The History Of The First Flying Roller Coasters - Firehawk & Nighthawk

The History Of The First Flying Roller Coasters - Firehawk & Nighthawk | Expedition Theme Park

Рет қаралды 121,277

Күн бұрын

Join us on our first Expedition in a series looking at the world's Flying Roller Coasters. Starting with the Vekoma Flying Dutchman. Only three were ever made,
Stealth - Borg Assimilator - Nighthawk
X-Flight and Firehawk
Batwing
This innovative design though was not the first flying coaster in the world even if Stealth was advertised to it. That was located in Manchester England known as Skytrak.
expthemepark
expeditionthemepark
www.patreon.com/expditionthemepark
Credits -
scott567100 - • Adlington (Lancashire)...
Kevin Mullarkey - • Granada Studios Tour 1992
JCRoweCwll - • Coronation Street and ...
Manchester Vault - • Manchester Vault - Gra...
Britian's Decays Urban Explorers - • URBEX UK: Abandoned O...
Menachem Piekarski - • 2002 videos stealth pa...
CoasterNick3157 - • Stealth (AKA Nighthawk...
BlueDanMan14 - • Stealth at Paramounts ...
psyclonesteve -
• Stealth, Paramount's G...
• X Flight, Six Flags Wo...
• Stingray, Giant Wheel ...
Golden State Coasters - • Video
Jarvy Moe - • BORG assimilator
Coaster Studios
• Nighthawk Off-Ride Car...
• Batwing Off-Ride Six F...
Sean Flaharty - • Video
Thumbnail Donald Flink

Пікірлер: 469

@jamesg3126 4 жыл бұрын

The ginger guy in the Air advert is my PE teacher 😂

@coasterobsessed3430 4 жыл бұрын

I applaud the fact that you managed to basically Rick-roll your entire audience. Well played, sir.

@ExpeditionThemePark 4 жыл бұрын

:D people just assumed!

@daynajenkin9183 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah you maniged to Rick roll everyone without using the iconic Rick roll meme

@6FlagsAstroworld 4 жыл бұрын

“Before we look into B&M, there’s one more flying coaster type to explore” Me: “hmm?” *zamperla volare shown* Me: “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA GET IT AWAY!”

@SonOfFurzehatt 4 жыл бұрын

Nobody: Theme Parks: X-Flight! X-Sector! X-Car! X-Scream! Xcelerator! X! X2!

@shayprimrose1678 4 жыл бұрын

X - T R E M

@brandondinh1404 4 жыл бұрын

X girlfriend

@richardbagley3139 3 жыл бұрын

X Smash

@dogsinthedark Ай бұрын

XLR8

@ThemePark_Nerdo 4 жыл бұрын

Can you do The Troubled History of Vekoma SLCs?

@ExpeditionThemePark 4 жыл бұрын

Yes :D

@Archman155 4 жыл бұрын

@@ExpeditionThemePark I can't wait for this episode.

@Jason_Maier 4 жыл бұрын

@@ExpeditionThemePark pretty much the ONLY SLC that people like is Fly - The Great Nor'Easter at Morey's Piers (New Jersey)

@matthewrobertson95 4 жыл бұрын

@@Jason_Maier Kumali at Flamingo Land in the UK also has a very good reputation.

@huetobi 4 жыл бұрын

@@Jason_Maier It isn't the only good one I found MP Express at Moviepark Germany to be Quite enjoyable. That said there also are ones that are straight up painful like El Condor at Walli Holland.

@Intimidator115 4 жыл бұрын

Hey expedition theme park, can you do expedition carowinds.

@ExpeditionThemePark 4 жыл бұрын

I talk about it here! But i will do more on it in the future

@generalbacon6955 4 жыл бұрын

I would like a expedition phantasialand

@bruvno18 4 жыл бұрын

Expedition great America's, only because those r some of the most interesting parks, especially the one In Illinois

@TheApoohneicie 4 жыл бұрын

The GoodApple7 Show Yes! Childhood memories!

@h-man1371 4 жыл бұрын

Carowinds: Nighthawk has 8 inversions. Me: Press x to doubt.

@ExpeditionThemePark 4 жыл бұрын

hahaha

@lacrls Жыл бұрын

I had a night ride on Nighthawk right before Carowinds closed and it was so memorable! A completely different experience diving towards the water. The loop on your back feels amazing and I wish it would go on forever with loop after loop!

