Problematic Roller Coasters - Drachen Fire - The True Story of its Failure

When Busch Gardens Williamsburg introduced Drachen Fire in 1992, it was supposed to be the park's new headlining attraction. But instead, the roller coaster quickly gained a terrible reputation for how rough and uncomfortable it was. In this video, we explore the true story of Drachen Fire's origins and why the ride was so rough.
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Closed Captions by Pineapples Foster Media Services allmylinks.com/pineapples-foster
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:30 - Busch Gardens: The Old Country
02:42 - Loch Ness Monster
04:00 - Future Expansion
06:11 - The True Origins of Drachen Fire
13:46 - Construction
17:58 - The Problems Begin
22:43 - Tangent Radius Design
28:20 - Low Rail Design
33:08 - Train Issues
35:46 - Track Modifications
37:43 - Noise Complaints
40:00 - Control System & Block Zones
43:34 - Declining Popularity & Closure
48:29 - Conclusion
Thumbnail Source: Coaster Jeff - • Drachen Fire at Busch ...
Video Sources:
CoasterNick3157 - • Big Bad Wolf at Busch ...
CoasterNick3157 - • Loch Ness Monster At B...
CoasterNick3157 - • The Steel Phantom At K...
CoasterNick3157 - • Viper At Six Flags Mag...
CoasterNick3157 - • X At Six Flags Magic M...
CoasterNick3157 - • Drachen Fire At Busch ...
CoasterNick3157 - • Stealth (AKA Nighthawk...
CoasterNick3157 - • Drachen Fire on Nova p...
CoasterNick3157 - • Apollo's Chariot At Bu...
Peter Wood - • The Official Video of ...
NOVA - • NOVA Roller Coaster
Kevin Hulme - • How did they do That? ...
David Hahner - • ACE on Kidsburgh feat....
13News Now - • Second Look: Invasion ...
13News Now - • From 1984: ACE's first...
13News Now - • From 1984: The officia...
13News Now - • From 1984: A bumpy sta...
13News Now - • Busch Gardens History:...
13News Now - • Busch Gardens History:...
13News Now - • 13News Now Vault: Busc...
13News Now - • From April 3, 1992: Th...
nh6gulfwarone - • Gulf War (003 of 374) ...
Billy Hott - • Busch Gardens, William...
homemoviedepot - • Busch Gardens, William...
killie81 - • The Python Roller Coas...
Video Bill - • "The Old Country on th...
The Media Hoarder - • Kings Dominion commerc...
robatsea2009 - • Kings Dominion Amuseme...
robatsea2009 - • Busch Gardens The Old ...
robatsea2009 - • The Loch Ness Monster ...
KDGoldenYears - • King Kobra on "America...
KDGoldenYears - • -Kings Dominion 1982- ...
shanehuish - • Arrow - Loch Ness Monster
danieljksn - • Aerial views of Edinbu...
WAVY TV 10 - • WAVY Archive: 1980 Ope...
Larry Bridges - • MAGIC MOUNTAIN "Shockw...
Olsor54 - • Iron Wolf debut
Six Flags Great America - • Batman: The Ride- Open...
Jonus04 - • Kumba POV with Busch G...
ISU Library. SCUA. AV Collection. - • (AV203112) Roller Coas...
Coaster Jeff - • Anaconda at Kings Domi...
Coaster Jeff - • Drachen Fire at Busch ...
Cedar Point - • Corkscrew - Official POV
Cedar Point - • Magnum XL-200 POV
Tim M - • Iron Dragon Valley
CoasterOnride - • Drachen Fire (Pre-1994...
Loopyguy - • Drachen fire (ORIGINAL...
Loopyguy - • Great American Scream ...
Canobie Coaster - • Loch Ness Monster POV ...
Canobie Coaster - • Intimidator Review (Th...
Kings Island - • Diamondback Roller Coa...
Fab2Ku - • Simple ideas For Steel...
Christ Centered Ironworks - • Hot Forming Pipe (Bend...
Carowinds - • The Making of Fury 325
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay - • Kumba 4K POV | Busch G...
Sean Flaharty - • Drachen Fire Off-Ride ...
psclonesteve - • Drachen Fire 1997.
BBP Games - • Ride Maintenance Shops...
News 5 Cleveland - • WEWS covers the 1989 o...
Ryan120420 - • **RARE** Drachen Fire ...
GAcoaster - • Shockwave at Six Flags...
Bassem Saleh - • Roller Coaster at Sha3...
Dollywood Parks & Resorts - • Tennessee Tornado POV
Busch Gardens Williamsburg - / icgglfam5i
Music:
Cinematic Documentary Violin by Infraction - • Cinematic Documentary ...
Upbeat Jazz Comedy by Infraction - • Upbeat Jazz Comedy by ...
Mystery Documentary Cinematic Music - • Mystery Documentary Ci...
Documentary TV Cinematic by Infraction - • Documentary TV Cinemat...

[@Defunctland]

Great video and correction to the origins of this infamous coaster. It's been a while since I've visited my Drachen Fire video, but this is far more comprehensive and I know that I featured the old B&M/Arrow narrative in mine. I'll be sure to link to this video so people can hear of the origins correction and the rest! Great work!

[@EdwardPHandsBasedManchild]

Holy- It's the GOAT.

[@thomasxl200]

Kevin, the Drachen Fire video is how I first got into your channel. Now that you've moved into new territory, it's so cool to see you tackle new ideas and ElToroRyan taking the mantle with these incredibly thorough engineering breakdowns.

