For the first matchup of Versus from Coasterdemon.com is the battle of 2 California B&M Inverts: Silver Bullet at Knott’s Berry Farm vs. Flight Deck at California’s Great America.
Theming
Both rides have some sort of “theme” to them, but nothing too major. I will not be factoring this in to the final outcome, but I prefer Flight Deck’s missiles and little sets to the mining theme of Silver Bullet.
Color Scheme
This category will go in Flight Deck’s favor, as the red looks incredibly sleek and is very striking from distances, while Silver Bullet isn’t even painted silver anywhere.
Drop
Flight Deck: This first drop is very short but intense. Later in the season, as the track speeds up, the drop will speed up incredibly fast and is an amazing moment.
Silver Bullet: Do I need to say anything about the ramp?
Inversions
Flight Deck:
- Vertical Loop: Fast and intense inversion. One of the most intense moments of Flight Deck, and one of the visually (from the parking lot) nicest.
- Zero-G Roll: Incredibly fast and whipping inversion. The one part of Flight Deck where you will be forcibly put against your restraint, as it goes through it so fast.
- Corkscrew: Old school B&M whip, and a good amount of forces.
Silver Bullet:
- Vertical Loop: Like Flight Deck’s, except a little bit slower.
- Cobra Roll: One of the more unique parts of Silver Bullet (In California at least). The most beautiful looking element on Silver Bullet, with it being so close to the front entrance.
- Zero-G Roll: Almost feels like it is a little too tall, as if it were more like Flight Deck’s, it would have a whip to it, while it just feels wavy.
- Corkscrews: Like Flight Deck’s lone corkscrew, these both have a good whip to them, and are cool going out over the pond.
Signature Non-Inverting Element
Flight Deck: For Flight Deck, this has to be the helix over the water at the end of the ride. It is so fun to sit on the left side of the train, and to be so close to the water that you feel you could almost touch it.
Silver Bullet: I cannot say how much fun the kick up in between the corkscrews is. While quick, this is definitely the element that stays with me past my rides on Silver Bullet. It is such a genuinely awesome feeling to go through this connecting element, and is one of my most memorable coaster elements.
Operations
Both rides have fantastic operations, but I will have to give the edge here to Silver Bullet’s operations. The ops check your restraints so quickly that most times you do not even wait on the brake run at all. Sometimes they even have to wait for you to get back on to the brake run because they already have the next train ready to dispatch.
Final Verdict
Before I give my verdict, I will say that these are two amazing coasters. Both have very intense halves: Flight Deck’s first half (until after the Zero-G Roll) and Silver Bullet’s second half (after the cobra roll). Both have fantastic inversions, and are very good looking coasters.
The winner of the first Versus battle is Flight Deck at California’s Great America. Everything about this coaster is amazing, from the sleek color scheme to the helix over the water. Silver Bullet is also an amazing ride, but the edge goes to Flight Deck for me. These two coasters both rank in my top ten for California, so they are both fantastic rides.
Thank you for checking out this unusually long article! Which coaster do you think is better? Tell us below or on Instagram on my account or the official account of coasterdemon.wordpress.com.
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