Air

[pluk]

It was supposed to be an oasis of calm full of lush foliage, waterfalls and pools rather than the bare concrete tunnel and corrugated tin roof effect we have now.

I have always said though, having been on a couple of the bigger flyers, that air is just the right intensity to give the best sensation for the ride type. Although I'd rather like to try starry rippier or whatever it's called.

[pognoi]

That ones got 3 names, all given in the same park, just on different billboards.

[Kerfuffle]

I wouldve loved to see Air themed around an abandoned airport (which explains the theme of flight)

[Sidders]

But then we'd all complain about Tussauds/Merlin having yet another abandoned/derelict theme. I love Air, but as with the majority, I believe the theme should've been stronger and the budget better used.

[SteveJ]

YAY airports!

And the queueline can be immersively themed as a 3 hour-long queue to get through security and customs!

Then afterwards everybody's loose articles can be returned to them on conveyor belts, except for those that get stolen or lost of course.

Fun!

[Pickles]

No.

[Jammy3112]

Will there be life vests stashed under the seats in case of emergency landing?

[Topsyturvy15]

If they'd done the original theming waterfalls and other features could have looked really good! The oasis theme would always have been a little weak though I guess which is probably why they werent too bothered about doing it, wouldnt have been very effective on ride!

[JoshC.]

Posted by AT's Facebook...

 

 

"World's first horizontal flying coaster".  Now no pedantic geek can complain that Air wasn't a world first...

[Project LC]

There is no way on earth that thing hits 1500 pph or even comes close.

[Fred]

Their average is 48 crafts per hour at the moment - due to better staffing and the fact the ride likes to actually work nowadays.

 

That's 1344pph. Pretty good!

[Project LC]

I'm amazed its that high. It always feels such a slow moving queue, although I guess that's down to the 1000 fastracks they sell an hour for it. Not as bad as the smiler or rita though, they don't move for hours. Infact the smiler I'm pretty sure that there are times where at least 60% is towards fastrack and disabled.

[JohnD]

I believe Air's theoretical capacity is 52 craft per hour = 1456, so 1500 isn't actually possible. That said, Air is one of the highest throughput coasters in the UK in terms of what it actually achieves - realistically only Nemesis can beat it, or occasionally Oblivion on a really good day. As a result the queues really haven't been too bad for it recently, I don't think I've seen it with a queue of more than 20 minutes on any of my trips so far this year, and that includes a day with over 18000 people on park.

[Project LC]

Looking at the queue times it always seems to be 2nd or 3rd only to the smiler and rita. Also what is it that causes the stations to become out of sync?

[OldFarmerDean]

The problem with air is once you get batched to either station the trains are then only leaving every other one, plus with the disabled queue going into the left side... So that's probably why it feels slower moving.

[JohnD]

The stations operate separately, they just send the next train as soon as it's ready - there's no benefit in holding up a train that's ready to go just to keep the stations in sync. It all depends on how efficient the staff are and whether or not any seats have to be rechecked.

If everything is running smoothly there should always be a significant gap between trains being dispatched and the next train entering the station (on both sides) - there should never be a train waiting outside the station.

 

The problem with air is once you get batched to either station the trains are then only leaving every other one, plus with the disabled queue going into the left side... So that's probably why it feels slower moving.

The difference in queue speed isn't quite that significant as once you've got that far fastrack users aren't cutting ahead of you any more.

The disabled access is a bit of a nightmare though - the disabled queue only goes to the far station, but when running 3 trains they then arrive on the right hand side so wheelchair users can't get out without crossing the track and leaving the way they came in. They should probably have put a lift in somewhere.

[Fred]

Air is the only ride where you go slower after merge points - crafts are sent every 3 minutes from one station if they're on 3 trains (that's time waiting for the craft to arrive, plus time waiting for the craft ahead to leave lifthill). Obviously before merge you have both stations, so you have 2 crafts every 3 minutes. Obviously Fastrack can slow it down, however it shouldn't do so too much (Fastrack for Air is 20% of capacity, and rarely sells out nowadays).

[Project LC]

Does swarm not count as going slower after merge points as you can only then serve one side?

[Fred]

Sorry was thinking Alton Towers. You can add Swarm in (though that might be quicker as they really do love to sell their Fastrack there )

[Project LC]

I find the fastracks at Alton to be worse. Air and the smiler fastrack really make me angry when queuing. Although that could be down to the seemingly more disabled guests using the ride exits/ special entrances. 

[kinnaird]

I find the fastracks at Alton to be worse. Air and the smiler fastrack really make me angry when queuing. Although that could be down to the seemingly more disabled guests using the ride exits/ special entrances. 

fast tracks are the bain of my life. every where I go I hate them and Alton is not as bad I think compared to Thorpe

[TPJames]

I think comparing the fastrack situations is a bit biased as it really depends on what day you visit and how many people are willing to buy it. I think it is unfair to compare them and altons have probably been worse in situations vice versa with thorpe.

[Benin]

So, Air is getting a wee spruce up, combined with the Food Loop restaurant next year...

 

http://publicaccess.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=84554

 

Some notes:

• Lots of work on the station, including walls and curtains to keep light out
• Potential tunnel stuff to be added
• Two theming elements, one on lift hill and the other free-standing
• Queueline photo kiosk (URGHHHHHH WHY?)

 

Also, with the shop currently have a FIRE! SALE! and things at 50% off, could we see a retheme? Possibly not, but at least there's a spruce-up going on... Now we just need Nemmie to get some love (and RMT, and Flume retheme, and Dark Forest, and CCL, etc)

[JoshC.]

Given there's going to be a green screen photo op point in the queue line, I'm expecting a retheme.  Air's current theme doesn't lend itself to having a worthwhile photo point like that in my opinion, so a photo point like that must be tied into a new theme / a sponsor for the ride.  The half price sale has been going on for a while on Air merch (it was at the AT meet last month), so has been on sale longer than Rita QoS merch was in 2009.

 

The theming and station enhancements don't excite me that much. The one of the lift hill is essentially just a large, very thin, hole that you go through (potential sponsor point?!), and the other seems too small to be of anything of note.  Still nice to see things happening though of course.  Station enhancements should at least give it a bit more atmosphere for whatever they've got planned.  

Edited July 29, 2015 by JoshC.

[pluk]

Bit will we lose the delightful tin roof flyover? Or the bare chainlink fence/carpark combo turnaround? Or the maintenance area fly past finale?

 

I couldn't be more for improvements to existing rides, but I hope they take the opportunity to do it properly. It must be a sponsorship, either that or Merlin have taken a most unexpected and welcome change of tack when it comes to their ride upkeep.