Airtime

[rcjp]

Airtime is a very commonly used word among coaster enthusiasts but while I've always thought that it meant exclusively negative Gs (either light - floater air or heavy - ejector airtime) I've heard lots of people (specially on TV programs) saying it is the same as weightlessness. I was convinced that zero-g was the synonym for this word and not airtime. For instance, no one says that zero-g rolls provide airtime but a camelback hill can do it. I know it might not be the most important question but my doubt is: Can airtime also mean zero-g or does it exclusively mean negative G?

 

[DelPiero]

I would class a Zero G roll as floater airtime as your essentially floating with weightlessness, which is the same as equal downward force/gravity ratio you get from floater airtime hills or gravity drop towers.

I wouldn't refer to it as airtime, but as a Zero G.
I'd refer to floater or negative as airtime when not weightless through a inversion.

So it would be airtime but i've not heard it referred that way.

 

[furie]

I'd say any time that your body is subjected to less than 1G in a normal vertical plane is airtime. I doubt there are many people who could tell the difference between maybe 1/2G and 0G and depending on the ride, you could still get "air" from 1/2G (say you get a 1/2G at the top of the hill but the ride drops away suddenly, you'd then get pulled down by the train as it will accelerate faster under you than you are travelling up and forwards - that would feel like ejector).

A Zero-G roll isn't airtime, as you should feel weightless while upside down. Okay, in reality if you're feeling weightless, then orientation shouldn't make any difference and you do still get a floater airtime feeling on a decent Zero-G. However, I think that because of orientation, you don't experience it (or perceive it) in the same way as you would over a parabolic B&M hill. Your balance system knows you're inverted, even if the forces don't mean anything (or lack of forces ).

Essentially:
Between 1G and 0G is mild floater to floater.
Between 0G and -1G floater to ejector.
Less than -1G is strong ejector to death

 

[rcjp]

I know the difference between ejector and floater and I also know that when you experience negative Gs while upside down it's called hangtime rather than airtime. I just gave the zero g roll example to support the idea that airtime is only negative Gs (while you're upright) because, in my opinion airtime is what lifts you out of your seat, I suppose some people also consider zero-g airtime. I just wanted to know what was the general opinion on this

 

[furie]

Then ejector and airtime would be completely interchangeable words wouldn't they? The term ejector would never be used. Or is that what you're questioning? :lol:

You also have to be careful. I hinted at this before.

If you're loose in a seat and hit the apex of a hill, you could be given airtime which isn't caused by negative Gs. If the train was to continue the parabolic curve, you'd get floater. If the train drops rapidly, you get ejector as it catches you and drags you down. So in reality, the airtime is a little different.

Megafobia's second drop (which I love) is a good example of this. You never get thrown out of the seat, rather the seat falls away below you as the train goes from flat to a steep drop. Your body is in a horizontal motion while the train dives at a steep drop away. You do get negative G but it's from being pulled down (so it's essentially like hang time)

Where as on a ride like Oblivion on the brake run, it approaches the upwards angle steep and fast so your body is going in an up and forward motion as the train levels out flat. So you get ejected as you're still accelerating as the train stops. You get negative G here as the train stops your body from accelerating upwards.

The best ejector is the mix of the two, preferably on a wooden coaster with very little seat belt or lapbar in the way

I know you know it BTW, just clarifying for others.

Personally, I just take anything as under 1G as some kind of airtime

 

[andrus]

A Zero-G roll isn't airtime, as you should feel weightless while upside down. Okay, in reality if you're feeling weightless, then orientation shouldn't make any difference and you do still get a floater airtime feeling on a decent Zero-G. However, I think that because of orientation, you don't experience it (or perceive it) in the same way as you would over a parabolic B&M hill. Your balance system knows you're inverted, even if the forces don't mean anything (or lack of forces ).

I don't know. I actually perceived the zero-g on Black Mamba as true airtime. I know most of the B&M inverts just flips you around too fast and you experience posotive g's instead of negative/weightlessness. But Black Mamba (and Patriot and Oz'Iriz from what I've heard) have true zero-g. It could be personal though, as I guess your statement with being upside down could fool the brain to not think of it as airtime?

 

[furie]

I'm sure that some people do perceive it as that. I should have said I don't really. I've had a weightless feeling, but it's very different to a typical floater feeling, but I think that's purely down to the fact I know I'm upside down.

It's the weirdest of feelings for me and I think closer to "being in space" than you get off a tradition floater ride.

I guess for me, airtime is the feeling I'm floating (or shooting) upwards while the world drops away below me - which is a perception thing. In a proper Zero-G, it's just weird (but great).

 

[rtotheizzo17]

Airtime is a very commonly used word among coaster enthusiasts but while I've always thought that it meant exclusively negative Gs (either light - floater air or heavy - ejector airtime) I've heard lots of people (specially on TV programs) saying it is the same as weightlessness. I was convinced that zero-g was the synonym for this word and not airtime. For instance, no one says that zero-g rolls provide airtime but a camelback hill can do it. I know it might not be the most important question but my doubt is: Can airtime also mean zero-g or does it exclusively mean negative G?

Yes.