[@fo-ef8qo]

what is this a crossover episode?!

[@ElToroRyan]

It’s honestly an honor to receive a comment from you! I’ve been watching your videos for years and you’re a major inspiration to what I do on this channel. And thank you! You keep up the great work as well! I watched your Disney Channel Theme video earlier today and it’s a masterpiece!

[@8675309858]

Mother of god 😮😮😮

[@notkaywhy]

Spongebob: F is for friends who do stuff together and U is for you and me Me: F is for *FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE UNFAMILIAR, A BLOCK ZONE IS A SECTION OF RIDE THAT ONLY ONE TRAIN MAY OCCUPY. AT THE END OF A BLOCK ZONE IS A METHOD TO STOP A TRAIN IN CASE THE BLOCK ZONE AHEAD IS STILL OCCUPIED. THIS IS THE SAFETY SYSTEM THAT PREVENTS ROLLER COASTER TRAINS FROM COLLIDING WITH ONE ANOTHER* and U is for unbanked turns

[@patrickfraleyjr2819]

N is for No Collisions

[@snowyfolfskyroo2739]

i love how the first 2 enthusiasts were talking about how the elements were nice and stuff and the third guy is just "IT WAS HIGH AND IT WAS FAST"

[@charaznable8072]

IT WAS EVERYTHING!!!

[@abc_4285]

"it's a rollercoaster and i like it, thanks for asking"

[@collinbeal]

Virgin roller coaster enthusiast vs. chad roller coaster enjoyer

[@5MadMovieMakers]

Imagine putting "Drachen Fire survivor" on your resume

[@r.pizzamonkey7379]

Hey, I was just watching some of your videos. Fancy seeing you here.

[@davefenwick2139]

My wife and I still have our pictures from this coaster. We would coach each other: “DON’T FORGET TO HOLD YOUR HEAD BACK!” We married in 1996 and would not return to Busch Gardens until our children were old enough to go on rides. The disappointment when we were told it was literally gone choked us up. One of the employees told us that people had continued to ask for years: “where is Drachen Fire?” not knowing that it was gone.

[@patrickd.3681]

Most of the general public probably doesn’t realize the work that goes into making roller coasters comfortable to ride. You were able to use Drachen Fire to show what designing them entails. That is one of the things I enjoyed about this video. Well done.

[@sjbrown23]

This was perhaps my favorite video of the series for that reason! There was a lot more background of the design process that I hadn't seen before.

[@teutonicknightmare]

Crazy to think that the way Arrow used tangent-radius design and how their coasters look seems to be build directly with Roller Coaster Tycoon 1-2. I can practically see the different track pieces used from the game in Arrow's designs, and makes me wonder if the CAD they eventually used wound up being the base code for the games as well. Wild stuff!

[@bocahdongo7769]

It's surprisingly pretty simple to be fair The real absolute nightmare example would be if you using Planco track builder to adapt with NL2 smoothness. Trust me, even someone good at math and coding on NLC Discord can't even solve the algorithm

[@daniellewis1789]

RCT was hand built in assembly language.

[@TheRealMycanthrope]

@@daniellewis1789 fr? That's pretty cool

[@zackakai5173]

Definitely not. RCT 1 and 2 were written entirely in low-level assembly code, and at any rate the method of track construction in those games is just placing prefab pieces on a grid. It *does* definitely make them look similar though 👀

[@will3057]

Best roller coaster series

[@sedricgranger]

FACTS!

[@JDEverything]

I agree

[@thatdisneyfan5759]

Agreed

[@linreneeb.1854]

I second this!

[@Huh399]

Drachen Fire is one of those roller coasters that nobody really talks about anymore. And great video, as always

[@coasterpath]

Because people weren’t around to be on it. Amusement parks did not really advertise outside of 150 miles of their towns till late 1990’s,, or until the travel channel happen.

[@MattMcIrvin]

@@coasterpath I'd say the limit was about 200 miles, but that was the basic idea. The DC area got ads for BGW, Kings Dominion, Hersheypark and even Great Adventure. Beyond that distance, you had to be Disney, or *maybe* the Universal Studios Tour.

[@jumaclo]

When you explained the circle and line method it made SOOOOO much sense. Ive always wondered why arrow coasters seemed to have a lot of straight lines in the layouts

[@donovantaylor9447]

I remember riding this when it was open. One thing that always caught me were the number of bench’s positioned at the rides entrance / exit path. These benches were often filled with riders needing a moment to collect themselves after the ride. Easily one of the the roughest coasters I can remember. Excellent video

[@SirEncyTheWray]

This and Big Bad Wolf... two coasters that I massively regret not being able to get out and ride when they were still standing!

[@Captain-Cosmo]

I was a musician at Das Festhaus next door to Drachen Fire the year it opened. I'm one of trumpet players there with Dana Carvey on opening day. This was an excellent story on this coaster, and very accurate. We road this coaster a LOT during that first season. But it did, indeed, quickly get a bad reputation. By 93, my fellow musicians and I no longer cared for it much for exactly the reasons talked about in the video. Internally, the guest feedback numbers on the coaster were dismal. And Alpengeist only made Drachen Fire look all the worse by comparison. I do not recall anyone lamenting its closure. But it truly appeared to be an amazing coaster that first year it came out. Again, this was an excellent video. It answered a lot of questions about my experience with this coaster.

[@sharkheadism]

It's a bummer when a big, advanced ride comes to your park and everyone gets truly excited for it, and then it turns out to be a dud.