@jkattack2640 4 жыл бұрын

Anyone: Literally anything about any flying coaster Me: TATSUUUUUUUU

@thisismysea 4 жыл бұрын

I love Batwing! It's such a smooth and beautiful ride. It really does create the sensation of flying. Definitely unique among my list of credits, though I don't think I've ever been on another flying coaster.

@shayprimrose1678 4 жыл бұрын

The only flying coaster I've ever been on is Tatsu at Magic Mountain and it is the single most incomparable coaster experience I've had in my life. Rode it two times, wish I had made it three.

@jamestheo6053 4 жыл бұрын

The only flying coaster that I have ridden is time warp at Canada’s wonderland and it felt like rocks in a blender well being inverted multiple times.

@ExpeditionThemePark 4 жыл бұрын

haha true

@kirbysuperstaruhh3769 4 жыл бұрын

Thats the Zamperla Volaire for you!

@Mystiquemina 13 күн бұрын

I rode Firehawk and Nighthawk. It is an unusual sensation and super fun. I miss Firehawk. Thank you for the information on the Flying coaster history!

@MrJans3n 4 жыл бұрын

Man, those old coaster promo videos are great.

@DoctorNumber10 4 жыл бұрын

I remember the borg! The lines were insane when it came out and I remember riding it in the rain. It was really hard on my stomach and not the best experience, especially when the much better Top Gun/Afterburn wasn't too far away. I never rode it again, even after it got rebranded.

@Dimondback999 4 жыл бұрын

I really liked fire hawk. Was sad to see it closed. FH and diamondback are definitely my favorite 2 at kings island. Felt like it was pretty smooth and comfortable, and I had ridden it 4 times during my visit. My only experience on a flying but I really enjoyed it, one of my favorites.

@thedrewster0408 4 жыл бұрын

The 80s music in the intro reminds me of that Key & Peele skit of them being in a 80s workout dance video.

@rpavlik1 3 жыл бұрын

Superman Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Great America was pretty fun. I waited way too many hours for a single short ride, but it was a lot of fun, quite memorable, and made me feel better about my coaster credentials even though I don't really like airtime/big drops.

@mallorymaybe666 4 жыл бұрын

This video jogged my memory of the German coaster Hexenbesen! What a wild riding car system that one has. I also vote an Expedition: Carowinds video!

@maggiem5780 4 жыл бұрын

I AM SO EXCITED FOR ORION. But also rip fire hawk. Although I never got to ride near the end of its life. It was ALWAYS closed and when it wasn’t the lines were LONG!!

@sunstartle 10 ай бұрын

I rode Firehawk on one of the last days it operated. Definitely one of my favorite coasters & I was sad to see it go -- although I have had the ye olde "lying faceup in the sun for 20 minutes" Firehawk experience on multiple occasions :P I used to go to King's Island a lot with friends and I probably racked up at least thirty rides on it; RIP to a legend!

@elevatoralarmcoasterandarc1214 4 ай бұрын

Very nice.

@l3mmy224 4 жыл бұрын

In terms of Flying coaster, there's 4 kinds: the Messy, the longlived, the beautiful and the painfull

@blazerocker1734 3 жыл бұрын

I would add a fifth kind: The Underwhelming I rode the Firehawk at Kings Island twice before it was removed. I found it too slow and too short to bother with a third time.

@nxios 4 жыл бұрын

I remember riding Stealth when it first opened. It really was the best ride ever at the time. I was bummed out when they removed it for some lame water park.

@craigperry3779 4 жыл бұрын

I was lucky enough to ride Steath in my freshman year of high school. I remember it being really rough but unlike anything else I had ever ridden. Great video

@TheSideswipe4983 4 жыл бұрын

How dare you keep us all waiting for this upload..i started to lose my insanity..brilliant once again the research you do is astounding..

@gordonwchas 4 жыл бұрын

I love Superman Ultimate Flight at 6 Flags over Georgia and rode Borg Assimilator before it got changed to Nighthawk at Carowinds. Also want to suggest again you should do a story on the Sid and Marty Krofft amusement park that was open for 6 months at CNN Center in 1976. It was billed as "the world's largest indoor amusement park". It was called the Omni International Complex when it first opened.

