B&M Flying coaster with a stoma

[Hasseman]

Hi everyone.

I have tried to get som information on the restrains on B&M flying coasters.
What i understand there are 2 models on restrains.
I am planing to go to England and Alton Towers in about 1-2 years. Then USA, and will visit SIx Flags Greate Adventure and Cedar Point.
At Alton Towers, they have Galactica.
I have a stoma since 2006, and i have visited Liseberg in Sweden many times and i am able to ride everything there without any problems att all.
On Valkyria (B&M dive coaster) everyone must put bags and other stuff in lockers.
I always have extra bandage (stoma bags) with me all the times. Even on the station on Valkyria. But not on the ride.
I always tell them that i have medical equipment in my small waist bag, and that's no problems to bring.
So i need some more info about the restrains on B&M flying coaster.
There are no danger to put presure on the stoma. But some are very uncomfortable to add pressure on the stoma.
Im not uncomfortable with it but i dont want to put to much pressure on it. 
Many think im crazy that i really like to get on a coasters and flat rides. Many think its dangerous. Its not. But i asked my surgeon about it. He sent me to an MRI cause he wanted to know if i have healed enough. This was about 1 year after the sergery and he said that i could do whatever i want and comfortable with. So i went to Liseberg. For the first time in about 5 years i was "free" again and was able to do everything i missed. And be on a coaster was amazing. And now i just want more thrill.

I hope someone have any experience from the Flying B&M:s.

[swfan1988]

Hi Hasseman! Welcome to the forums!

I haven't had the pleasure of riding a B&M Flyer myself yet either, but after a little research I think I can still help.

My first piece of advice would be to contact the parks that you want to visit and ask them what their policy is. Parks should be happy to accommodate and let you know if you can ride and how, and what's allowed as far as medical devices and loose article go. Also, most parks have accessibility guides or other safety information on their websites so that might prove helpful if you need.

For the parks that you mentioned you wanted to visit (I didn't find anything explicitly on stomas, but the following information could prove helpful nonetheless) I found this:

Alton Towers has a accessibility guide page for Galactica here:  https://www.accessable.co.uk/alton-towers-resort/access-guides/galactica-8cd9538b-d7ff-4999-a9c3-687181180872 They have some pictures on there, along with some information about the restraints and their policies, it's a little jumbled up for some reason, but the information is there.

In Six Flags Great Adventure's accessibility guide they say this about Superman (here's the link if you'd like to read the whole thing: https://static.sixflags.com/website/files/sfgad_ada-guidelines.pdf):

They also have this page on accommodating for accessibility if you need that too: https://www.sixflags.com/greatadventure/plan-your-visit/accessibility

Cedar Point doesn't have a B&M Flyer, but they do have a B&M Wing coaster in Gatekeeper so here is the accessibility info on that (link to their full guide if you want to read it: https://cdn-cloudfront.cfauthx.com/binaries/content/assets/cp-en-us/general-information/help/2021-cp-guest-assistance-guide.pdf

They also have more info here: https://www.cedarpoint.com/accessibility

I'm not sure if this is quite what you were looking for, but I thought I'd give you a bit of a head start on the research there.

On the restraints themselves, like I said I haven't actually ridden one of B&M's flyers so I'm not entirely sure, but based on looking at pictures and a little bit of research they look very similar to the vest restrains used on their Wing coasters which I have ridden (Wild Eagle at Dollywood). I'm on the slimer side, so I didn't find the restraints all that uncomfortable by themselves, but I did notice that they came down further during the ride which did cause some minor discomfort towards the end of the ride. Nothing that hurt or was unbearable, but it was noticeable.  If I remember correctly they sat more on your waist/thigh than on your shoulders or stomach. Not sure if that makes a difference for you, but that's what I recall. I don't know how different the Flyer restraints are, but I know that their are people on here who can probably help with that.

I hope this helps you out, and congratulations on getting out and riding coasters and rides again! I wish you all the best!

 

[Hasseman]

Hey.
Many thanks for the information.
Superman Ultimate Flight is a Vekoma coaster right?
Have been on an older Vekoma coaster before. El condor at Walibi World for many years ago. I thought that the bults would come out :P.
Have you been on Superman? How is those restrains?

Im very sure that i can ride all B&M coaster. Im just unsure about the flying coaster.
Is the west restrains similar to the west restrains on their dive coaster?
I have been on Goliath at walibi world as well and the trains and restrains should be very similar with Millenium Force?
Balder at Liseberg and El toro at Greate adventure have the same trains and restrains what i can find out through pictures. I been on Balder many times.
Kingda ka and Maverick have the same restrains an restrains as an old hydraulic launch coaster at Liseberg called "kanonen".

I dont have so many costers in my backpack, but im very secure with my situation.
After i recovered from the surgery i was thinking about everything i cant do.
But that was my mind that was cracked. Later i found out that i can do pretty much everything i want. And it have been 15 years now and i cant find anything that hold me back. I can do everything and many other peapole that are in the same situation as me have very long lists about what they cant do. It is all in the mental state.
When i was unsure i calld a nurse that only works with stomas and she always said to me, "Try. Its not dangerous. But keep contact me if you have further questions".
For a couple of years ago she asked me if she could contact me and pass questions from other patients that have questions that she cant answare on.
Of course i said. Then i wrote a document that i explained how i felt over the restrains. The restrains can touch the stoma but puts no pressure against it. It put pressure over the the thigh.
The document are in Swedish and i wrote about Lisebergs attractions. Not the kids rides.
And that was a very popular ducument. It have been translated to German, Danish and Norwegian and shared to those countries.
I also made a document about some rides at Gröna Lund in Stockholm.
If anyone want to read the document i can translate it to English.