[@strawberysprite]

The real villians of the story are people who move in next to a theme park and complain about theme park noise🙄

[@ThrillsofColdplay]

I hate hearing that when people go live near an amusement park they complain I just think like why live next to one if you know it’s going to be loud

[@Kris-zi4nd]

fr like u willingly moved next to a theme park why r u complaining about living next to a theme park??&(&

[@thek838]

Ikr plus it's only going to be loud though the day plus I bet it ain't even that loud. I could easily sleep through it or maybe I'll just start waking up at 8am and get a normal sleeping schedule for once in my life maybe even use it as my alarm but I would also think after a amount time one would grow accustom to it.

[@connorbranscombe6819]

The houses were there first lmao what kinda dumb logic is tuat?

[@strawberysprite]

@@connorbranscombe6819 first, the houses were put there at the same time as the theme park, second, the theme park has been there for almost 50 years, how many original residents do you think are still there? 99% of these idiots living there knowingly moved in next to a theme park and then have the audacity to try to stop it from operating as a theme park because they're annoyed by the noise. go somewhere else. (and before anyone says oh but its just not financially feasible for people to just move sometimes! - you clearly have not driven around kingsmill)

[@joels1986]

My only living memory of Drachen Fire is from 2000. It was Standing/not operating. It's highest points sticking out from the woods. Abandoned and creepy

[@jasonkennedy9143]

the bones stood for a long long time, clearly visible when riding the train.

[@82kryzma]

Yeah riding the train, seeing what remained was the most creepy. At least they used the station and surrounding area during Howl O Scream every year.

[@CheesecakeMilitia]

So glad to finally hear a counter-narrative to the whole "B&M Drachen Fire" story - I'd always been suspicious of it seeing as how all the Busch sister coasters came *after* Kumba so there wasn't really much to establish a trend. (And calling it a "trend" is already kinda weak when it really only applies to Aplie/Montu and Sheiky/Griffy.) It's just a story that's really compelling with the benefit of hindsight - so many details like Arrow's first and only attempt at a cobra roll, a B&M staple element (even though B&M hadn't yet built a cobra roll), sell the idea of this ride being the coaster that began Arrow's downfall. Also rad to mention that one Roller Coaster in Kuwait! I've always wanted to see more info about that thing because, like you, I believe that to be the first modern heartlined Arrow (alongside Roadrunner Express and Tennessee Tornado) but we never hear about it and it's unfortunately no longer operating. Plus it's such a straightforward evolution of the standard Arrow Loopscrew and it's a shame it was never replicated elsewhere. I need to ask Alan Schilke about it if he ever does an AMA or something.

[@MattMcIrvin]

The other thing that sells it is the parallel with the Big Bad Wolf. The story is that the BBW project began life as a Schwarzkopf suspended coaster, but Schwarzkopf had to pull out so Arrow (who had been working on their own suspended design, and already worked out its early bugs with The Bat) stepped in with great success. And then the Drachen Fire origin myth supposes that this all happened again with B&M, so Busch Gardens once again went back to the old reliable Arrow. (So now I'm wondering whether the Schwarzkopf Big Bad Wolf was ever a thing as well.)

[@kmabru]

@@MattMcIrvin From what I just read, the Schwarzkopf coaster was 3/4 built and then scrapped. Could they have closed Die Wildkatze in 1983, partially built & scrapped the Schwarzkopf version, designed and built the Arrow version in time for a 6/15/84 opening? I don't know. Design time for the Schwarzkopf coaster probably would have happened prior to the removal of Die Wildkatze. But was there enough time for Arrow to design anything? Unless they just followed the Schwarzkopf design.....

[@MattMcIrvin]

I could imagine Schwarzkopf producing the design for the layout and maybe getting the footers poured, then leaving Arrow with the rest when they went into bankruptcy. But I'd be kind of surprised if Schwarzkopf's version got much further than existing on paper. Of course one big difference between B&M and Schwarzkopf was that at that point, Busch Gardens already had a successful working relationship with Schwarzkopf.

[@forrestdevine2336]

I had always heard that B&M were approached to do both, but turned down BGW, so Arrow got the nod. I had never heard anything about it being a B&M design or anything like that. Still, good to have any lingering rumors cleared up.

[@MattMcIrvin]

@@forrestdevine2336 Yeah, that's the story as related in Wikipedia and it seems to be more or less correct, though Ryan argues that B&M was never the first choice. I think the rest is speculation built on that, and on the physical resemblances between what Arrow built and a B&M design--maybe Arrow was somehow aping B&M. But I also think these innovations (the redesigned supports, CAD and computer control, the general layout design with then-exotic types of inversion) were things that were generally in the air at the time, so to speak. Vekoma, for instance, had been cranking out Boomerangs with cobra rolls for years and the SLC appeared not long after.

[@brambleview]

Drackenfire was my most intense first impression ride of any coaster in my lifetime. Not knowing the track layout nor what was coming next I remember being flung all through the skies of BGW with a racing heart. Yes the ride was too rough, and yes I could only ride it a couple of times a day, but I really liked it and was disappointed when the ride was closed. Your video is excellent and brought back fond memories. Thanks for your amazing work with these videos!

[@colinf2316]

Great video and info as always. I wish BGW would build like a Drachen Fire's Revenge using the new Vekoma loopers. Use that first drop, maybe mirror some of the other elements as well.