@yuxaredd 4 жыл бұрын

Vekoma seems to have a habit of making something and Just banking off that until they can’t anymore. I mean, to each their own i guess.

@user-pl5ds8iz6q 4 жыл бұрын

Like B&M

@woodencoasterfan 4 жыл бұрын

I’ve been on a few flyers myself including Firehawk and Nighthawk. The others are Manta at SWO and Superman: Ultimate Flight at SFoG and SFGAdv. My favorite so far is Manta at SWO.

@TexasLotteryFun 4 жыл бұрын

Great footage and coverage of the history of the park once again, thank you from Texas 💪🏽❤️

@johnarmstrong6227 4 жыл бұрын

Great stuff, Sam! Hoping you keep it going with the further development of these rides. Having only ridden Manta, it's interesting to see the progression.

@AverytheCubanAmerican 4 жыл бұрын

Mr. Krabs sold SpongeBob's soul to the Flying Dutchman for 62 cents

@ExpeditionThemePark 4 жыл бұрын

good price!

@jstyxx4110 4 жыл бұрын

What a deal!

@thebobkap 2 жыл бұрын

I still remember waking to the main entrance of geauga lake and seeing the xflight on the right spiraling by walking past the mind eraser boomerang to get to the queue. Always a line. Always worth it

@meekyam37 4 жыл бұрын

Hero at flamingo land felt incredibly rough vs air/galactica

@electrohalo8798 4 жыл бұрын

Galactica back row is smoooooooooioth

@meekyam37 4 жыл бұрын

Hero was not worth the wait. Mumbo Jumbo and Kumali impressed me but seriously Alton Towers is a stretch in one day from Bristol and Flamingo I wouldn't be able to justify 😂

@godscrasher 4 жыл бұрын

@@meekyam37 Alton Towers from Newcastle is another 45 minutes + onto your journey from Bristol, although expectedly if you're travelling by bus/coach/public transport it's way different, but if it's by car, it's definitely do-able. Particularly with the opening hours.

@meekyam37 4 жыл бұрын

@@godscrasher I'm an Alton Towers season pass holder and have been 3 times this season. I enjoy the drive for sure even found a really great wetherspoons in Stafford to stop at for dinner after close and drove back from there at half 10 before. Energy drinks may have been consumed 😂⚡

@ItsGibsy 3 жыл бұрын

I remember riding Manta at Sea World. Closest coaster I've ridden to something like these.

@jtracer04 4 жыл бұрын

I would absolutely love to see a video about Geauga Lake. I grew up going there all the time and I miss it still to this day.

@willflohr1122 4 жыл бұрын

Jay Beachy someone said it!! Thank you. Geauga was my first park. And x flight was my first upside down coaster. I was in LOVE.

@shimmermilk 4 жыл бұрын

omg hearing the Air music coming in the background near the end got me all goosebumps

@Zarcondeegrissom 4 ай бұрын

I was thinking it was "Galactica 1978" in 8-bit midi, lol. That was a different time for sure.

@jorisdevos5070 4 жыл бұрын

Ah yes a new video to make my roller coaster nerd brain happy again

@Madhattergirl122 4 жыл бұрын

Oh! Hearing that air ride theme! God that takes me back to when it first opened although I couldn't go on it at the time XD

@Joypyf 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent video!!!! 👍🏼😊

@gothicdragonwarriorqueen5819 4 жыл бұрын

Awesome roller coaster ride!!!😊❤👍

@tagonkillick2270 4 жыл бұрын

Great video mate!

@theotherlauren 4 жыл бұрын

Air at Alton Towers blew my mind when i was 15 and tbh Superman at Six Flags in Gurnee still got me last year lol. Not sure what it is about this type of coaster but they're really something! Enjoying your videos :-)

@richarddavis4954 4 жыл бұрын

Another great history lesson, keep up the great work

@ienjoypaste 4 жыл бұрын

I was on Stealth on opening day. Honestly... I loved it. Absolutely loved it. I was crushed when it was removed.

@Weaponized_Poutine 9 ай бұрын

I was there opening day as well, I was super bummed that they removed it a few years latter.

@Lap_Bar_Down 4 жыл бұрын

I really enjoyed Fire Hawk! I loved waving to people on the other side of the train in the vertical loop!

