Air was a steel flying roller coaster located in the Forbidden Valley area of Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. It was the first flying rollercoaster manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, and as a result labelled as the first successful flying rollercoaster. Guests ride in a prone position and experience the feeling of flight by “flying” close to the ground, under footpaths, and narrowly past trees and rocks. When it opens in April 2016, the ride will be the world’s first virtual reality dedicated roller coaster, Galactica. The 840-metre-long (2,760 ft) ride reaches a top speed of 75 kilometres per hour (47 mph). Air was the third ‘Secret Weapon’ ride to have opened.
Statistics:
Length: 2,755.9 ft
Height: 65.6 ft
Inversions: 2
Speed: 46.6 mph
Duration: 1:40
G-Force: 3.5
Elements: Chain Lift Hill, Fly To Lie, Lie To Fly, In-Line Twist
Capacity: 1,500 riders per hour
Air departs the station and rises a chain lift hill. The ride’s first drop dips to the right, rises up to a 180° turn, and continues down a large drop to ground level. The track then twists so the riders are on their backs. This manoeuvre is known as a fly-to-lie. The coaster then performs a large upward left turn before twisting again, returning riders to the prone position. This manoeuvre is known as a lie-to-fly. After exiting from the lie-to-fly element, Air passes underneath a small ravine before pitching up, into a tight turn. A 360° inline twist is followed by a series of straight flying, and several turns and dips in the track. The train then slows in the brake run before returning to one of the station’s two platforms
More Info:
* http://rcdb.com/1458.htm
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactica_(roller_coaster)
* https://www.altontowers.com/