[@KrimsonStorm]

YES. The layout is honestly really interesting, at least until the last 2 elements. I'd love to see the design minus the engineering downfalls

[@airbus7373]

That would certainly be nice, however I think the rumored hyper will be adequate. Hopefully they can get a Vekoma looper later down the line, possibly to replace Loch Ness or Alpengeist when either of those go down

[@kmabru]

@@airbus7373 Replace Nessie? BLASPHEMY!!! LOL! I don't ride (I can't due to injury), but Nessie is iconic. I don't know that they would be able to replace it. It's such a park landmark.

[@airbus7373]

@@kmabru unfortunately nothing lasts forever. It’s certainly iconic and is also a great ride, and I’m hoping they can keep it going through the 2030’s, but we’ll see

[@kmabru]

@@airbus7373 Unfortunately true. It's like Cinderella Castle at WDW. You instantly know what it is and where it is. Unlike the castle though, it's a ride. Hopefully they can keep it going for a good long time. Given it being an icon for the park they do have a motivation to keeping it going.

[@gavinhatfield2354]

You know, if you're in the mood to talk more about BGW, Verbolten could probably be seen as worthy enough to make either a problematic roller coaster video or a theme park marvel video. Just depends which day you go on it lol.

[@FilmThePoliceFTP]

Why is verboten problematic? Is there a lot of downtime?

[@Tay_Sports]

I'd consider myself lucky then. Both times that I went to BGW, Verbolten was always open and operating smoothly.

[@Tay_Sports]

@@asuhdude6668 yeah, compared to Hagrids it’s length and overall excitement is a bit disappointing (not taking theming into account)

[@evilpeach2]

Verbolten is very interesting. I think it was BGW's most expensive coaster built by a small-ish coaster manufacture where BGW had a lot of creative design input with it. The indoor part is more intense than it should be and it's great that it always has a line. I'm amazed by how many kids go on it even when I grey out every time.

[@bocahdongo7769]

@@Tay_Sports I mean to be fair Hagrid had unlimited money to play around compare to Verboten already arguably "overpriced coaster"

[@markkalzer907]

You could see Drachen Fire for years from the train ride, SBNO, completely intact and alone. It was such an odd, unique sight. An entire coaster just sitting there, an impossible credit teasing you. Just from looking at it I could already tell that the problem was roughness, knowing Arrow loopers quite well.

[@cadetstar]

I did want to make a minor correction. While the Drachenfire queue and maintenance buildings have not been used for another coaster or permanent attraction, the DQB was a haunted house for several years while the DMB was used as dressing rooms and break area for those cast members as well as the cast members in the woods for the train scenes. I worked Entertainment at BGW Fall 2004 and part of our work that season was to make the DMB safe for ppl to walk around without boots on as there were still exposed bolts in the floor.

[@JDubKillinKicks]

Hell yea I went through that haunted house around that time.

[@j-toki_1262]

Undoubtedly my favorite YT series

[@MattMcCoasters]

With BGW as my home park when Draken Fire first opened it was rough but we didn't have anything modern to compare it to so we all thought it was intense on purpose and with few exceptions we loved it. I distinctly remember the running lights and I bet those are on an old VHS somewhere. Also, pretty sure I was one of those that rode it few times given there was hardly ever a wait. I just happened to be the perfect size and weight at the time where the head banging didn't bother me so much. I probably would not like it nearly as much these days.

[@samcrandall3094]

The amount of work that Ryan puts into these videos is just insane. Major props to you my dude 🤘🏻

[@brybryguy6314]

Man. Even though it had major issues, it still was one hell of a ride. I remember when I went on this ride for the frist time. I was young but able to ride it and with my parents. I remember seeing signs posted to remove your earrings prior to boarding due to the head banging. But it was one hell of a ride. This ride will always remain in my heart as one of my favorites

[@jeniferc798]

Let me start by saying…. Ryan I love your videos. They are always filled with detailed technical information. You have me yelling “Block Zone!!!” every time I pass a set of breaks on a roller coaster. BUT WOW! I wasn’t aware that I was going to get a geometry and physics lesson with this video!!😵‍💫 I had to take notes and then replay the video to make sure I was able to follow along. Now your going to have me yelling “Constant Radius!” 😂🤣😆

[@marslightmodeling1753]

I love how thoroughly researched these Problematic Coaster videos are yet the information is presented in a way that anyone can understand.

[@connorwesthoff948]

My boy using the Wavy News 10 Archive. That’s my local news station, just love to see it

[@andrewr76861]

I went in 1996. It was like my 4th or 5th big coaster. It was AMAZING! There was never ever a line. Still to this day one of my favorites. It felt very complete. Such cool elements. I truly feel bad for enthusiasts whom never got to experience Drachen Fire.

[@RB01.10]

I think the fact that it never had lines was part of the reason it was taken down let alone the constant complainants of roughness

[@link331]

The NOVA special you used for a lot of this footage was one of my obesssions as a kid. I taped it off PBS and watched it until I wore it out. So glad you got around to covering this coaster, I was always curious about what happened to it since it was closed by the time I went to Busch Gardens.

[@blackslashmail]

I managed to take a trip with my family while Drachen Fire was operating. I loved the three main coasters present including Drachen Fire. It was intense for sure. At the end of the day Loch Ness won my heart and I'm happy to see it's still running.

[@coasterconquistador2517]

Awesome video! Arrow will be missed, but their legacy will live on forever! Both Arrow and Alan Schilike have had huge impacts on the industry.

[@SF-pe3qf]

I love all the problematic roller coaster videos but this was the coolest and most thorough explanation of rough coaster transitions that I’ve ever seen. Such an informative and clear way to explain it! BGW was my home park as a kid but I was a toddler when Drachen Fire was retired, and I don’t remember it at all.