@matthewfield2958 4 жыл бұрын

I would like to see an Expedition Extinct episode based on Granada Studios Tour. It has a fascinating history and Skytrak was but a small part of it.

@jonathonfreeman9233 4 жыл бұрын

I like this angle for checking multiple coasters of a particular trend. good choice

@singlerider377 4 жыл бұрын

Super informative. Thank you! My favorite flying coaster is Manta at Seaworld Orlando.

@austinwilliams87 4 жыл бұрын

I can’t believe Nighthawk was the world’s first flying coaster! It’s at my home park.

@TheSareus 4 жыл бұрын

I've rode the Batwing ONCE my first trip to the park. The next four return trips it was broken down. (Trips spanded from 2008 - 2016)

@mattfahringer148 4 жыл бұрын

TheSareus i never got to ride it (always wanted to) but i read on line that is was always being fixed

@TheAdrianMc 4 жыл бұрын

I rode on the 2nd public train on Stealth!! I lived near Great America and would watch the construction of it! They hadn't announced it yet so seeing the first flip transition was crazy!!!!

@djc6535 4 жыл бұрын

Tatsu at Magic Mountain is by far my favorite. I've also been on one that looks a great deal like Hero at Canada's Wonderland back when it was called Tomb Raider. That was... not good. I think it's called Time Warp now.

@thoride_ 4 жыл бұрын

The top gun music at the end was subtle but good. Great video! KI is my home park and I was sad to see firehawk go. Orion is an epic successor tho. Glad to see you included it in the video. Well done!

@camerondennis7853 4 жыл бұрын

Great video

@SeeShaunVlog 4 жыл бұрын

Stop showing me all these theme parks I now need to visit lol! Another good one!

@JakeLX 4 жыл бұрын

I have ridden both Firehawk and I rode Borg (when it was called that). I liked that helix on Firehawk and the online twists over Borg’s corkscrews.

@extraqueen4473 4 жыл бұрын

I love that you start to play galactica music as you finish talking about the Flying Dutchman’s

@Robert-jz7hq 4 жыл бұрын

"Its not an easy job but Vekoma is ready to -evolve beyond your imagination- take your money and try anyway"

@nikkimeyer37 4 жыл бұрын

RIP Geauga Lake and X flight. I nearly fell out of that ride because those chest straps were not meant for small children. Can’t wait for your video on my former home parks. You should cover sea world along with Geauga lake

@robl.2201 4 жыл бұрын

I was an operator on X-flight its opening season at six flags WOA. It was an experience i’ll never forget if i live to be 100.

@andyknight1 4 жыл бұрын

Went on Firehawk in 2010 on my first ever rollercoaster trip to the States. Was a fantastic ride, and shame it's gone.

@ExpeditionThemePark 4 жыл бұрын

i really enjoyed it

@letsgoOs1002 4 жыл бұрын

Love to wait in a line? Just go on batwing! It is always 2 hours.

@h-man1371 4 жыл бұрын

Same thing with Nighthawk lol.

@blazerocker1734 4 жыл бұрын

When I rode the Firehawk at KI the line certainly felt like it took two hours, and the ride was a waste of my time both times because it was too slow and not long enough. : (

@thisismysea 4 жыл бұрын

What? Six Flags America is always empty and no lines there take more than 20 minutes. It's actually a great feature of the park.

@jg-7780 4 жыл бұрын

It really depends on when you go, and how early you get in line. If you come on a spring of summer weekday, and get in line before noon, you should be fine.

@FuchsiaMuffin 4 жыл бұрын

As a smaller person I somehow loved and hated the feeling I was going to fall out! I also had an adventurous memory with this ride! RIP Firehawk! But I'm super excited for Orion!

@GameAlicornLuna 4 жыл бұрын

Living in Northeastern Ohio, I rode the X-Flight at Geauga Lake many many times. The best part was easily the loop.

@NickMadore 4 жыл бұрын

There was a flying coaster in a park in Denver, too. Totally forget the name of it, but I was there around when it opened. I have a pin somewhere from the opening event.

@ChairmanChico 4 жыл бұрын

I just rode Nighthawk at Carowinds last week. The line was long but well worth it, IMO

@lukefarley9221 4 жыл бұрын

THANK YOU!!!

