake Today)". Geauga Lake Today. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Incredible flying coaster". Roller Coaster Database. January 4, 2001. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
  7. ^ "X-Flight R.I.P." Jesmedia. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Marden, Duane. "Firehawk  (Kings Island)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
  9. ^ "Cedar Fair Completes Purchase of Six Flags Worlds of Adventure". The Business Journal. April 9, 2004. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
  10. ^ Seewer, John (March 12, 2004). "Cedar Fair buys Six Flags park near Cleveland". The Associated Press. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
  11. ^ Booth, John (February 5, 2007). "Geauga Lake's new twist". Crain's Cleveland Business. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
  12. ^ Olsen, David (November 22, 2006). "X-Flight cleared for takeoff from Geauga Lake". Coaster-Net. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  13. ^ "Geauga Lake workers to relocated coaster". The Vindicator. November 23, 2006. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  14. ^ "Parking Lot Staging Area". Kings Island Central. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
  15. ^ a b "X-Flight Gets Paint, New Name For Kings Island Move". WLWT. February 5, 2007. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
  16. ^ a b "Firehawk at Coaster-Net". Coaster-Net. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  17. ^ "Firehawk ride set to open at Kings Island". Go!. May 22, 2007. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  18. ^ Marden, Duane. "Lie to Fly". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
  19. ^ Marden, Duane. "Fly to Lie". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
  20. ^ "Flying Coasters". Coaster Force. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
  21. ^ "Firehawk POV". Sharp Productions. September 21, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
  22. ^ a b c "ACN review (X-Flight)". America Coasters. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
  23. ^ "Firehawk - Kings Island". Way Marking. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  24. ^ "A Blast From The Past - Six Flags Worlds of Adventures X-Flight Pt. 1". News Plus Notes. April 14, 2011. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  25. ^ "Heart condition killed park rider". Toledo Blade. November 20, 2009. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  26. ^ "Kings Island roller coaster reopened after Toledo-area man's death". Springfield News-Sun. August 9, 2009. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
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