[@k9feces]

🎉 I learned a lot

[@drewseman9389]

Riding it for the first time in middle school, I had no idea why there was this 4 year old coaster with no wait. Rode it like 5 times back to back. Loved the crazy elements. Had no idea everyone thought it was rough until it shut down. In 7th grade in 1997, we rode it as part of the physics fair. Let me tell you, the g force meter they gave us was busy.

[@forrestdevine2336]

Am I the only one who thinks this layout would be great for a wing coaster? Especially that first drop?

[@AngelofGrace96]

Hearing about tangent radius design vs compounding curves was so facinating to learn about, I had no idea about this but it makes so much sense now! Thanks so much for explaining so well in your videos

[@juvandy]

Busch Gardens was the first park I ever rode a looping coaster at in the early 90s when I was about 11 or so. Drachen Fire had just been built. I loved it! It was rough as hell, but it was fun! I went to that park a few times over the next decade, and it got rougher and rougher.

[@reddcube]

Imagine a world were Alan Schilke never became a coaster designer, because of his penmanship.

[@doylerudolph7965]

Imagine a world where Alan Schilke played a large part in designing Drachen Fire - perhaps such association would have put other companies off of hiring him for design work, or perhaps he would have been able to enact the changes he spearheaded with Arrow’s late 90s coasters and made Drachen Fire a more comfortable experience that’s revered to this day as the greatest of the (first wave of, perhaps the company could have thrived on the success of DF?) Arrow megaloopers.

[@bocahdongo7769]

@@doylerudolph7965 TBF, Alan was mostly just nobody at that time Remember he was just fresh graduate when Arrow build their mega looper. Whereas Tumor was on his peak carrier and trust

[@thomasxl200]

Busch Gardens Williamsburg was the start of my coaster fanaticism. We went a ton when I was a kid; the first coaster I ever rode was the Big Bad Wolf in 98, and the second was Nessie. I quickly became obsessed. One day, we took the train around the park, and I saw this hulking white and blue structure appear in the middle of the wilderness. I turned to the guide who was sitting right in front of me and began to pester them with questions about this incredible looking roller coaster. I thought it was brand new, since no one was on it! Of course, it was SBNO, and the guide refused to answer my question, probably wanting to avoid any more attention being given to this failure. Since then, that mental image of the ride and my childlike fascination with the mysterious new coaster that never opened has remained wedged in my mind. If I could go back in time and get any defunct credit, Drachen Fire would be at or near the top.

[@kmabru]

I remember reading comments from people saying Guest Relations staff didn't acknowledge it's existence. "When are you going to reopen Drachen Fire?" "Drachen what?" "The big blue and silver coaster in the back of Germany." "There isn't a coaster back there".

[@NickyD]

@@kmabru ha ha

[@alyssakays367]

I remember riding this when I was little. At first Drachen Fire just seemed intense but soon it started to give us headaches. Finally, we stopped riding it because it was such a head banger. I even remember the park selling Advil and Tylenol at the exit of the ride. I’ve always wondered what made it so painful. Thank you for explaining everything in this video. It’s fascinating to see what made Drachen Fire fail.

[@pagegreg42]

I rode Drachen Fire in June of 1992 the Monday after I graduated from high school. It was not very busy and we was able to ride it 4 times in a row without getting off the ride. We could have rode more but we all needed a break. I remember the ride operator saying to sit up straight and push your head back against the head rest to keep from banging your head and ears on the shoulder restraints. You were instructed to remove earrings at that time I don't know if it was official policy or just advice from the ride operator.

[@mhtube01]

Removing earrings did become an official policy eventually but it was probably more so advice in 1992.

[@ChulazoPanama77]

BGW was my first job (senior year HS '95). Up to that point I was terrified of rollercoasters (traumatic incident at Six Flags in CA when I was like 10yo lol). So I told myself if I was gonna work at BGW then I needed to get used to riding rollercoasters again. Drachen Fire was my first voluntary rollercoaster ride, and I've been hooked ever since.

[@FunkAndFluff]

As far as I'm concerned, this is THE definitive video on Drachen Fire. This is like the 7th Arrow coaster covered in this series and yet we still keep learning so much every episode. By all means, please keep indulging your inner nerd because it's so informative and beneficial to all of us.

[@Cje_-yj8ov]

Awesome video as always ryan! The variety of content on your channel is fantastic, from these informative and interesting videos to the funny chaos of coaster idiots is 💯

[@bukemdukem1870]

Tbh, I don't usually watch the "Problamatic Coaster" vids usually because they're very long, and it's a lot to take in. But this 1 I had to watch because Drachen Fire to me is 1 of the most interesting defunct coasters of modern time. And that entrance sign was really awesome looking too.

[@Kohmuh]

Monday morning, right after thanksgiving, not feeling the work week ahead. But what's this? A notification? ElToroRyan has posted a new video? Its a problematic coaster video? it's almost an hour long??? Life is good again.

