Questions: Airtime Definitions and Coaster waiting

I'm so NOT new to coasters, so I know that 'airtime' is the percived senastion of floating. What I dont understand, is how having a tight lapbar prevents this feeling. For example, I have ridden S:ROS @ SFA (an airtime machine) over ten times this year with varying degress of bar tightness. I have been "stapled" (I think that's the common term) and while I didnt like being confined, it did not prevent me from getting the FEELING of being ejected from the train (It just kept my big butt on the seat). Does this so-called 'stapling'detract from the FEELING for you or is it just the MOTION that is missing?

Second question. I have heard (here and abroad) people complain about park on light days only running one train or having inefficient operation which result in a 5 min line turning into 20min for a decent coaster. To this I say "So what". Maybe I'm jaded from most of my early park experience being at large parks on Saturdays, but is a 20min too long of a wait? True it could be shorter, but it could be longer. I personally plan on waiting an hour for every coaster, no matter what day I go. Anything less than that, I consider a bonus. Your thoughts?

Airtime: Yes, the feeling of the air is still good, despite being "stapled" into your seat. I do enjoy the actual movement of my body lifting off the seat only to be slammed down again, better than not. I was "ratcheted" (lap bar clicked down while during the ride) so tightly on Shivering Timbers on the first drop once, that I felt like I was going to barf, this is a long ride, folks.(I guess that is a little different, though)

Lines: I guess its the "But I don't WANNA wait!" in us all that comes out when full train operation is not being achieved. If you have them, use them.

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Gotta ride 'em all!

Is this common place for hyprecoasters I wonder? Every hyper I have ridden this year I have been stapled to my seat by the ops. The one's working Desperado were just merciless. I know safety is a factor and I do respect that, but it can get painful on some coasters. Batman Knight Flight was so bad I could hardly breath, and when I said something about it, everyone in the station gave me a dirty look lol!

I prefer to not be stapled -- part of the fun of REAL airtime (for me anyway) is actually coming out of your seat.

Even if I'm stapled, it's fun feeling the ride TRY, as long as I'm not stapled in such a way that it HURTS (only happened once)

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--Greg

http://www.pobox.com/~gregleg/

Yeah, if you want good airtime on MF, you have to work against getting stapled.

Stapling is easy to avoid. Just hold your hands in a fist where the lap bar will rest. They push down and stop at your hands. Then remove them during the ride and youre all set. Worked for me on Goliath and I got great airtime.

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LONG LIVE ARROW DYNAMICS!!

The hand-in-the-way trick only works if the rideop isn't paying attention. I had an op YELL at me to get my hands out of the way, and then she INTENTIONALLY stapled me (well, tried to, my belt bag got in her way -- heh...)

Where did this happen, you may ask? Where else -- Six Flags Ohio (Serial Thriller)

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--Greg

http://www.pobox.com/~gregleg/

I hate the bar nazi's that push the lap bar into your legs. I like to have plenty of space between me and the lapbar. You still get air when it's stapled to you but you get more floatting when there is a bit more space. On PTC's I try to getaway with 2 clicks on a lapbar.
As for waiting time durring the week I expect 1 train operations at parks since parks are less crowed. As for weekends start off with one train then when the queue starts to fill add the second train. I think after the line gets to over a half hour a park should add the second train.

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Parks hit for 2000!
PKD,BGW,DP,HP,PKI,HW,SFKK,SFA,SFNE,LC,GE,QP,Camden,Lakemont,Knoebels, SFO,CP,

I don't mind being stapled on an OTSR ride, but with a lap bar I can't stand it. Also, at the Drop Zone(PKI) you getno air. They push that OTSR down so far, it is terrible. Also, Soggy, how did your lap bar get pushed down on Shivering Timbers??? Those lap bars barely go down anyways.

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DOWN WITH TRIM BRAKES!

Queue for 1 1/2 hours virtually every time for a decent ride in the UK and you would realise that a 20 minute wait is not bad AT ALL!!!

