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Airtime at Towers

Connor98

Connor98

TS Member
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Hyperion
Excuse me if this is in the wrong place or is just not relevant but it’s my first thread. Over off season it can get boring and I was thinking about the airtime or little airtime that is in offer at towers.

The Smilers two airtime hills in my opinion aren’t great

Wickerman I understand is a family coaster but imo also offers only small airtime.

And Th13teen’s camelhumps produce not at all due to the trim brakes.

Is it the height restriction the reason we don’t see much airtime at towers and what’s people’s thoughts about this random I know but something different to discuss I guess. Would love an airtime filled coaster as the next secret weapon.
 
I think that the lack of air time and the need for it at Towers is something the majority of us would agree on.

The restriction of the coaster's heights themselves certainly sets implications, but there are plenty examples of coasters packing nice little pops of airtime with next to no height on them. GCI's smaller wooden coasters are prime examples of this.

You can have family coasters that offer air time, they aren't two opposing factors. I think for the next SW however they need to turn their attention to something that caters as a water ride above all else. A decent water coaster would not go amiss.
 
was going to say about the drop on oblivion but then you could say Th13teens drop track or even its first drop in the back row. But really I mean airtime as in hills. The smilers airtime hills and whole ride experience would improv if it had lap bars.
 
I think the biggest opportunity for an airtime coaster was with the launched coaster - but sadly, I feel Alton were in a period where they needed to rush a thrill coaster into a small space for a low fee and we ended up with Rita. I don't mind Rita as a ride, but it's fair to say it could have been so much more. If built today, Alton would clearly be the sort of park who would have added a multi launch.
 
I know Rita has a great launc and can be enjoyable in the front row, but it could be so much better now. I’d love to see Rita being the site for SW9
 
Wickerman back row at the end of the day has great pops of airtime. But I’ve got to agree the smiler airtime hill would be insane with a lap bar.
 
Oblivion and the drop track on Th13teen (though that’s cheating really as the ride isn’t “coasting” at that point).

Wickerman has some but it’s fair to say Towers is lacking in airtime as are most UK parks, (looking at you Icon).
 
There’s not really a ride in the UK which delivers sustained airtime like you might get in other countries. No real “airtime machines”, at least that I can think of.

Grand National perhaps provides the most, if you’re measuring a combination of quantity and intensity. Blackpool offers perhaps most generally as a park, heavily assisted by its woodies.

It’s interesting that most, if not all the UK’s steel coasters focus either on inversions or veer towards the family coaster category. As a country I don’t really think we’ve advanced past viewing inversions as being the essential key element on steel thrill coasters. ICON is perhaps the first shift in the market away from this. Let’s hope that trend continues - it would certainly reflect the trends you see in the market in the rest of the world.
 
The Smiler's airtime hills would be amazing with a lap bar, especially the second one. That's already the best moment on the ride for me.

Th13teen's first drop in the back row is also a really good moment. Shame the rest of the ride except for the drop track can't live up to it.

Towers does need a true airtime machine. I'd love to see an RMC, it would suit the park so well.
 
I've never really find that steel coasters really have much of any airtime,

For great air time, you just need a good woody and we lost a great one for air time a couple of years ago (BPPB Mouse ride)
 
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As others have said, the UK as a whole is very poor when it come to airtime. There is not one single coaster where you could say that its main focus is airtime, and the moments of airtime on the rest is hit and miss. Icon has a couple of moments, The Smiler and Colossus have some airtime speed hills but OTSRs nullify them, Wicker Man threatens some airtime towards the back of the train, Oblivion has some on the drop, and technically the Blackpool woodies do also but they're hardly enjoyable these days.

I would love Towers to get a coaster that had some brilliant airtime as it is my favourite sensation on a coaster.

RoyJess said:
I've never really find that steel coasters really have much of any airtime,

For great air time, you just need a good woody and we lost a great one for air time a couple of years ago (BPPB Mouse ride)
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I completely disagree. B&M Hypers tend to have good and prolonged floater airtime, Mack and Intamin have produced plenty of steel coasters with great airtime (much of it ejector) and RMC are arguably the masters of airtime with their steel hybid IBox track.
 
Mikw said:
I love the Smiler's second airttime hill
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Rob said:
As others have said, the UK as a whole is very poor when it come to airtime. There is not one single coaster where you could say that its main focus is airtime, and the moments of airtime on the rest is hit and miss. Icon has a couple of moments, The Smiler and Colossus have some airtime speed hills but OTSRs nullify them, Wicker Man threatens some airtime towards the back of the train, Oblivion has some on the drop, and technically the Blackpool woodies do also but they're hardly enjoyable these days.

I would love Towers to get a coaster that had some brilliant airtime as it is my favourite sensation on a coaster.



I completely disagree. B&M Hypers tend to have good and prolonged floater airtime, Mack and Intamin have produced plenty of steel coasters with great airtime (much of it ejector) and RMC are arguably the masters of airtime with their steel hybid IBox track.
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Couldn’t of put it better myself. Towers are you listening ? I doubt it
 
When it comes to the UK and airtime, I'd certainly agree that this country is not very airtime-abundant on the whole, but there are a couple of rides that have some good moments; the most airtime-filled coaster in this country would probably be either Megafobia or Icon, from my memories of both; they both have pretty great airtime in places. But neither are the most airtime-filled coaster I have ridden.

That title would go to the wonderful Mako at SeaWorld Orlando, and in my opinion, that is the sort of coaster Britain needs! The thing I love about Mako is that the airtime is so strong and sustained that it really takes your breath away and just makes you laugh and have so much fun throughout the whole ride! Combine that with a coaster that is glass smooth and superbly rerideable and you have my current number 1 coaster! I don't know if anyone else who's ridden Mako would agree, but I personally think that if something like Mako was to be built in the UK, it would definitely have the best airtime in the country. I also reckon that it would have a strong chance of being my favourite UK coaster.
 
Matt N said:
When it comes to the UK and airtime, I'd certainly agree that this country is not very airtime-abundant on the whole, but there are a couple of rides that have some good moments; the most airtime-filled coaster in this country would probably be either Megafobia or Icon, from my memories of both; they both have pretty great airtime in places. But neither are the most airtime-filled coaster I have ridden.

That title would go to the wonderful Mako at SeaWorld Orlando, and in my opinion, that is the sort of coaster Britain needs! The thing I love about Mako is that the airtime is so strong and sustained that it really takes your breath away and just makes you laugh and have so much fun throughout the whole ride! Combine that with a coaster that is glass smooth and superbly rerideable and you have my current number 1 coaster! I don't know if anyone else who's ridden Mako would agree, but I personally think that if something like Mako was to be built in the UK, it would definitely have the best airtime in the country. I also reckon that it would have a strong chance of being my favourite UK coaster.
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Didn’t know it existed - it looks fantastic - agreed - who needs an inversion when you’ve got that!?
 
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