[@Syclone0044]

As a kid of the 80’s, these Arrow coasters are near and dear to my heart, especially Demon and Shockwave at Six Flags Great America. I never realized how much I love that rollback-arrestor clanking and how distinctively loud it is!! As soon as I heard it in your clip, it was like an immediate time warp transporting me to a warm summer night in the 1990’s riding up Demon or Shockwave in the dark, having the time of my life! These videos are outstanding! I can’t believe you only have 125k subs, that’s nuts, I watch new copycat “scary story” channels start and get 100-200k in the first year lately, and they don’t even do it well. Btw I’ve had notifications on for you for a long time but I almost never seem to get them for your channel? Idk why KZbin is biased against you. I’ve seen that with big channels (I virtually never, ever get a notification for MrBeast) while there are other channels I get almost every single one like clockwork..... 🤔

[@ducatisti]

Thank you so much for the in-depth and accessible description of why this breed of early Arrow steel coasters are so rough on the rider's head and neck. I'd always heard the whole "straight line and circle" complaint, but never thought about how ignoring rider centerline and focusing it all on the wheels added to the straight line and circle build technique to create a perfect beast of head bashing pain instead of airtime filled fun.

[@jeremyroither4360]

BGW was my home park - I grew up going there and remember Drachen Fire well- I rode it countless times over the years. I always liked it, but yes it was a definite headbanger. It seemed so much more modern and sleek-looking than the other coasters. I don’t remember the roughness ever stopping me from riding - it was just part of the experience - but I do remember a sore neck from time to time. And yes the running lights were an awesome feature at night! I was sad to see it go and always hoped they’d reopen it.

[@jzckvsn]

I would have loved to try out Drachen Fire and see how bad it would have been

[@bocahdongo7769]

Imagine ninja SFOG (before Blue Hawk) But longer, and worse

[@alyssakays367]

REALLY bad! I remember the park selling Advil and Tylenol at the ride’s exit by where you bought the photos.

[@ArtBarn591]

Displacement: Velocity: Acceleration: and Jerk: “the third integral” is the one felt to riders as roughness. It’s the rate that the acceleration forces change. And when your track is circles and straights the transition between them is sudden and there by produces high Jerk. A deeper dive video into what makes rides perceived rough I think would be an exciting topic. Cheers and thanks for the excellent quality of videos you make!

[@bocahdongo7769]

Honestly, this kind of topic is surprisingly underrated. Like on those circle loop topic, people keep blaming the G-force exerted rather than how infinite the G-force change is. Heck, even Eltororyan himself was fall from this victim, until later on his video upload

[@scose]

*third derivative

[@jasonkennedy9143]

Great video. Lots of fun to see local news reporter Joe Flanagan in his funny old fashioned leather helmet. Being a teen who care about nothing but intensity, I loved drachen fire. The lines certainly dried up in the mid nineties, which was great for me. Even in the middle of the summer I could just walk on. These were the days when I practically lived at the park and rode it over and over and over. As you might expect, I was also a head-banger.

[@askjeevescosby2928]

Ron tumor didn't want to give up designing coasters. He knew when computers took over he would be fazed out. He chose his passion of designing coasters over what was best for the company.

[@derrinruschell8538]

I'm so glad I got to ride this coaster. My parents went on it in 1994. I was 7 years old that summer and was scared to go on upside-down roller coasters at the time. My 8th birthday was in September, and I went on the Super Dooper Looper and conquered my fear. So, I rode Drachen Fire between 1995 and 1997. I remember there was one spot where the track was descending into a banked right turn that lead into a corkscrew, and at the end of that bank was a jarring moment that would slam the right side of your head into the restraint. If you knew about it, you could brace for it, but that first time was brutal. I think I rode it 5 times in a row. After the 5th time, I felt like I had been beaten up. It felt like I had liquid in my right ear. If it was still standing, though, I'd still ride it once or twice. This coaster seems like a little known legend and I feel like I have a badge of honor for having ridden on it. I remember the days when Busch Gardens only had The Loch Ness Monster, The Big Bad Wolf, and Drachen Fire as their only coasters. I loved, loved The Big Bad Wolf (remember my fear of upside down coasters; I rode TBBW a lot) and still wish it hadn't been torn down. Verbolten is fantastic, but I wish TBBW didn't have to be dismantled to make room for it. Two of the three classic coasters I remember from Busch Gardens are no longer there, but The Loch Ness Monster is a good nostalgia trip.

[@Mayfired]

Dang Ryan... Last time I came this early I became a Father! Great video so far brother!

[@littled5986]

LMAO

[@tvdan1043]

The Drachen Fire site hasn't sat abandoned. They've used the area for concerts in years when the Royal Palace Theater has a regular season show in it (mostly during the Imaginique years), even using the old DF gift shop as a snack stand during concerts. And the DF ride buildings have been used for Howl-O-Scream haunted houses/mazes.

[@ItsGibsy]

I love your videos. It's because of channels like you, Defunctland, ThePughTwo, and ExpeditionThemePark that I started doing park videos myself. So thank you for the inspiration and the many many hours of genuinely interesting content you put out. Keep it up, love to see it!

[@Shockzone1495]

So glad that we finally get the true story of origins of this historic coaster. For a while I've been fascinated with the history of Drachen Fire and now after watching this video I have so much of a different perspective of this ride now and knowing that it wasn't a copy and paste B&M rip off. Arrow really went above and beyond. It's too bad they couldn't catch on in their later years.

