I'm getting worried about Air

Fri Jul 12, 2013 2:28 pm

Seemed fine when I went on it last month. It's still one of the rides I have to go on when I visit Alton Towers

Sun Jul 14, 2013 1:40 am

Rode it in May for Smilers non-opening day.

Smooth as ever. Boring as ever.

Seriously, it was as smooth as. Well. A smooth thing. Nice kick of force after the rollover onto your back and around, but after that I noticed no bumps or anything like that.

Sun Jul 14, 2013 8:05 am

Air is doing just fine its aging relatively well and lets hope if a new ride comes to forbidden valley it could get a touch up like blivy. When i last rode it (end of last season) It seemed smooth and fine. Yes sometimes it breaks down on the loading but its a complex design and the first of the B&M flyers

Sun Jul 14, 2013 10:14 am

I don't think roughness is the problem, it's the painfully slow dispatch times caused by the restraints failing to lock properly. All you can hear in the station is the operators shouting out the seat numbers that need manually locking. It's such a clumsy system, which sort of ruins any atmosphere or anticipation.
Could Alton Towers invest in some new trains to fix this?

Sun Jul 14, 2013 4:13 pm

phishphingaz wrote: I don't think roughness is the problem, it's the painfully slow dispatch times caused by the restraints failing to lock properly. All you can hear in the station is the operators shouting out the seat numbers that need manually locking. It's such a clumsy system, which sort of ruins any atmosphere or anticipation.
Could Alton Towers invest in some new trains to fix this?

I've actually never heard this, every time I go on Air, it seems that everything is working perfectly

Sun Jul 14, 2013 5:20 pm

jackandylan123 wrote:
phishphingaz wrote: I don't think roughness is the problem, it's the painfully slow dispatch times caused by the restraints failing to lock properly. All you can hear in the station is the operators shouting out the seat numbers that need manually locking. It's such a clumsy system, which sort of ruins any atmosphere or anticipation.
Could Alton Towers invest in some new trains to fix this?
I've actually never heard this, every time I go on Air, it seems that everything is working perfectly

Same here, I don't know why people complain about it's downtime, everytime I've been it's NEVER had downtime!

Sun Jul 14, 2013 7:54 pm

Really?? The last few times I went the station was constantly echoing deafeningly loudly with "four seat two... six seat one... seven seat four..." blasting over the tannoy. And you can always see some terrified person panicking that their ankle restraints haven't closed properly and waving madly at the ride hosts haha.

Kirsty25 · Sun Jul 14, 2013 8:35 pm

I heard these calls the few times I've been on air this year and it doesn't bother me, nor does it make me worry because personally I'd rather the restraints were checked and manually locked than there was a malfunction while I'm on the ride...

Tue Jul 16, 2013 11:46 pm

Went 5th June and in AM it was closed. Everytime ive been on it in the past though the car has always stopped just as it exits the tunnel on the lift hill...this time though no such thing! Ran smoothly etc etc. However, the station is a bit run down and yes, from when I rode it first back in 2003 the whole ride could do with a make over...fingers crossed

Wed Jul 17, 2013 10:29 am

Thorpe Towers 13 wrote: Went 5th June and in AM it was closed. Everytime ive been on it in the past though the car has always stopped just as it exits the tunnel on the lift hill...this time though no such thing! Ran smoothly etc etc. However, the station is a bit run down and yes, from when I rode it first back in 2003 the whole ride could do with a make over...fingers crossed

If it stops on the lift hill or gets onto the lift hill and slows to a crawl, it just means the staff are running it too well and the previous train hasn't hit the break run yet. I have to say from my experience, Air is running very well at the moment. Everyday I've been since Smiler opened it's been ready to go with both stations open, three trains and running incredibly well from an operational stand point. As one train enters and lowers in one station, the other side has the train going into the flying position. Running remarkably well imo.

Sat Jul 20, 2013 6:11 pm

I've been on Air a lot over the years - and am used to it stopping briefly on the lift hill, as others have pointed out waiting for the track to clear.

I went on Air on Friday though (around 5.15pm) and we were most of the way up the lift hill when there was a loud bang and our cart shook heavily. We stopped, and around 60 seconds later there was another loud bang and again the carriage shook, more heavily this time. I was pretty freaked out (thought we were properly stuck) but another 60 seconds later and the ride carried on as normal. To be honest I didn't enjoy the ride, which is a shame as we queued quite a while for front seats! When we got off I asked what had happened. Its wasn't the brief delay that disturbed me it was the banging / shaking - the ride assistant didn't seem to know what I was talking about, said there hadn't been any problems with the ride all day and it was probably just a coin in the workings - felt a bit fobbed off to be honest. Shame - first time ever I haven't enjoyed Air.

Sat Jul 20, 2013 10:01 pm

Banging and shaking is normal for the lift stopping on any ride, you have to remember its ten tons of metal plus the weight of the people rolling back onto a couple of pieces of metal. As for it stopping aslong as it did I'm very sceptical as if it had stopped for this long the ride team wouldn't brush it to one side, when your up there it can seem like longer than it actually is. I know this as I have been there myself on many rides both as a guest and a staff member.

Sat Jul 20, 2013 10:46 pm

As I said though - I know Air I've been on it tons of times over the years, and have stopped there before too - but never had the banging or the shaking. It was a very loud bang and a heck of shake. So much so I was shaking when I got off the ride.

I know what you mean about time, it is hard to judge - particularly when you are frightened - but I was certainly there long enough to speak to my boyfriend - plus we started up a conversation with the other couple in our row - who were also worried. They even got chance to tell us about the fact they had been a bit of jinx all day with rides and had stopping and starting on plenty of things. Geez - so glad they sat next to us!

Sun Jul 21, 2013 10:44 am

On Wednesday I didnt enjoy air, it was rattiling and made me feel sick.

Sun Jul 21, 2013 6:49 pm

Think it is ageing very well and still a fantastic ride! Nothing there to get too worried about.
Would like to see it get a bit of a refurb though - tidy it up, reiterate the themeing maybe.

But I think this applies to the whole of FV. Ripsaw needs replacing (obviously with the same/similar ride), Nemesis could do with a bit of TLC in the station particularly and as for the blade...get rid of it, i hate it

haha.

Tue Jul 23, 2013 10:36 pm

I went on it not too long ago and it was great, better than I ever remembered it.

It's sooo smooth, which is what I love - there is that feeling of flying like nothing else.

Now Colossus at Thorpe Park has not aged well, that needs sorting out as it's a little rough. Let's not talk about SAW at TP as that thing just kills your neck... the cars have aged very badly on it.