About the lap bar, I prefer not to be stapled but on a coaster with no airtime sections, it doesn't matter! eg, Hulk.

The lapbar really doesn't matter for me. Although I like it loose. I like to come out of the seat. Not be pressed into the lap bar... ouch..

As far as the queue time for the rides.... I'll wait as long as it takes to get on one... Nothing comes easy in life. It takes time to get/do the things you want! Any rollercoaster is worth the wait. Unless you really have to use the bathroom! :)

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Shawn Bailes
Webmaster of Coasters R Us
http://coastersrus.home-page.org

There are two major types of airtime and the tightness of the restraint plays a large part on how much riders enjoy the different kinds of air.

First, there's floating airtime. This is the type of airtime that can be found on Millennium Force and on the 3rd hill of Magnum. It is where a relatively low number of negative g's are sustained for quite a long period of time (five seconds on Magnum's 3rd hill)and it is actually quite gentle, as if someone were slowly lifting you out of your seat. This is usually produced by large camelback hills. To me, it resembles the sensation of flying. The tighness/looseness of the restraint usually doesn't play a big part on how much riders enjoy this kind of airtime.

Then, there's violent airtime. This is found on bunny hop hills, like the run back to the station from the pretzel on Magnum. It feels like you are being ripped from your seat. This is caused by a high number of negative g's for a short period of time. If the restraints are too tight, violent airtime absolutely kills! So when I ride Magnum, I try hard to keep the bar loose so I can enjoy the bunny hop finale of the ride.

Although I will not wait over two hours for anything (and that's even pushing it) the problem comes in when you go to parks with a high coaster/ride count such as Kings Island or Cedar Point. In those cases long waits could mean not being able to ride many things.

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"I don't want to be turned into a fax machine!"

~FRANC~

GraigTCF, I don't know. It was loose when I was leaving the station, but somehow it went all the way down on the first drop. I am not exactly a small person either, but the bar was as far down as on the seat next to me, and it was empty!

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Gotta ride 'em all!

"Any roller coaster is worth the wait"

i.e. Would you wait 2 hours to ride an Arrow corkscrew? No.
Would you wait 2 hours to ride a brand new B&M standup Yes.

Each coaster is different.

I don't know, I just waited an hour and a half for MIA's Corkscrew.

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"...If We don't get you there in five minutes we don't get you there at all. ~Dispatch Master Tran

I don't care about waiting in line if it is , out of the sun or not hot or with some people I know. If I go to a park and have been on all the rollercoasters I would like would like to go on and the conditions weren't too hot, I would wait about 3 hours.

Todd

SAVE THE STANDUP!

I agree with Hostyl. On Superman at SFA, you can get airtime no matter where the lapbar is positioned(I love those Intamin trains!) Even if you are stapled, like I was a few times, you still get air. Although I do prefer the lapbar loose. This provided a great feeling going down the first drop, and great air over that 3rd hill. Two guys we met and rode with on Superman at SFA onetime kept their lap bar so loose they could almost standup.

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CP's Overrated

Just rode Excalibur at Funtown in Saco, ME for the first time. Funtown Fest for ACE members. We started at 9:00 am and I rode 18 times before the GP started filtering in, up to 52 times by park closing, and made it to 70 times by the end of the second ERT. (ended about 11:30 pm) I absolutely love being off of the seat, 6 to 8 inches off the seat at the top of the third hill. The feeling of airtime is one thing, being off of the seat is a much better experience, and the worst thing IMO is to be "stapled". Hate it when the lapbar slips down during the ride.

P.S. Besides, I had the 4 hour ride home to be "stapled" in my seat with a seat belt.

CoasterEd's Encyclopedia defines AIRTIME as:

1. Loose Lap Bar and Loose-fitting Seat Belt
2. Off of the seat, not held to the seat
see SHIVERING TIMBERS
see BOULDERDASH
see EXCALIBUR

A couple of years ago, I would be talking STEEL, and I still love steel, but I'm telling the steel lovers to get on these coasters before answering the next forum on "Which is Better, Steel or Wood".