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Air or Galactica?

Air or Galactica?


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On the topic of the thread; I must admit I’m surprised at how much of a minority I’m seemingly in in preferring Galactica to Air!

I think the main issue is that without the VR there isn’t that much to differentiate the two, and the floaty up and down soaring of the coaster is a lot closer to the feeling of flying than it is to being on a mission in space. It was designed to evoke the feeling of flight like a bird rather than a rocket.

On a slightly unrelated note, last time I was in the station in July this year a prerecorded notice came over the tannoy announcing that “Air was currently experiencing technical difficulties” - it came on multiple times and definitely said Air not Galactica.
 
it probably doesn’t help that Air is older than you are? Therefore you’ve probably not got as much of a connection as others have to the old Air?

This has just taken me back to the excitement of seeing the big fence next to Nemesis’ break run cordoning off the construction area for Air, then seeing all the fresh turquoise track covered in snow online that winter :pensive:
 
I remember riding it in opening year. We stayed at a B&B and did two days on park. The first day we got on Air and nothing else I kid you not. We queued about 45 mins to an hour for Blivvy which then it went down just before our turn and then we joined the queue for Air which was estimated at 2hrs 30 mins. 4hrs later we got on the ride after numerous breakdowns whilst waiting for it. Needles to say we were cheesed off and just left the park.

Thankfully our second day was much better. Managed another ride on Air and only waited about 70 mins.
 
it probably doesn’t help that Air is older than you are? Therefore you’ve probably not got as much of a connection as others have to the old Air?
That may admittedly help; I was -1 when Air opened (Air was 2002, I was born in 2003), and Air was already 11 by the time I first rode it!
 
Yeah I think it's quite ironic how the ride only changed names and "theme" to accommodate VR, and now that's gone - I'd like to see Air return as Air, with the soundtrack and the "assume the position, now fly" announcement. I love Galactica's soundtrack, but I love Air's even more.

Air was the first rollercoaster I ever rode at Alton Towers back in 2009, so I'll always have a special place for it.
 
For me Galactica was a cheap gimmick that didn’t work

It will never ever happen, but I would love them to restore the ride back to the original plans Wardley had

I do remember when it opened, 4 hour queues due to consistent breakdowns - at the time though it was groundbreaking
 
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The 'prepare for air', 'assume the position' and 'now fly' announcements on air as the craft moved into the flying position, along with the lighting changing from white to blue in the station upon departure, was a great bit of theatre on the ride. Shame they are now gone.

Also, bit picking I know, but the ride is written as 'air' not Air. It was purposely named with a lowercase a rather than uppercase. This is how it was also featured on marketing and signage around the park.

Would love to see the station lighting and announcements come back though.

Loved the music too, it was so turn of the millennium in it's style. Always air for me, if for nothing else the branding. Galactica has no where near the iconic branding that air had.

Both VR and coasters are all about escapism, but when put together, they do not work, they cancel each other out somewhat. Why put something on a coaster to try do something the coaster already does, really well. Always baffled me that has.
 
I would really like them to box in the departure tunnel, maybe extend it part way up the lift hill with a tent. Then add some projection mapping and audio to make a show around the launch.
You could have 1 station setup as Galactica, the other showing a different launch theme of Air...
Market it as "Choose you path" or some such nonsense, and get people wanting to ride it twice.
 
air returning would be a great way to keep Forbidden Valley busy next year as Nemesis undergoes its retrack.

Give the ride its old music, add and remove some additional theming, and boom, you're all set for the rest of the season.
 
It is Air/Galactica's 20th/21st birthday this year/next year, that would have been a good opporutnity to revert the ride back to 'Air'. It wouldn't draw the masses in, however Sonic Spinball went back to Spinball Whizzer*, so it's not like it hasn't been done before.

*I know it was because the SEGA contract ended, but still...

They can theme the tunnel when they're at it too. :innocent:
 
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