[swfan1988]

15 minutes ago, Hasseman said:

Superman Ultimate Flight is a Vekoma coaster right?

Superman is a B&M Flyer, one of the three clones in the Six Flags chain (the others are at Six Flags Great America and Six Flags Over Georgia), the only Vekoma flyers we have in the US are Batwing at Six Flags America (there's a difference between Six Flags Great America (outside of Chicago, IL) and Six Flags America (near Washington DC), ones great...and the other is...bad...) and Nighthawk at Carowinds. I have heard that the B&M Flyers have much better restraints than the Vekoma ones, but I haven't actually ridden either so I can't speak from personal experience. I've only ridden the B&M Wing coaster, which I think has similar restraints.

20 minutes ago, Hasseman said:

Is the west restrains similar to the west restrains on their dive coaster?

Based on my research it seems that they are very similar if not identical to the dive and wing coaster ones. I think the only difference is the flyers have leg/ankle guards to hold your legs in place while your in the flying position.

23 minutes ago, Hasseman said:

I have been on Goliath at walibi world as well and the trains and restrains should be very similar with Millenium Force?

Based on pictures they look the same to me!

Also, if you've ridden Untamed at Walibi Holland, Zadra at Energylandia, or Wildfire at Kolmarden than all of the RMC's over here (minus the single rail raptors) have the same/similar restraints.

32 minutes ago, Hasseman said:

Kingda ka and Maverick have the same restrains an restrains as an old hydraulic launch coaster at Liseberg called "kanonen".

Not sure what Kanonen had, but Kingda Ka has the "hard plastic" shoulder straps while Maverick has the "soft" ones. I think all three have/had the same bar that sits on your lap though. I don't think it will make too much of a difference for you though.

33 minutes ago, Hasseman said:

I dont have so many costers in my backpack, but im very secure with my situation.
After i recovered from the surgery i was thinking about everything i cant do.
But that was my mind that was cracked. Later i found out that i can do pretty much everything i want. And it have been 15 years now and i cant find anything that hold me back. I can do everything and many other peapole that are in the same situation as me have very long lists about what they cant do. It is all in the mental state.

That's the spirit! It really is mostly a mental thing! Great job getting out there and finding what you CAN do rather than focusing on what your can't do! Keep it up! We should all learn and remember that!

[AmyUD06]

4 hours ago, swfan1988 said:

Based on my research it seems that they are very similar if not identical to the dive and wing coaster ones. I think the only difference is the flyers have leg/ankle guards to hold your legs in place while your in the flying position.

The vest restraints on the B&M flyers are pretty different from those on the wing/dive/inverted coasters.  The seats are less wide and the lap-bar portion is a bit bulkier, and actually latches into position on the sides.  Those silver bars you see in this image?  The lap-bar part actually clicks into those.  Then of course there's the aforementioned ankle restraints.

As for if it will cause an issue for you @Hasseman, I'd say probably not. Though the seats are a tighter fit, it is impossible for the vest/lap-bar to tighten over the course of the ride, as it can in the other applications of B&M vests.  I'm pretty sure there's a test seat out front of the queue, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

[Hasseman]

Manny thanks for all replys.
If there is a test seat outside the ride i can test. But i want to know how it is in "flying" psition. If there is any pressure/how mutch pressure on the abdomen.

[larrygator]

Please consult a medical professional about this.  Riding a flying coaster (due to the riding position) does not sound like a good idea.  Yes, there will be some pressure on your abdomen from the restraints, the amount depends on your dimensions.  The pretzel loops on the B&Ms provide a very intense sensation and I don't know if that will trigger a reaction in you.

[Hasseman]

7 hours ago, larrygator said:

Please consult a medical professional about this.  Riding a flying coaster (due to the riding position) does not sound like a good idea.  Yes, there will be some pressure on your abdomen from the restraints, the amount depends on your dimensions.  The pretzel loops on the B&Ms provide a very intense sensation and I don't know if that will trigger a reaction in you.

I have consult with my stoma nurse. She said that it is a good idea to consult the surgeon that operate on me for many years ago.

[Hasseman]

On 12/7/2021 at 7:37 PM, Hasseman said:

I have consult with my stoma nurse. She said that it is a good idea to consult the surgeon that operate on me for many years ago.

I have now been talking with a sergeon and she said that should not be any problems at all for me. 

If I hade the operation less then 5 years ago she would not recomend it. I even showed her a Youtube video and she was impressed that i have been have these thoughts. 

She really want me to Contact the unit on the hospital after my visit to USA for an interview. There are no material about this contents in or the countries around Sweden. Then a MRI scan after that to start a study for it. For me and all pepole with a stoma it may be a start for a very big study after my visit to USA. We might be starting the study after the summer cause my home park is Liseberg with a busride of 12 minutes. I got a goldpass for Liseberg this year to. 

[rachelmadcow]

It might sound illogical but because B&M is Swiss I trust that they thought of everything. I'm sure someone in your situation came up in the design process, I don't see them overlooking something like that since, again, they clearly think of everything and check it twice.