Drachen Fire (Pre-1994) POV - Busch Gardens Europe

[mellesick]

if people had that much pain just make new trains. it looks like so much fun!!!

[Shimey013]

This was my favorite coaster at BGW/BGE. It was rough but it was a great coaster.. They really need to build another huge coaster again. This one was well worth the wait.

[AdamJAiello]

I have to say this was a pretty rough coaster to ride. I only rode it once because it was pretty unpleasant to have your head banging back and forth between the restraints. I live in Jersey and rode Scream Machine many times, but this one was much worse.

[PheNoM3210]

@AdamJAiello when the tits where you in Europe?

[AdamJAiello]

@PheNoM3210 I rode it at BG Williamsburg

[ProjectVIN]

"coaster pain"? I went there on a wednesday as a kid and there was no line so I rode it 20 times in a row!!! I only wished it had had MORE G-force!

[jamin4556]

I remember this...I rode it once and once only. it was a real harsh brain scrambler

[studio13production]

well, if only b&m had built this, the park would be so much better.

Anybody notice that Arrow never put any cobra rolls in their coasters? This was originally planned to be built by b&m, but the year they wanted it open, b&m was busy. They were builting two stand-upsfor paramount parks, and batman: the ride at a six flags park. So they said they could either build a coaster at bgw or bgt. So they built kumba, and busch left this one to arrow, after the success of loch ness monster. big mistake.

[SCIONIZER]

A great coaster that I will miss forever. Always gave a great ride even if it was a little rough in places. Nice video too.

[vaboxrboy]

I loved this coaster, but it really did inflict pain. My boyfriend couldn't take it and I actually met a woman whose back was broken by it. It wasn't paranoia, it was poor design. I could only ride it a few times myself after I figured out where the stressors occured.

[jslim39]

Damn, it's sad. Just when Arrow starts making cool designs that are more unique and begin to stray away from the standard " drop, loop, then double corkscrew" layouts, they go bankrupt. And plus, I've never had any pain on ANY of the Arrow coasters I've been on (Corkscrew at CP, Viper at DL, Gemini, Magnum XL, Road Runner, Double Loop)

[hoopsnyoyo15]

yeah arrow coasters are rought but not rough enough to take them down ... i rode this coaster and only short people with their heads between the restraints complained of pain... the height restrictions should have been changed or different restraints should have been used

[Hieagandaus]

Both Busch Gardens were supposed to get a B&M in 92 and 93 B&M couldn't give the one to the Virginia one so Virginia went with terrible Arrow Dynamics.

So in a way this is Kumba's akward bro/sis .

[housemonzter]

I remember this ride! I used to love it, but it did slam your head around pretty bad. I said something about it once and my brother always blamed me for it being torn down..

[scarrmd]

They should put back a coaster with the same layout but redone by B&M to ensure quality engineering and smoothness

[ryanneb2010]

So now i know why theme parks started using B&M coasters....they are so much better and smoother....thank God we got Kumba at Busch Gardens Africa instead of this that year.

[Littlewater]

I rode this the first year it came out. I was 11. I remember the commercials. the ride was cool. The first time I ever saw a rounded edge on a looper the train looked like a sports car. The corkscrew off teh lift was HOT. I will say the other two corkscrews werent bad but the angle into them WAS... I mean Im a New Yorker Ive ridden the Scream Machine (RIP) many times and if you dont hold your head against the head rest you will get a definite headache...and dont be wearing earrings..lol...

[001GenLee]

Alot of wussies caused it to come down / whiners. Remember the sh!tty Hurricane coaster at the Myrtle Beach Pavilion? Bumpy as Hell! Yet, 'cuz i love coasters so much, i rode it regardless!! I wish they'd kept their old Arrow Corkscrew coaster, but o well. Atleast the Corkscrew went upside down twice in a row over the boardwalk below. Now, i wish i could go back in time & ride Drachen Fire. lol =)

[rfgstl]

All of the wussies that complain about so-called "coaster pain" ruin coasters for enthusiasts iike me. I have seen too many coasters demolished b/c parks won't stand by their rides. I have been riding coasters for over 20 yrs, and I have never walked away from a ride in pain. I have ridden all the Arrow classic loopers...and now there is only a few left in existence b/c people complain about stupid stuff. Sorry, I will get off my soapbox now lol!

[superlegoman64]

@rfgstl they just tore down the Big Bad Wolf... And that was a good one too....

[Coasterdude02149]

@rfgstl Couldn't have said it any better, man!

[ProChoiceJesus]

@rfgstl If Arrow & Toomer knew how to properly design a steel coaster, then people wouldn't be walking away in pain.

I've been doing this since 79 & also have ridden most of the classic Arrow loopers. There's very few that I would miss at all.

Guess I'm a "wussie," along with most coaster enthusiasts.

[xNorCalxD]

looks like a fun coaster with a unique design, but ive been on an arrow (the demon at ca great america) and it was really rough, even compared to a togo. anyone know whats in its place? or have they havent started building something yet?

