It seems apparent that we can place people into two categories: Coaster enthusiasts, and the Genereal Public (GP).
It seems that one of the enthusiasts' biggest factor on rating a coaster is it's airtime What kind of air time do you like? Do you like a coaster with a continuous chain of it, or the occasional suprise? Small bunny hills or gargantuan mountains? Is airtime better on a wood coaster or steel?
IMO, I cannot stand the quick hills on the second half of the Magnum at Cedar Point. They are more like jagged points than hills as the lap bar constantly slams against your guts (I warn you: do not ride this ride with a full bladder!)
On the other hand, I like the airtime from most wooden coasters because the hills are "usually" more subtle, allowing you to slowly rise out of your seat. I love going around the bend of a wooden coaster, only to be suprised by an immediate drop that you had no idea was coming up.
Overall I'd say wooden coasters are better for the kind of air I like. Long, yet sudden ie. The JackRabbit.
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the kind of air time i like is the suprising type. like on wooden coasters, the air pops that catch you off gaurd and almost feel like it wasnt supposed to happen.
Any time I feel lighter than half of what I actually weigh is good airtime!
I perfer a combination of ejector and floating airtime. (Example of ejector: Magnum's bunny hops. Example of floating: Millinnium Force's 2nd hill) My favorite combination of the two comes on hill #3 of Magnum. It pops you right out of your seat and keeps you there for about 4 seconds or so... ahhh... wonderful.
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- John
Support Rob in the Great DDR Challenge!
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Women was god's second mistake.
Y'all are wimps:) I marathoned Maggie 13 times in a row without getting off and my legs were just a little brused up. It healed in a few days.
Maggies "spikes" of airtime make me giggle like a preteen at a boyband concert. I can't get enough.
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Think for yourself-Don't reley on someone else.
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It's still me, here from the beginning back in 1999. Add 1500+ posts to the number I have in the info section if you care about such things.
Ride It said:
the kind of air time i like is the suprising type. like on wooden coasters, the air pops that catch you off gaurd and almost feel like it wasnt supposed to happen.
You want a surprise should've tried Dudley Do-Right Flume attraction over at Islands of Adventure!
That airtime was so intense it broke a tailbone, and had several riders leaving in pain... maybe that's why it was "fixed."
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Helping The Injured Defeat The Amusement Park Industry Day After Day.
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"If you make it too smooth, it'll be like sitting in your living room."
-Bill Cobb - Designer, Texas Cyclone
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Two friends, extremely in love with the same girl. She hates them both, but likes a third friend. (You think I'm advertising a reality show? That's my life!)
Sustained ejector air is my favorite.
A perfect example of this is S:RoS @ SFA. Although i dont like how the first drop and 2nd hill are quite lame when it comes to airtime, the 3rd hill makes up for it. Followed by the 2 bunny hills. I would say this ride gives a good 7+ seconds of sustained airtime throughout the ride, just depends where you sit. I find the front to be the best.
Millenium Force gave suprising airtime if you sit in the back. Its amazing how long you are floating in your seat down the first drop. I would say atleast 5 seconds, and thats just the drop. The 2nd hill gives very little air, but the bunny hop was awesome too...much like the first drop.
For floater, my vote goes to Apollo's Chariot. Sit in the back, and i guarantee you that every hill is airtime heaven. Right when you get to the top of each hill, its calm. But right when you get close to going down, the rest of the train pulls you, and you are floating in mid air for a few seconds. The front row however was dissapointing. I just found it to be much like a smooth car ride.
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#1-MF #2-Apollo's Chariot #3-S:RoS
Coasters Ridden: 42
I like ejector seat airtime. Sudden and violant. Combine this with a head-chopper and you've got the best airtime you can imagine. Like on Expedition GeForce..
http://frank.drnk.net/gallery/?gal=hopa&img=IMG_0928.jpg
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Dutch Coastin' :: European coasters, thrills and theming!
Sure, airtime's great (I prefer 'floating' airtime) but it's not the biggest feature to me. The 2 things I look for in a coaster are speed and how twisted up it is. I love Wildcat at Hershey because it delievers an out-of-control ride, unexpected points of airtime, and it's so twisted :)
So airtime is a nice feature, but it's not something I would die without on a coaster.
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The thing with the intamin hypers though is that you don't actually get any airtime as such. What am i talking about you cry?! Well, because the negative g forces are so strong, stronger than just about any other coasters i reckon, it is necessary to staple riders in. Therefore, riders 'just' experience the insane negative G's without actually leaving their seat.
Now, i've 'only' been on EGF and Colossos, and am therefore presuming the other intamin hypers are operated in the same way in that the lap bars are very tightly pressed down on the riders. Don't get me wrong they are some of the best rides around and it is necessary to staple but i just thought i'd take the opportunity to raise the point that you don't get any airtime as such.
Probably though, people are using the word 'airtime' interchangeably with negative G's (ie they mean the same thing) in which case i have failed to understand the term and you should ignore the above!
The above point though is why i think the Morgan and B&M hypers can match the intamins - intamins have the more extreme negative G's whereas the others actually allow more airtime because the 'less extreme' negative G's allow looser lapbars. So, in conclusion, it's great to have this variety!
Finally, i think airtime is overplayed by enthusiasts. It's obviously an important consideration, but sometimes i read comments that suggest airtime is the be all and end all of a coaster and if it doesn't have airtime it can't be any good. With a hyper, it is obviously the crucial factor but there are many many great coasters which don't have an abundance of airtime - thats all i was trying to say!
Hey Black 7- I agree 100%. I am almost positive you're in the air more than you are in your seat on that ride... For those who haven't ridden it- RIDE IT! This is the coaster I grew up on, the first I ever rode. Without any biased thoughts, this is still my #1 wooden coaster. I've been on Raven, Legend, Beast, Cyclone...
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Jingle Bells. Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way! Oh what fun it'll be to ride Hulk at IOA!
I love airtime and I find it hard to believe that Phantom's Revenge hasn't been mentioned yet. Talk about extreme, insane airtime. That mixed with the speed is what makes PR my favorite steelie. I find with Magnum, it all depends on where you sit. Ejector seat + bunny hops + self-stapling lap bars = pain, at least in my case.
Now as far as wood goes, I have yet to find anything that can beat Phoenix in my book. Georgia Cyclone came pretty darn close, which totally surprised me, and Big Dipper at SFWoA can be quite insane in the ejector seat.
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Lori - who hopes Koaster King is reading. ;)
My favorite "kind" airtime is that experienced on Millennium Force. I love the feeling of just floating there. Oh well, maybe it is just me, but I feel more airtime on Millennium Force than Magnum, Raging Bull, Goliath, or even Deja Vu.
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The top 3 all time cobrarolls.
1)Raptor's
2)Deja Vu's (times 3)
3)Batman Knight Flight's
*** This post was edited by CobraRoller on 12/21/2002. ***
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