The Flyer - Flying Scooters
at
Knoebels
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The Flyer, one of
only a few remaining original Flying Scooters |
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The Flyer is one of a limited number of Flying Scooters still in operation
today.
The Flyer Flying Scooters is a unique vintage thrill ride
that bridges nostalgia with modern day excitement.
Each flight of The Flyer is never the same as riders swing
their vehicle from side to side, gaining altitude and
dropping with each dizzying revolution of speeds up to 35
mph. But the ride puts the rider in control so those
that want a mild ride, can glide lightly, while those that
have a thing for thrill can push the ride it the limit with
great dipping and diving excitement! There are not
many rides where the rider is in control of the riding
experience.
The Flyer is not a new ride. In fact it is a
1930s-era centrifugal force ride that was most popular back
in the 1940s and 1950s. Debuting in 1935, it was once
found in more than 90 amusement parks around the country.
Today however the numbers have dwindled as approximately 70
of the original Flying Scooters were either removed or
became inoperable over the years. Flyer Addicts
Anonymous, a flying scooter enthusiast website, keeps track
of existing Flying Scooters still in operation and has
counted over 20 parks in the United States with operational
Flying Scooters ride. The Flyer at Knoebels is a
great example of one of these vintage rides still in great
operational condition.
Flying Scooters, sometimes known simply as "Flyers", are
amusement park rides that consist of a gear driven center
post with arms suspending vehicles outward from 2 or more
cables. During the operation of the ride, a motor
turns the center post, spinning the arms and the vehicles
suspended from the arms causing centrifugal forces that
swing the ride vehicles outwards. Each Flyer vehicle is equipped with a large hand operated
rudder that allows the rider to control the motion of the
vehicle. Generally the Flying Scooters are considered
a mild ride however a skilled rider can cause the forces to
jerk the cables of the vehicle, known as a "snap". Snapping
is caused by the cables of the ride going slacked due to a
speed up and slow down of the vehicle through the use of the
rudder. This in turn amplifies the ride's excitement
level as speeds exceed normal operation and the vehicle
flies even higher. At Knoebels, The Flyer sometimes
clips the leaves of the trees as it flys high into the air.
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