@ExpeditionThemePark 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@kinghazzah 4 жыл бұрын

I “flew” X Flight at Geagau Lake after it merged into a Worlds of Adventure on the day of the great East Coast blackout (which did affect the East Coast as far away as New Jersey) which affected Cleveland who provided the power for the park and I’m amazed they even had any rides still open only ones that had generators! Later even move it to a closer park at Kings Island... sadly now that’s gone but it’s going to be replaced by Orion which will make all the coaster enthusiasts hopefully very happy!

@VampireQueen696 4 жыл бұрын

Who the hell disliked this video? Your channel is the highlight of my day!

@ExpeditionThemePark 4 жыл бұрын

not me :D

@VampireQueen696 4 жыл бұрын

@@ExpeditionThemePark I hope you can do an expedition guaga lake (I hope I spelled it right) plus my favorite no longer in service coaster Rolling Thunder

@Typhabock 4 жыл бұрын

You gotta mention Tatsu that ride is crazy awesome!

@otterdccaptain9229 3 жыл бұрын

Such a great video. I worked at Six Flags Worlds of Adventure/Geauga Lake for 7 consecutive summers. For several of those summers I worked X-Flight. It was sad to this ride ripped down and moved, as well as seeing the park close. You should do a video on the history of this park. It was once the largest theme park in the world. It had a long and storied history. A story that should be told and shared.

@markvolpe2305 4 жыл бұрын

I Rode Borg at Carowinds, they had assigned seating and they put me in the very back row of the train which then I realized I was in front of the train! I enjoyed that ride a lot.

@SomePotato 4 жыл бұрын

I'm really looking forward to Phantasialand F.L.Y.. Whatever they build, they just do it so well!

@duncaninnes3955 4 жыл бұрын

My home park is Canada's Wonderland and honestly Time Warp (formerly Tomb Raider) is still an amazing coster to this day!

@MadameChristie 4 жыл бұрын

eh. I always feel like going to fall out of the bottom. Probably because I'm really short. Not a fan of the Zamperla. Wouldn't mind trying one of the Vekomas though.

@hokyman 4 жыл бұрын

I've only been on one flying coaster... B&M's Tatsu at Six Flags Magic Mountain. It's still one of my most favorite rides at that park!

@Goliath146 Жыл бұрын

Skytrak operated from 1997-1998 and was what inspired the mini suspended flying coaster in roller coaster tycoon 1 and 2!

@elevatoralarmcoasterandarc1214 5 ай бұрын

Of course.

@HaywireRuckus 4 жыл бұрын

The Air music, man... Pure nostalgia.

@krististarosta6736 4 жыл бұрын

I haven’t been on a flying coaster, but that does seem fun to ride on!

@ExpeditionThemePark 4 жыл бұрын

hope you get to try it one day!

@kandikidzora 4 жыл бұрын

Please please do a park on Geagua Lake!! It was my home park growing up and even though it's been closed over a decade, I still think of it fondly!!

@JSInOrbit 4 жыл бұрын

Batwing actually scared me alot. I felt like I had to use all my strength to push myself further towards the seat when flying. Second time I just let my body flop, and I liked it better, maybe best in park as it felt quite intense.

@kinghazzah 4 жыл бұрын

Only been on one it was X flight when Geaga lake was purchased and just so happened that was also on the day that the great Midwest and eastern seaboard black out occurred! The park was without power that day but they had generators on some of the rides and this was one of them. I loved the ride and even though Vekoma used much of the original work of Arrow I still enjoyed my ride, I think it was almost a two hour wait that day too! The other big coaster I believe was a Batman themed ride but that could be another one of your expeditions! 🤔😉😊

@RedHotMessResell 4 жыл бұрын

I was just at Carowinds today! What timing! I just realized I’ve ridden two of the only 3 Flying Dutchman coasters out there. That’s crazy! Nighthawk and Firehawk. I kept getting those two confused and showed up at Carowinds today thinking Nighthawk was gonna be gone, but that’s firehawk in King’s Island. Oops. Lol

@Rhythmmical 4 жыл бұрын

Those horrific screams of pain from those people riding the Valore at the end...terrifying....

