It's not the most common flat ride, but it's certainly one of the most fun! Flying Scooters, or in amusement park fan's terms, "Flyers," are one of the most sought-after attractions among park enthusiasts.
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| Conneaut Lake Park, 2013 - This is a small but fun ride from Old Indiana Fun Park. |
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| Here's the same ride with a different color scheme. |
A word on 'snapping': For anyone that doesn't know, when you "snap" the cables of a Flying Scooter car, you turn the rudder so the cables rub together, and the tub spins more wildly through the air. This sometimes creates a noise, which is where the term comes from. I've had limited success with it, but the gist of what you want to do is tilt the rudder in the opposite direction you are going just before the car reaches the crest or bottom of its swing, if that makes any sense.
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| Kings Dominion, VA |
Ride Experience
In a Flying Scooter tub, the rider has control of a rudder that allows them to change the angle of the car. When the rudder is tilted to one side, the car goes up, and vice-versa. Some riders soon realize that more intense things can be done with this tool, and "snapping" sometimes results from repeat riders.
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| Idlewild's Flying Aces - This is a newer Larson ride, but it's built to look like an old model. |
6 comments:
Seems like those "wings" would block a lot of view. I love that this ride is from the 1930's, and looks like it! I'm not aware of any parks in my general area that would have these great old spinning rides, otherwise I'd love to experience them.
Even an old timer like myself learns something new almost everyday. I had no idea about "snapping" on the Flying Scooters. Never heard of it, but it does sound like fun. Next time I'm visiting Knott's I'm going to have to ride it and try out this "snapping" you speak of.
Nice post today! Thanks, Penna.
Major, Knott's Berry Farm has a Flying Scooters flat ride called "Surfside Gliders".
Helpful 'ol Wikipedia has a list of operating models: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Scooters
As for the view being blocked, I've never found it to be too noticeable. You can always look out the sides!
K. Martinez, good luck! It's definitely hard for a first-timer. Heck, I've been trying for a couple years and am nowhere near the level of some! And I looked it up, and the Knott's ride is a newer model, so it may be harder to snap. Glad you enjoyed!
Hello Andrew, what a fun blog. I love these amusement park rides!
JG
Thanks for stopping by, JG!
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