[@shanghai7392]

I love how this coaster inspired a one-of-a-kind element, the Drachen Fire Dive Drop found on Steel Curtain, an S&S hypercoaster at Kennywood. This new inversion is also the world's tallest inversion. I absolutely love how S&S obtained (AKA purchased) some of Arrow's assets, in which the dive drop is technically a nod to the purchase in a way, as S&S planned to carry on Arrow's legacy. (I believe they carried the legacy of Arrow exceptionally well)

[@bbbbbb111]

Thanks for the video. You explained very clearly why Arrow roller coasters feel so rough. I've always wondered why Schwarzkopf roller coasters from the same era run so much better, but you've answered that question now. Werner Stengel is the inventor of the heart line and since he worked a lot with Anton Schwarzkopf, this design principle was of course used everywhere at Schwarzkopf. You also explained nicely that the focus at Arrow was on the structure. Werner Stengel and of course other designers like B&M had and still have a more holistic approach that also takes the riders into account.

[@isturma]

I rode this in it's inaugural season, and I have fond memories of it and my trip to Busch Gardens VA. I'm in shock finding out it had so many problems and was torn down. RIP

[@johnroman6511]

Awesome video! Love this series. Was so sad to see this ride SBNO during my first visit to BGW in 2001. I loved the in depth analysis of Drachen Fire. I’m glad that the Phantom’s Revenge has essentially been fully re-tracked since it’s still running with those original Steel Phantom chassises. I wish you could get some insider information of that transition. Would just love to see a real matter of fact video on the phantom. Keep up the great work and I look forward to all of your future videos!

[@L_coasters]

It's so awesome to see design details like constant radius vs force vector design come up in this video series! Keep up the good work with research and educating the thoosie masses!

[@bocahdongo7769]

This topic is surprisingly rare to tell right. Like on why coaster loop aren't circle, people keep blaming on exerted G-force when in reality the infinite acceleration rate is the one that culprit

[@MrWeatherguy90]

After watching the 1994 America's Greatest Roller Coaster Thrills I was obsessed with Drachen Fire and Big Bad Wolf. I am soooo sad that I was never able to experience either of them.

[@offthetrackdigital]

Babe not now, El Toro Ryan posted

[@moosepickles1882]

Thanks for all the work you put into making these high quality videos for all of us to enjoy!!

[@captjaneway3]

Another classic problematic rollercoaster video. This one has to be the best one yet with regards to the amount of info about Drachen Fire and the awesome up close angles of the underneath features of the trains and its anti-rollback system.

[@HockeyGUY66871]

My dad is in the group of 5 people that actually really liked Drachen Fire. He marathoned it back in the day.

[@shaggyhopkins]

Your dad sounds like a cool dude

[@kellybaker6353]

I rode Drachen Fire in 1993 when I was in junior high. I recall loving the elements, but being extremely surprised that I had to ride it defensively like I did Corkscrew at my home park, Cedar Point. Love this series, Ryan, keep up the great work!

[@praxismeat]

My dad rode this back when it was open. He was really excited for the loop on the descent but ended up banging his head on the restraint in a way that his ear was swollen shut for several days afterwards. Hear that story a lot.

[@Icemann383]

Great video!!! I’d heard the B&M origin myth forever and loved hearing a new take!!

[@phitzwellthundercock3894]

Still bummed about dracken fire i rode it dozens of times and never had any issues in doing so. Such an amazing ride, I feel lucky to have been able to experience it, nothing like it.

[@hitokage4]

I will never ever forget my one and only ride on Drachenfire. It literally ended the day for me as when I got off, I had such a headache, we went back to our hotel and I curled up in a ball for the rest of the day. Strangely, the only time I went back to Bush Gardens, I rode Apollo’s Chariot at the end of the night. When we got to the top of its first hill, I looked out to the side and amazingly saw the skeleton of Drachenfire, mid-removal, pieces already gone, lit up like a ghost of the past. I had completely forgotten about it. I only has a second of shock before we went over the edge and my attention was taken. As it was the very end of the night, we got in the single rider line again and got on almost immediately. I looked back out towards where I saw that blue skeleton before… and it was gone. Lights turned off. It really was like a ghost.

[@nixon2tube]

I rode it. Liked it a lot, mostly that cool looping as you go down the first hill. A feature that endeared the ride to me before ever riding.

[@MattMcIrvin]

That corkscrew on the first drop was brilliant--there's a reason Steel Curtain has an element named after Drachen Fire, though it's not actually the same, just a variation on the theme of "inversion partway down the first drop".

[@ThrillSeekersandHellRaisers]

Glad you used NOVA because I remember having an old VHS recording of it that I watched a ton as a kid.

[@MrTWINARMAGEDDON]

I remember always watching that one too! Do you remember what was that wooden coaster they showed off in the snow by any chance?

[@ThrillSeekersandHellRaisers]

@@MrTWINARMAGEDDON no, but I have a source to get the video. I just have to wait to get them to get back to me. if they still have it that is.

[@ThrillSeekersandHellRaisers]

@@MrTWINARMAGEDDON The only wood coaster in that NOVA episode was Grizzly at Kings Dominion.

[@gregglivengood7680]

Rode it 12 times without getting out... loved it.. was a lot younger then..

[@Jath2112]

Two days ago I...had been to a few parks and I always kinda liked roller coasters. Today...Ive binged half of your videos, and I'm spitting coaster lingo at the dinner table as if I design them for a living. I love your incredibly deep coaster videos. Cheers man... what an awesome niche to carve out for a channel, and your videos are... masterfully done. Awesome job all the way around.

[@history_leisure]

I heard a story that ACE has origins prior to Loch Ness Monster where some extras on the 1976 film Rollercoaster bonded over riding the rides, and then did a meet up the following year at BGW. Then again I said this "led to the formation of ACE" in my G-Force documentary in 2020, so the chronology holds

[@NoisyBones]

I know I’ve mentioned this in comments before but my grandpa was a huge rollercoaster fan (in his 70s!) and this ride was SO ROUGH that he couldn’t stand afterwards because of the whiplash it gave him. Earlier in our trip he’d ridden every other coaster in the park but this one ended it all for him. My hate for Drachenfire is personal.