@fudeknuckles 4 жыл бұрын

I got to ride the X-flight at geauga lake when it opened, good ride but the atmosphere was terrible being in the parking lot. It was also very out of place walking to the station. I rode it at KI as well and it seemed to fit better there, was sad to see it go mostly because its another part of geauga lake to die.

@michaezell4607 4 жыл бұрын

Paramount parks originally had planned to add two additional flying dutchman coasters as part of the contract with vekoma for agreeing to build the prototype at CGA. The other two were supposed to go to kings dominion and kings island but were canceled and six flags picked up the two rides choosing to send them to six flags America and six flags Ohio for the 2001 season.

@sheeple04 4 жыл бұрын

Some people think Vekoma stole designs (with the entire Arrow track stuff especially, which most people think they stole but actually Arrow asked them to produce for the European market, and the fact that the SLC was basically the poor mans B&M Invert), but they truly were a very innovative company. Their Flying Dutchmans werent perfect at all but they definitely were super innovative. Excited so see what F.L.Y. is gonna be like, and i hope that Vekoma continues to innovate and debut new coaster models, they have been killing it lately (especially in China and Poland, hopefully the rest of Europe and the Americas also gets more Vekomas, that would be great)

@SneeuwPoesjes 4 жыл бұрын

They're working on a controlled spinning coaster atm. Can't wait for that one

@sheeple04 4 жыл бұрын

@@SneeuwPoesjes Although thats more a special project for Disney and less a regular model, yeah im also excited for it.

@mushieslushie 4 жыл бұрын

I got to ride 2 of the 3, both being the ones that were moved but I rode them in their original locations.

@jbsthecoolest 4 жыл бұрын

Manta at SWO is my favorite!! Mainly because of the setting

@eekedout 4 жыл бұрын

I’ve got seat time on Stealth and I loved it. It will always be known as Stealth to me.

@IsurvivedAntiochCA 4 жыл бұрын

Carowinds is my home park. I ride nighthawk right before I leave the park because I’m not going to not ride it, but it takes soooooooo long to load and, more importantly, unload. Sitting on your back staring Straight into the sun for five minutes until they release you back into the station. And the shoulder straps smell soooooooo bad and they’re always damp in the summer lol.

@sophieshaw7015 4 жыл бұрын

I love flying coasters

@seb76834 4 жыл бұрын

14:37 Eyy it’s Taylor from Coaster Studios

@TyrellDunn 4 жыл бұрын

I live in MD not far from Six Flags America where the Batwing is. My favorite ride there

@azholDooshbag 4 жыл бұрын

I used to work at worlds of adventure. It was glorious.

@jmvsic 4 жыл бұрын

If there's anything I've learned watching all your videos, it's that the promotional commercials for these parks & rides from the 80s-2000s used every absurd and over the top marketing gimmick they could into each ad. Watching those ads gave me anxiety more than they did get me excited. Nice work though, as always

@tjator9654 4 жыл бұрын

Finally I’ve been waiting for you to feature six flags America in one. You should do wild one soon it celebrated its 100th anniversary just last year

@ScorchieCritter 4 жыл бұрын

I used to go to Great America about once a every other year as a teenager when I visited my Grandparents. Stealth was always broken down. I only ever got to ride it once. It was fun though. I still have a keychain somewhere.

@ExpeditionThemePark 4 жыл бұрын

that is awesome!

@alex-_lynx4659 4 жыл бұрын

I would love a vid on shockwave or splash canyon! I know I ask twice but I’m inpatient!!! Pls do it 🤗🤗🤗

@speedylloyd 4 жыл бұрын

I got to ride X-Flight/Firehawk at both SFWoA/Geauga Lake and Kings Island. The ride was a great concept, but with the restraints it was so uncomfortable. Also even with the 55MPH top speed, it felt very slow adding to how uncomfortable it was. The only good part was the vertical loop, this was very intense. I have not been able to ride B&M's version, but because of Vekoma's, I am in now rush, and will not loss any sleep before I get the chance to.

@AmusementLabs 4 жыл бұрын

Fun fact, Stealth's station is still standing and this year is gonna be turned into a bar.

@AmusementLabs 4 жыл бұрын

@@MidwestRainstorms actually correction: it's being turned into a new building for lockers and changing rooms. They really needed it though, the old ones were nasty. But there will still be a bar (yay!) in a new building.