The Flying Cobras

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Flying Cobras
Previously known as The Mind Eraser (1996-2003)
Head Spin (2004-2007)
Carolina Cobra (2009-2016)
Carolina Cobra sign.jpg
Head Spin Geauga Lake train.png
Top: Former logo at Carowinds. Bottom: The Flying Cobras when it was Head Spin at Geauga Lake
Carowinds
Park sectionCounty Fair
Coordinates35°06′09″N 80°56′34″W / 35.102582°N 80.942915°W / 35.102582; -80.942915Coordinates: 35°06′09″N 80°56′34″W / 35.102582°N 80.942915°W / 35.102582; -80.942915
StatusOperating
Opening dateMarch 28, 2009 (2009-03-28)
ReplacedFlying Super Saturator
Geauga Lake
Coordinates41°20′59″N 81°22′44″W / 41.349632°N 81.378940°W / 41.349632; -81.378940
StatusRemoved
Opening dateMay 10, 1996 (1996-05-10)
Closing dateSeptember 16, 2007 (2007-09-16)
General statistics
TypeSteel – Shuttle – boomerang
ManufacturerVekoma
ModelBoomerang
Lift/launch systemCatch car and chain lift hill
Height116.5 ft (35.5 m)
Drop108 ft (33 m)
Length935 ft (285 m)
Speed47 mph (76 km/h)
Inversions3 (each traversed twice)
Duration1:48
Max vertical angle65°
Capacity760 riders per hour
G-force5.2
Height restriction48 in (122 cm)
TrainsSingle train with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 28 riders per train.
Fast Lane available
The Flying Cobras at RCDB
Pictures of The Flying Cobras at RCDB

The Flying Cobras, formerly known as the Head Spin, Carolina Cobra and The Mind Eraser, is a steel boomerang roller coaster located at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina. Manufactured by Vekoma, The Flying Cobras was the first roller coaster addition to Carowinds following the park's purchase by Cedar Fair in 2006. It originally operated at Geauga Lake from 1996 to 2007 until its relocation to Carowinds in 2009. Following the 2016 season, the roller coaster was refurbished and renamed again in 2017.

History[]

In early October 1995, Geauga Lake was allowed to build a roller coaster over 125 feet (38 m) with help from Geauga County community. Officials agreed not to enforce an 80-foot (24 m) height limit and the park had dropped two lawsuits.[1]

At the same time, the park was already sold to Premier Parks. Geauga Lake's new owner would spend $9 million on new-for-1996 attractions. There would be two rides that would open that year, with one being a Vekoma Boomerang coaster named The Mind Eraser and the other being an Intamin river rapids ride named Grizzly Run.[2]

The Mind Eraser originally had a turquoise track and white supports. In 2004, Six Flags Worlds of Adventure was sold to Cedar Fair (which revived the park's original Geauga Lake name) and the coaster was renamed to Head Spin.[3]

Geauga Lake operated for the last time on September 16, 2007 along with Head Spin. Five days later, Cedar Fair would publicly announce the park's closure on September 21, 2007. Wildwater Kingdom would continue to operate despite the closure.[4]

Head Spin was left standing but not operating on the property in 2008.[5] On September 10, 2008, it was announced that Head Spin would be relocated to Carowinds and be renamed Carolina Cobra.[6] The ride opened to guests on March 28, 2009. It occupies the spot of the Flying Super Saturator roller coaster, which was dismantled and put up for sale after the 2008 season. This was the first roller coaster for Carowinds since the addition of Nighthawk in 2004.

On August 18, 2016, Carowinds announced the expansion of County Fair for the 2017 season, which included refurbishing the Carolina Cobra. It was renamed The Flying Cobras to pay tribute to the classic air shows that were once seen at the Carolina County Fair, and also received a new paint scheme with blue track and white supports.[7]

Ride experience[]

The Flying Cobras is one of over 50 Boomerang coasters installed by Vekoma around the world, but it is the first roller coaster to feature the company's re-designed MK-1212 trains. After dispatching, the train is pulled backwards up the 116.5-foot (35.5 m) lift hill. After that, riders are dropped 108 feet (33 m) down, fly back through the station and into a cobra roll element. The riders then are taken through a 360-degree vertical loop and are sent up a second 116.5-foot (35.5 m) hill. The riders pause, and are sent down to do the full circuit again backwards.

Incidents[]

On October 18, 2009, Carolina Cobra's second lift hill failed to catch, resulting in a rollback that couldn't make it back through the second set of inversions [8] The passengers were able to exit the ride onto a nearby platform. All of the passengers were taken to first aid. Seven of the riders were released back into the park; the eighth was taken to a local hospital and examined. No serious injuries were reported.

References[]

  1. ^ "Township OKs roller coaster". News-Journal. October 4, 1995. Retrieved December 13, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ "Geauga Lake's 119-year history".
  3. ^ Marden, Duane. "Head Spin  (Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  4. ^ "Geauga Lake silences rides; water park remains".
  5. ^ Stevenson, John (October 9, 2017). "Inside an Abandoned Geauga Lake with Photographer Alice Heart". Coaster101. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  6. ^ "Carowinds 2009: Carolina Cobra". NewsPlusNotes.
  7. ^ "The Carolina Cobra is getting a makeover with a new name and theme for 2017. Under its new name, The Flying Cobras, it will pay tribute to the classic air shows that one would see at a Carolina County Fair". Facebook.com. Carowinds.
  8. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-10-20. Retrieved 2009-10-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links[]

Retrieved from ""