[@NoFallToggled]

huge fan! thank you so much for spending hours entertaining us keep up the amazing work ryan!!

[@alexanderkvenvolden4067]

As an engineer, I always enjoy seeing the engineering details you pack into these videos. And as an RCT2 fan, I enjoy the block zone deep dives. Some people don't like it, but they can find another channel. Thanks and keep up the great work!

[@Cats1077]

Amazing! This series has gotta be one of if not my favorite on youtube, keep up the great work!

[@jackattack5928]

Great info, love the detail. Ryan has seriously leveled up over the years making these videos.

[@paulhaigh2856]

I rode Drachen Fire when I was 8 years old only once. After having rode the Big Bad Wolf as my first ever roller coaster then the Loch Ness Monster, my father pressured me to ride Drachen Fire with him. As an 8 year old , my torso height put my head right between the shoulder restraints. Every transition was felt with a swift bash to the temple. I remember struggling hard to hold my head still between the restraints and hoping for a straight run of track, but only seeing curves and loops ahead. When I got off I had a headache and no desire to go back on. I love roller coasters, but this was a rough one! Great video!

[@TheExvangelicalCat]

Slightly off topic but... Tennessee Tornado is my favorite Arrow coaster. Riding it in the back is just *chef's kiss*

[@driscoll79]

I rode Drachen Fire once on a school trip in May 1998, and I still remember to this day how terribly rough it was. I was a huge coaster enthusiast at the time too, but it was just too rough for even a second ride. This analysis of the ride's design and construction was absolutely awesome though, I loved it. Nice work!

[@dominictripp645]

I give you all types of respect for putting both meters/kilometers and feet/miles in there. It just felt satisfying.

[@stoppropaganda2573]

I rode Drachen Fire in the summer of 1992-1996. It was fantastic and every "fix" they made, it got worse. There were so many other coasters from different manufacturers that were much rougher than this one. All bad decisions! It was so sad that you had to ride the train to see the static Drachen Fire in the woods ...

[@NatureOkie]

Yes, I did ride it, and OFTEN. (I worked in Italy section of the park. The track color was "Carolina Blue," by the way.) The "switchback" was to simulate skateboarders half-pipe, transition. You go up, it floated you around the left-hand curve, Then, you got speed back up as you dropped back 'into the pipe.' The first drop, was unattractive to me at first, with a roll slowing you down, before you got any sense of speed, it soon became my favorite element, as you then, got seated firmly, and launched into the camelback which had an awesome amount of weightlessness, before slamming into the bat wing. [Early on as they tested with barrels of water, the barrels leaked. When a co- worker I was watching along with said, "Look at the water spilling!" I said," That's to simulate people throwing up." ( MY FAVORITE coaster in the park was BIG BAD WOLF.)

[@jonathanpendleton1391]

Thanks Ryan, I've been wanting you to do this one for quite a while!!!! Thanks Again!!

[@ScholeyProductions]

My favourite, and in my opinion, the best episode of Problematic Roller Coasters thus far! I never got to experience Drachen Fire, but I bet I would have been a fan as well. Keep it up El Toro!

[@coastersubie]

Wow !.. Just incredible work you've done here. You just keep pushing yourself time after time and it shows. I think you really are up there in terms of quality and research that you put in your "problematic roller coasters" series. I believe that you're now part of the top tier theme park/roller coaster documentary channels in youtube, up there with the likes of @Defunctland @Expedition Theme Park and @Theme Park History. Keep it up !

[@rdrcub3]

I loved Drachen Fire. I went to Bush Gardens a lot in the mid 90s, where many times you coild walk up and ride it with less than a 10 mi ute wait if that. One night me and my friends rode it several times in a row, as there was no one waiting in line for our cars, so we didnt even have to get off the train. I was sad when they just let it sit abandoned.

[@johnballnik7188]

Always love your videos Ryan...great job as always!!

[@belacickekl7579]

Man, with compound radii, comfortable trains, and heartlining, this would have been one of the coolest layouts ever, IMO.

[@danporter2345]

Wow, you outdid yourself on this one. Bravo! 👏 Drachenfire is the coaster which actually made me become an enthusiast. I got to ride it in its final year of operation (think I was 13 at the time so it scared the hell out of me,) but when I found out it would be demolished after having rode it, it made me want to ride them all! Very very amazing stuff. Really appreciate the work you put into this one! You're the man, El Toro Ryan!

[@thetypicalhomeowner6006]

The amount of time and effort you put into these videos is unreal and the final product is next level… unmatched by any other on KZbin. I sure did miss your usual explanation of block zones tho lol. Keep up the great work!

[@terrancepounds1090]

Excellent as always ETR….the amount of research, synthesis, and storytelling to bridge the sections is exquisite. I feel like I learn a lot with each episode. I can’t wait for the BBW, because that’s still my favorite BGW coaster to this day(I’m too tall to ride Pantheon😢)

[@DieselDucy]

Great video. Your videos are some of the only ones that keep my attention thru the whole video

[@Tahngarthor]

It's so weird to me that I've seen so many brief clips in these videos of people in fancy suits strapping into a coaster. It just looks so bizzare. Even if you're an executive in charge of a park taking the first ride or whatever was the case in these clips, you'd think they'd go with more casual attire.