DJSonic Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 Hi! I am at a coaster trip through the States. Coming from Germany and want to ride Kingda Ka. I will be at SFGA on 27.05.2009 and 28.05.2009. I have heard that Kingda Ka is down at the moment because of lightning. Do anyone knows, when they would open the ride again? I have only one possibility to change the visit of the second day to monday the 01.06.2009. After that I have to travel to the west to Kennywood and Cedar Point and some other parks. My flight goes from Indianapolis. Thanks for your informations. Regards DJSonic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speeddeamon128 Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 I heard the ride got struck by lightning & should be closed for two weeks as of last weekend so you might just make it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastakid Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 From what I've heard, it is supposedly supposed to be reopening wednesday of this week, although I do not know how accurate my information is. -Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rawrtotheargh Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 Lightning affects a coaster? I know its made out of steel and all but wouldn't it be grounded by a ground wire. And I would assume it would be a frequent target of lightning. But then again I am no engineer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rider117 Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 You figure it would have a lightning rod at the top? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJSonic Posted May 25, 2009 Author Share Posted May 25, 2009 I think there would be more than one lightning rod at the top hat. If not, shame on you Six Flags. But despite a lightning rod the electronic could be damaged by lightning. But again the question. Does anyone knows, if Kingda Ka would operate again this week or by the 1st of June at the latest? It would be better for me, if I could ride it this week on wednesday or thursday. Thanks for the informations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CycloneMan Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 I work at Six Flags Great Adventure (Rides), and I'm sorry to inform you that Kingda Ka is going to be down for a while. We are down for "routine maintenance." We had to take pieces out of the hydraulic house and are waiting on new parts from Intamin. Sorry, but Kingda Ka will not be open on your trip. ...but El Toro will be -Dainan "Come say hi to me at Rolling Thunder" Rafferty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpartanTS Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 I was at at GAdv yesterday, and Kingda Ka is slated to be down for an "undetermined amount of time". What's the point of buying a $25 million toy and never get to play with it? El Toro was open, and I got 2 rides in before it broke down. I saw a train get stuck on the lift 3 times on the same cycle. It then got stuck 3 separate cycles after that. Even when I rode both times, there was a loud clank at the bottom of the lift hill on our way up. Superman broke down a few times later in the day. Medusa, I mean "BIZARRO" was down for a little while later in the day. Everything else was pretty consistent throughout the day. If King's Dominioin had a hyper and an Intamin woodie, there'd be no reason for me to drive 5.5 hours to NJ for my airtime fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnage Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 Lightning affects a coaster? I know its made out of steel and all but wouldn't it be grounded by a ground wire. And I would assume it would be a frequent target of lightning. But then again I am no engineer. A ground wire probably wouldn't completely protect from a lightning strike. Put as many lightning rods as possible on it, and if it happens to hit in the wrong spot it's going to fry anything it hits. Coasters going down due to lightning strikes are fairly common. Sensors and electronic components can easily be destroyed by lightning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 Lightning is crazy, you can't always fool it with a lightning rod! On the midwest trip lightning struck the Timber Falls coaster which is tiny compared to everything else within like a mile! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnwh111 Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 If you want to ride KK go to CP and ride TTD I here it's still in operation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkkyj Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 ^ Indeed! And don't assume the lightning hit the ride structure... it very well may have hit the hydraulic building directly or somewhere else "upstream" in its electrical path. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der Der Dongt Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 I pretty much got the same problem because I will visit the park in the first week of June as well. However I am will get another chance to ride KdK in the second week of July. Do you think this is a major breakdown like in 2005 (it was in 05 right?) or should they be able to get the problem fixed by July? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagicMountainMan Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 I'm also going around the 8th of July, I hope that this gets fixed by then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbarner14 Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 Even when I rode both times, there was a loud clank at the bottom of the lift hill on our way up. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't El Toro always have that clank. Every time I've ridden it, I've heard the clank and just assumed that that was the sound it made as the train connected to the lift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djnardu Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 I work at Six Flags Great Adventure (Rides), and I'm sorry to inform you that Kingda Ka is going to be down for a while. We are down for "routine maintenance." We had to take pieces out of the hydraulic house and are waiting on new parts from Intamin. Sorry, but Kingda Ka will not be open on your trip. ...but El Toro will be -Dainan "Come say hi to me at Rolling Thunder" Rafferty I was also wondering if you have any idea how long the ride will be down for. I heard 2 weeks like a week ago. I only get to Great Adventure once or twice a year and dont want to go with such a major ride not working. I was planning a trip like mid June like the 22nd so a little under a month away. Any idea if you think parts will be there and installed by then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacoaster Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 having been a ride op at V2 at SFGAM, lightning can affect a ride. Lighting blew out our brakes on the back spike. One day the ride was fine, came in the next day to see my ride down and they had to reprogram the ride to by pass the back holding brakes so we can keep the ride going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPmaverick Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 I will be there on June 18 and 19, so it better be open or I'll just climb to the top and slide down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CycloneMan Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 I work at Six Flags Great Adventure (Rides), and I'm sorry to inform you that Kingda Ka is going to be down for a while. We are down for "routine maintenance." We had to take pieces out of the hydraulic house and are waiting on new parts from Intamin. Sorry, but Kingda Ka will not be open on your trip. ...but El Toro will be -Dainan "Come say hi to me at Rolling Thunder" Rafferty I was also wondering if you have any idea how long the ride will be down for. I heard 2 weeks like a week ago. I only get to Great Adventure once or twice a year and dont want to go with such a major ride not working. I was planning a trip like mid June like the 22nd so a little under a month away. Any idea if you think parts will be there and installed by then? Yesterday, all the employees got forms saying that Kingda Ka should be open in two weeks! But keep in mind, nothing is ever certain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy_Behemoth_Lady_Jess Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Yes, coasters despite being sophisticated pieces of heavy machinery still got their delicate little parts! Probably the strike must have affected some electrical circuits or sensors which need replacing. I guess KK is recovering from being "raped by lightnng!" I will be there on June 18 and 19, so it better be open or I'll just climb to the top and slide down Better remember your parachute and crash helmet! ~ Jess "Thunderstruck, oh wait I've used that one already too" Chan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djnardu Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 I work at Six Flags Great Adventure (Rides), and I'm sorry to inform you that Kingda Ka is going to be down for a while. We are down for "routine maintenance." We had to take pieces out of the hydraulic house and are waiting on new parts from Intamin. Sorry, but Kingda Ka will not be open on your trip. ...but El Toro will be -Dainan "Come say hi to me at Rolling Thunder" Rafferty I was also wondering if you have any idea how long the ride will be down for. I heard 2 weeks like a week ago. I only get to Great Adventure once or twice a year and dont want to go with such a major ride not working. I was planning a trip like mid June like the 22nd so a little under a month away. Any idea if you think parts will be there and installed by then? Yesterday, all the employees got forms saying that Kingda Ka should be open in two weeks! But keep in mind, nothing is ever certain Well thats great! Thanks for the info that at least gives me a good 2 week buffer from when it should be up for any kinks. Hey even that 2 week notice could be a buffer though too. From experience usually when corporate gives info to employees about how long it will take for something to be completed they add on to the actual expected date for leeway, so when passing it on to customers any extra work is already in a time frame. Hope Im right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divyking Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Stealth at Thorpe Park has something that is attached between the ground and the tophat and is apparently for lightning. /\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MG Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 ^ No, it's a winch. It's not for lightning. It was designed to be used to access the problem in an emergency. When the train got stuck on the top that time they decided to use a crane simply because it's safer and it wasn't exactly an emergency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim S. Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Yesterday, all the employees got forms saying that Kingda Ka should be open in two weeks! But keep in mind, nothing is ever certain Last Thursday, I got an email reply from Hersheypark saying that they anticipated that Stormrunner would be open for Memorial Day weekend. When I went on Saturday, not only was it closed but everyone I talked to said it might not be open til June. Am I the only one who thinks it's strange that two Intamins have been down for weeks waiting on parts from Germany simultaneously? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnage Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Am I the only one who thinks it's strange that two Intamins have been down for weeks waiting on parts from Germany simultaneously? Considering the track record of hydraulic launch coasters, no, not strange at all. I'd expect it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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