How Much Is Too Much Airtime?

[Lone Wanderer]

I went to Cedar Point two days ago and I have a question about the restraints/seats, am I supposed to be nearly standing up on Blue Streak and Magnum XL when I drop down the hills?

I've never had these problems at other parks! Mean Streak tried to knock me out, but at least it wasn't throwing me off like the previously mentioned rides!

The only thing I can think of for the problem is I sat in a shitty car with less legroom than normal, or the rides need new restraints.

[golfburner1]

Blue Streak is old so they really did not know how the forces were going to be. I have ridden the ride and I found out without holding on you could possibly fly out of your seat. The airtime is awesome but it needs to be a little safer. I don't think any of the trains are diffrent.

[Lone Wanderer]

The seat I sat in on Magnum XL had a large diamond plate box ramming my left foot up. Was it for wheels or something?

[Angry_Gumball]

When you start experiencing a 'red-out' from excessive g's, that would be too much airtime...otherwise, you can never have too much airtime!

 

Speaking of crazy air, CGA's splash boats/shoot the chutes (or any other clone of it with double dip) leaves me almost standing if I happen to not hang on. Otherwise, my butt still ends up coming out of that seat by several inches. Topping it off with no lapbar, it can be pretty awkward and scary!

[JJLehto]

There can be too much airtime!?

 

Unless you actually fly out of the car your good, and as scary as it is (isnt that the fun?) no none has been flung out of blue streak, or any others I know.

At least not just sitting there, usually tom foolery leads to accidents.

 

Anywho yeah, until you fly out or red out there can not be too much.

Back row on Grizzly at KD had some crazy airtime and it was awesome! Butt totally off the seat with just the belt and a looser bar holding you in!

[Chroniq]

when it kills me.

[EastCoastn07]

Based on the ASTM F24 standard, there is no limit on the amount of airtime the body can withstand up to a certain point. I'd have to go digging through the acceleration limits standard to get you the exact numbers, but I'm pretty sure you can sustain -1 g's infinitely. Essentially, -1 g's is the same as being upside down, and there's really no limit on how long you can be upside down (not considering headaches). However, once you get up to -1.5 and -2 g's, there is definitely a limit to what the body can withstand and manufacturers can only use these forces in short time frames. For some reason 4 seconds comes to mind when I think about -1.5, but -2 is much much shorter. Like I said, I can get the exact numbers later, but up to -1 g's, there really isn't a limit if I remember correctly.

[sre]

The more airtime the better..... but watch how you "land" (or what you land on!!!!!)!!!

 

A safe but loose lap bar can give you a great ride on many rides... The rides are safe..... You may not feel safe, but the engineers know a lot more about building these machines, and what a human can take than we do.

[Lone Wanderer]

^I don't trust 1920's to 1950's level engineering for safety.

[brock_boehm]

Thunderhead has always had crazy airtime. It throws you around like a rag doll. SO much fun!

[Lone Wanderer]

But on Thunderhead I didn't feel unsafe or like I was unsecured. Gemini which is older than Magnum and has similar trains to Magnum felt much more secure.

Edited August 10, 2012 by Lone Wanderer

[Coaster Curt]

Do you weigh 25 pounds? Even then I don't see how you could be almost standing up on Blue Streak.

[molemaster43]

Jack Rabbit at Kennywood. No way in the world is it too much, but it is like 'Holy Crap" airtime. Plus, the ride only has a seatbelt and a stationary bar, so you can bet you get some insane airtime on that.

[RaptorBoyASU]

Do me a favor and don't ride Skyrush in a wing seat then. I can only imagine how "unsafe" you'll claim it to be.

 

You should have ridden Blue Streak with the buzz bars, now that was exciting.

[jynx242]

when it kills me.

 

[JonnyRCT3]

Jack rabbit at Kennywood provided a great airtime filled moment, sadly it's the only thing the coaster has to offer. The rest of the ride is nothing short of BORING.

Now the airtime you get before hitting the chain lift on Thunderbolt is INSANE , my #1 woodie so far. My bottom and my feet were about 3 inches off the car, I only weigh 134.

[Rai Fox]

when it kills me.

 

Yep.

[Blue Fire Guy]

Then there is airtime that is so extreme that it actually hurts...and I learned that all too well in the front seat of the INSANE Wild Train at Erlebnispark Strasswalchen. I have no clue as to what the PAX engineers were on when they designed this.

I call this hill the "Nut-Buster".

[Skycoastin Steve]

No such thing.

 

/thread

[gisco]

No such thing as too much air time! Now I prefer floater over ejector.

[Lone Wanderer]

Perhaps I should've named the thread differently.

[disneyfan1313]

^^ I agree. I am not a fan of ejector air time. Too much possibility for pain which isn't fun! I very rarely ride with my arms up though - I need that sense of security by holding on a bit.

Edited August 10, 2012 by disneyfan1313

[Stitch_101]

Too much airtime? Words... Not... Computing...

[molemaster43]

^^^^Depends for me, like for me:

 

Nitro floater > El Toro/Skyrush Ejector

[rcdude]

The objective answer: When the airtime is strong enough that riders are injured due to the force of the negative gs trying to pull them out against the force of the restraint trying to hold them in, or when the negative forces are too strong for the average person's body to handle.

 

The opinion answer: It depends on the person. For me, I prefer rides that have either a lot of brief airtime moments, even if they aren't particularly strong (like a lot of wooden out-and-back coasters), or long sustained stretches of floater airtime (like the B&M megas and SFMM's Goliath). I'm not as much of a fan of Intamin's designs that give short, super strong pops of ejector airtime (like El Toro) because I find those less re-rideable.