[superlegoman64]

@xNorCalxD Nothings in its place.

[MIDNswagg]

damn, 6 inversions :D wish I had the chance to ride it :((((

[Deathriken]

@MIDNswagg try typing in colossus at thorpe park

[M1AShooter72]

The contract for this ride was originally to go to B&M but they could not deliver due to the number of projects going on, so it went to Arrow. Many unique elements not found in any other Arrow coaster. Arrows are known for abrupt transitions from element to element and they typically do not age gracefully. Drachenfire was a bad implementation of a brilliant design. Do not get me wrong, there are some great Arrow coasters, but their track and train design limited them in what worked well.

[cannibalonXthedead]

@M1AShooter72 well said man, i think another factor is how they welded all their coasters together, where B&M coasters are bolted together. i think Arrow coasters have a lot more of a "raw", wild feel to them, sort of like the feel that wooden ones generate

[mx23ang]

@M1AShooter72 this design and ride was perfect if you ask me!! Im an adrenaline junkie that has jumped off 60 ft. waterfalls and rode many thrill rides. Alpengiest, Top Gun, you name nearly any type of coaster and Ive accomplished it. Drachen Fire was a major rush that never had a line, it was an amazing coaster with the camel hump, batwing, helix, and a pretty well enough drop. Great ride and thats stupid of them to take it down in my opinion

[cannibalonXthedead]

I think Bolliger & Mabillard should re-build this like one of the four-across sit-down rollercoasters. this thing would be smooth as hell then

[Cnast89]

I knew it! After watching this video way too many times, I conclude that there were brakes installed at the top of the wraparound corkscrew and the tops of the cobra roll (surfer's curl). You can hear brake noises when the train goes through these parts.

[Fudgebegood]

i dont understand why ppl complain about the pains of these arrow loopers one time at six flags great adventure i rode the great american scream machine (now almost finished being deconstructed :'[) 7 times in a row and then i went and rode batman the ride 5 times in the row and i had a massive headache and was dizzy for the rest of the day and a few days after

[koolkillax]

Hm it doesn't look as painful as the one I went on!

[3ld14b10]

I went on it shortly after it opened. I rode it 3 times that day and no pains, no headaches. People are just nanny pambies

[Cnast89]

@3ld14b10 We musn't forget Arrows lose their smoothness with time and I would think that happens especially with nasty weather.

[icemachine79]

@3ld14b10 No, it's just that their idea of fun doesn't involve feeling like their head is going to snap off their neck.

[cdblcheney]

LOVE THIS VIDEO!!!! this is back in the very beginning before the complaints changes it all...full speed and the smoothest it was ever gonna be...amazing...then came the headache and neck complaints and it was all downhill from there....with the changes and it getting older down to the closing...sad day when the front gates were closed..a b&m remake and bigger remodel of this would be great for the park, with the dismantle bbw this past winter..they really got to some people..

[tiki2188]

I was soo pissed, when I first went to Busch Gardens this ride was just closed....

I know I know, it was literally a headache, (my cousin said it broke his glasses) but damn it, what a unique layout! I wouldve sucked it up.

Wish this exact layout would be recreated by B&M!

[6flgslover]

@tiki2188 i no cuz B&M is the smoothest and they'd no how 2 do this without the pain

[tiki2188]

@6flgslover

damn straight

[saltlakecity2002]

If only the ride had been made by B&M; this coaster would have had the same awesomeness plus smoothness.

[chimayai]

what an awesome ride. Miss it a lot.

[Wacoswim]

The first two inversions do look painful with the speed being so fast and the turns being pretty sharp

But I never got a chance to ride it so I dont know lol

[rfgstl]

I rode this several times, and it was not that rough and I didn't walk away in pain. I think that people exagerated how bad it was, stupid wussies lol!!

[6flgslover]

@rfgstl yeah sum ppl findmore pains in certain rides than others and once sum1 sed that batman the ride (made by B&M) wuz rlly rough and im thinkin a B&M coaster... ROUGH there's sumthing wrong with yu XD

[mrzlover1]

Six inversions, Wow

[dusttodustdude1983]

started with 6 but lost one to try and improve the roughness a few years later. I remember working here on this coaster checking the harnests and would constantly have to mop up puke etc...still my fav coaster though.

[tiki2188]

Never got to ride, was sad at the time but maybe not a bad thing! My cousin said this ride actually broke his glasses and Ive heard nothing but complaints of roughness.

[UncleGyro]

Why did they take it down?

[CoasterOnride]

Major complaints of pain.

[KcKiller101]

I would have to say that it was the track and the train or car design that made this coaster rough. Like all arrow coasters, they kept people in the trains as tight as possible. Now with B&M (another coaster company) they are very smooth because they let people be more free while riding a coaster, instead of being strapped tightly into the train. Plus I believe this coaster was hand welded vs today they are not (not sure how to word that).

[housemonzter]

@UncleGyro I remember it. It did knock your head around pretty bad.

[RockHarders]

@UncleGyro too radical