Black Outs

Does anybody else experiance like a black out sensation after the drop going into the first turn? When I rode on Friday at Millenium Mainia I rode 15 times and blacked out twice. I was just wondering if this happens to anybody else or is it just me.
John

-------------
Raptor Crew 2000!!!!
The future is riding on us, because you don't need a ticket to ride!!!!

It has NEVER happened to me but it has to a lot of other people. I don't know why people black out. Oh well

For me, I seem to if I ride the front or back, but not in the middle. Hmmmm...

-------------
"the Force of the new Millennium is being felt by those who choose to seek it.

Never.

I've blacked out before on the ride, and have had tunnel vision many times.

-------------
daniel j. haverlock
Magnum Count: 1229
MF Count: 80
spiritofthepoint.com

I blacked out before as well. I was one car away from the back of the train. I guess the G-forces are too strong for some people, including me.

-------------
Monster Ride Host
2nd Year

My cousin had that happen the first time...

and many times after that.. What she found was.. if she get in the car first.. and going through the turn.. she looks ahead (car in front of you) and not try to follow the track.. she's ok..

She had this problem all summer.. come MM day #2.. she figured out how to solve it and rode it some 20+ times ok....

Am I right Alison????

-------------
Looking for me?? Check The Red Garter...

I didnt black out, but after returning to the station I had a very "fuzzy" feeling, like when you are about to pass-out. It makes me wonder if they can take coasters too much higher.
-------------
Jeremy M Johnson
cedarpointer@aol.com *** This post was edited by cedarpointer on 9/13/2000. ***

They can, the curve to the ground off the descent is just going to get more and more gradual to lessen g-forces.

see, it's things like this that are going to make people start screaming that coasters "aren't safe" or are "bad for your health" or some such drivel...i really hope that CP doesn't do something to MF to try and "fix" the "problem" of black-outs, like they did to fix the black-outs that were occuring on Mantis the first year before trim brakes on the drop...

-------------
--servo, For whom the off-season has already started...

I blacked out twice, once before the Magnum Hill (lol) and again after the hill below the Magnum Hill (lmao)

-------------
Number 1 And Only Cedar Point.

Never blacked out. I have blacked out for a split second on corkscrew before going into the loop, but thats it, Mantis...without the brakes...no problem.

-------------
MF Laps-14

This is so dumb, for all of the people that have blacked out on MF, ride Wildcat and see if you black out, because Wildcat has more G's than MF.

Wildcat may indeed subject its riders to a higher max G force than MF, but the type and duration of those Gs are very different. Wildcat's forces are mainly lateral. The most intense are probably in the final brake run where the ride ops signal everyone to lock their elbows in a desperate attempt to keep people from smashing their face as the car comes to a screeching halt.

Those aren't the kind of forces that produce black-outs or tunnel vision. Sustained positive Gs, the kind that push one down into the seat, will. MF has those in spades. There's nothing "dumb" about it. There is, however, an easy way to prevent it, something that aerobatic pilots use routinely to combat grey-outs. Right before the onset of the G loading, just tighten up the muscles in your gut and legs. This acts as a poor man's pressure suit (the kind fighter pilots wear) and will prevent blood from pooling in the lower extremties. Try it next time.

----------
Dave McWilliams

That an interesting point about tightening your legs. I never greyed-out on MF until I rode it during MM. I realized that the couple laps I got during the summer, I was usually pretty tense (because of the excitement of riding after waiting 90+ minutes). But during MM, I was able to relax and did experience some grey-outs on the first hill and turn.


-----------------------
Bob M.

It's probably true that the more relaxed one is, the higher the likelihood of a grey-out. Heart rate and blood pressure are lower, blood vessels and muscles aren't constricted, and when you get hit with those positive Gs, presto. If, on the other hand, you're all keyed up (or scared spitless) :), you're muscles are constricted somewhat anyway.

-------------
Dave McWilliams

Sort of... things are just too blury to make out. I just thought that it was because of the wind and the fact that I wear contacts. Hmmm....

i dunno about that theory, guys..even after waiting 90 minutes for my first MF ride i was still pretty mellow(might have been the company i was keeping at that moment)and i did flirt with red-outs...but on laps 2-8 the rest of the year i did not have that problem at all and i was still always VERY relaxed. my normal blood pressure is around 90/58 so shouldn't i experience blackouts on EVERY coaster i ride?? just wondering, as your theory about muscle tension/BP really doesn't seem to apply too well. where's RideMan when you need him??

-------------
--servo, For whom the off-season has already started...

Grey-outs occur because the heart is unable to pump enough blood to the brain on its own. The likelihood of experiencing a grey-out on any given ride is mainly a function of the duration and intensity of the G-forces. The Gs on MF vary somewhat depending on where you sit, so that certainly has a lot to do with it. If, however, the G load is relatively constant from one ride to the next, that leaves only one other variable: the physiological state of the rider. Since grey-outs occur because blood pools in the lower extremeties, it stands to reason that a state of high anxiety (read high blood pressure & muscle tension) will TEND to discourage them.

It's a fact that consciously tightening the muscles in the stomach and legs during high-g loads will help prevent grey-outs. If one does this unconsciously (due to fear, elation, or experience with coasters), it will have the same effect.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. :)

-------------
Dave McWilliams

Im sorry, but Iv'e never ridden MF, and it seems that it cant be safe if people are blacking out?:(

-------------
Feel the Force! *** This post was edited by Coaster guy2000 on 9/15/2000. ***