Pass out G's

SFGAm shockwave the back to back loops, and Scorpion at BGT, that ride is intense in the loop. also i have heard alot of black outs occurred on Thriller (a.k.a taz tornado) before it was trimmed down. it has like 6.2 g's in its circular loops. The pretzel loop on moonsault has like 6.7 but closed down

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I am one.
I am Turbo.

I'm getting in this late, but it is possible to "black out" on a coaster.

Last year on Alpie I watched my 14 year old daughter "pass out" coming out of the cobra roll. Her eyes rolled back in her head and then her head fell forward on to her chest, where it stayed through the MCBR. Luckily she came out of it just as we entered the first corkscrew. My wife greyed out, and when we got off, I had trouble walking because my feet and legs hurt so bad. My 17 year old son even greyed out and he had just graduated Army Basic training the day before, so he was in outstanding shape.

Yes it was hot and yes, I'd say we were dehydrated. It was our 4th lap, we were in the next to last row and fealt no breaks anywhere. When we got off, we went straight to the motel, had lots to drink and and a good nap, then went right back for more...hooah! On our next ride there was a G-meter on the back of seat in front of me; it hit 4+ and it didn't feel nearly as bad as the ride that got us.

That's pretty scary, Slurk. Although, it reaffirms for me that Alpie is indeed an intense coaster. Lately I've heard a lot of nonsense about it being tame and 'forceless' and such. Bah. It still remains the king of all inverts, and second only to Millennium Force on my list of favorite steelies.

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-Vater
Have you ridden a Toboggan?
*** This post was edited by Vater 5/21/2003 12:12:10 AM ***

Awww. Alpie lacks the "snap" of the smaller B&M inverts. It's so big that the elements are huge and while I wouldn't say forcess, they lack something that other inverteds have.

I finally rode Alpengeist this past march and wasn't too impressed. The mid-course brakes hit *very* hard on each ride slowing the second half way down.

Good ride? Sure. But I didn't feel G's that were even close to mention in this thread. The only inverted that consistantly gives me "jello feet" is Fire Dragon at IOA.

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www.coasterimage.com
Dorney Park Visits in 2003: 4

That helix, *sharply downward* on Fire Dragon....:):)...gonna get me some of that tomorrow, wait...later today...;)
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Contents sold by humor, not volume. Some settling of contents may occur during translation...

I never said Alpie was more intense, or as intense, as its smaller siblings. I know the snap you speak of, and Alpie does lack it. But I don't necessarly feel that inverts require strong G forces or the proverbial snap. I still find Alpengeist quite disorienting, as most inverts are, but it has absolutely awesome speed, *huge* elements, and a first drop to die for.

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-Vater
Have you ridden a Toboggan?
*** This post was edited by Vater 5/21/2003 1:14:28 AM ***

Agreed. Just considering the topic of the thread when I posted.

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www.coasterimage.com
Dorney Park Visits in 2003: 4

The effects of Gs depend on two things:
1. Magnitude
2. Duration

3s at 4G can be harder than 0.5s at 6G.

To prevent? Try the fighter pilot trick, of bearing down in a valsalva maneuver [like straining on the toilet, but without... you know]. This prevents blood pooling and such, and keeps more blood in your brain. Don't hold it overlong [10s or so], or you'll pass out.

Stand-ups are worse, because they allow greater lower body pooling.

Most intense loop? Probably a Schwarzkopf circular loop.

Hi everyone. I am new here, but glad I found the site. I am sure that my reply here is a tad late on this subject, but I wanted to say something here on the riding and G forces, if I could. I am also an avid coaster rider, I just turned 40, and love ALL rides! I have never, in all the years I have been riding, which is a long, long time, ridden any ride that has made me black out, come close to a black out, or even slightly gray. Guess I would make a good candidate for flight school, or so I have been told many times anyway. :-)

I have ridden everything at/from: Bush Gardens in Tampa, Six Flags Over St. Louis, Six Flags over Texas, AstroWorld in Houston, Six Flags Over Georgia, Disney World, County Fairs, roadside fairs, etc...etc... and there are many I can't even remember right now! But, as you can see.. that is alot of major riding, with some of the best rides around! I loved them! The faster and more intense, the better!

I know that riding DOES affect each of us differently. My kids love rides like I do, I made sure of that one at young age, of course, but my daughter has a few times gotten a bit dizzy/queasy on some rides, that didn't affect anyone else that way! One coming close to what has been described here as a gray feeling. Plus, I have a friend that rode and rode with me for years, but suddenly, after a few great coaster rides, where I am laughing, screaming, and having a blast, she got a bit queasy and dizzy. So, I would say it is very possible that the rides, or the G's, will be different for each of us. And I also believe that the heat, lack of fluids, or food, could make it all worse.

I would never say never though.... blacking out could happen to anyone, at anytime, I am sure. And I would never say that there is NO coaster, or ride, that would cause someone to black out either. Yes, they make them safe and they push them to the closest point possible, to the limits, but they wouldn't be allowed to go too far, I am sure. That would be considered to unsafe. But that doesn't mean that blacking out, or graying out, doesn't, or won't, happen.

I am just lucky that it has never even come close to happening to me! We are heading for SFOG this coming weekend and I can hardly wait.

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"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising up each time we fall!"
*** This post was edited by Susie Q 5/21/2003 3:08:40 AM ***

The closest thing to a blackout I've ever experienced was on the Edmonton Mindbender, on the steep climb after the double loop. Of course, the greyout sensation on this coaster might have more to do with the pain of the ratcheting horsecollars than with actual G's . ;-)

Yea, some of the harnesses, belts, and collar deals... they are just pretty pitiful, aren't they? And so very uncomfortable!

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"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising up each time we fall!"

I have never blacked out on a coaster, but the tight looping of Indiana Jones at Disneyland Paris and the 'horizontal loop' of Goliath at Six Flags Holland made me see stars.

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Roarrrr...