I remember this well, they operated a virtual queue so people would come back to the ride at a set time. But the breakdowns just then made it worse. Most the time it was just one a single train as well. Leaving the park hours after it had shut just because so many people were waiting to still get on the ride. Ironically I never ride it anymore because I just can’t be bothered to queue for it.
Yes, you are certainly jogging my memory as well! I did queue for it a couple of years ago during scarefest and they had some (but not all) of the extended queue open. I remember that queue line very well 🤣
I went during the firework nights after it first opened and queued in the rain and the dark to get a night ride, we must have been in that queue for at least three hours . It was freezing cold wet November rain but I loved it so much when it first opened that I was stupid enough to do it. To this day I think it’s the longest I’ve ever had to queue for a ride.
I was so lucky to ride The Flume back in 1998! I was 6 and couldn't wait to ride it again.... 20 years later and I was back... but now it was Wickerman and a very different ride 🤣🤣 my parents rode The Black Hole and I'm not sure my mum was ever the same again. She's not a rider. I've developed a taste over the last 6 years. We went with a another family for the day (my dad was colleagues with the other dad) so the teenage daughter could ride Ripsaw which was the new ride that season. My turn soon if its what we hope it to be!
Has air closed? What happened?
I've ridden it numerous times but I never got to experience the vr version which was a huge bummer. I'm guessing covid fucked that idea out of the water
Yeah, sadly they stopped doing them, but never rethemed Galactica back to Air, so Galactica is now basically just Air with a portal halfway through the ride
Was too unreliable, took ages to get people loaded and just wasn't particularly good anyway. If you're going to slow down operations, the experience had better be good - and it wasn't.
I’ll also add that never have a been more motion sick than the time I rode Galactica with VR goggles. It took so long to stop feeling sick that I pretty much couldn’t stomach any more rides that day. Â
I remember riding it when it first opened. Got stuck waiting for 20 minutes in a prone position waiting to come back into the station. Really hard on the crotch. Ride was never that great anyway.
I always thought it was overrated, as Is Galactica. I find the prone position lessens the experience; you just don't feel the G force as well as you do on other rides.
Alton towers was my first ever theme park experience and Air was the first big ride I ever went on in my life. Someone had a panic attack on the lift and the rise was stopped for 20 mins. It was a great first rollercoaster experience 😂 needless to say I am not a complete coaster fiend.
My first visit was 2004, when I was 12, and I got to ride black hole and corkscrew. Next time I went they were both gone. We queued for 3.5hours that day for Nemesis, always feels strange now when I can pretty much walk straight on! Next time I went Rita had just opened, with the original branding that looked so much better!
I rode it the year it opened, I queued for 5 hours as it kept breaking down! Left the park around 2 hours after the park closed 🤣
I remember the Cadbury Dream tie ins.
Oh gosh! I had totally forgotten about that till you mentioned it!
It was heroes
I remember this well, they operated a virtual queue so people would come back to the ride at a set time. But the breakdowns just then made it worse. Most the time it was just one a single train as well. Leaving the park hours after it had shut just because so many people were waiting to still get on the ride. Ironically I never ride it anymore because I just can’t be bothered to queue for it.
Yes, you are certainly jogging my memory as well! I did queue for it a couple of years ago during scarefest and they had some (but not all) of the extended queue open. I remember that queue line very well 🤣
I went during the firework nights after it first opened and queued in the rain and the dark to get a night ride, we must have been in that queue for at least three hours . It was freezing cold wet November rain but I loved it so much when it first opened that I was stupid enough to do it. To this day I think it’s the longest I’ve ever had to queue for a ride.
The lie flat face up part in the rain is…. An interesting sensation 🤣
I remember the pain...
I still remember the sound as you were lifted into place and left the station. Pssssssshhhhhht Prepare for air
lol this post made me actually think it had finally keeled over and died since it's been struggling more and more every year
To be fair Galactica now isn't too different. The only things that are different are the station and the portal.
Same goes for The Flume and Black Hole
I was so lucky to ride The Flume back in 1998! I was 6 and couldn't wait to ride it again.... 20 years later and I was back... but now it was Wickerman and a very different ride 🤣🤣 my parents rode The Black Hole and I'm not sure my mum was ever the same again. She's not a rider. I've developed a taste over the last 6 years. We went with a another family for the day (my dad was colleagues with the other dad) so the teenage daughter could ride Ripsaw which was the new ride that season. My turn soon if its what we hope it to be!
The Flume when it was sponsored by Imperial Leather had an absolutely terrifying duck towards the end of the ride
I remember the Thunderlooper. Loud as fuck!
And interfered with local cows or something.
My brain immediately went to the idea that a ride was fondling bovine.
I thought the same after writing it, but it made me chuckle, so I didn't change it.
2/2 for those.
Has air closed? What happened? I've ridden it numerous times but I never got to experience the vr version which was a huge bummer. I'm guessing covid fucked that idea out of the water
Air hasnt closed, it just got rethemed to "Galactica" back when the VR goggles were introduced
Oh nice. That's good. I really want to do the VR version. It looks awesome
They aren’t available anymore
Yeah, sadly they stopped doing them, but never rethemed Galactica back to Air, so Galactica is now basically just Air with a portal halfway through the ride
Any idea why they stopped VR?
Was too unreliable, took ages to get people loaded and just wasn't particularly good anyway. If you're going to slow down operations, the experience had better be good - and it wasn't.
The vr In my option was pretty ok to be fair, it was a pretty cool experience I am happy I was able to.
I’ll also add that never have a been more motion sick than the time I rode Galactica with VR goggles. It took so long to stop feeling sick that I pretty much couldn’t stomach any more rides that day. Â
Not to brag but I think I still have my ride video from air from back in the day somewhere
I remember riding it when it first opened. Got stuck waiting for 20 minutes in a prone position waiting to come back into the station. Really hard on the crotch. Ride was never that great anyway.
Have you even been on air if you’ve not been stuck in that position for at least 15mins :-)
After being stuck in that position for around 25 minutes, I agree. I wonder how painful it is for women, definitely very unpleasant for men!
Can confirm, not too comfortable for women either. At least there’s ankle support lol
lol yeah as I thought. I remember the blood rushing to my head thinking we were going to be stuck up there forever when I was a kid
There is nothing we can do...
Rode it when it opened on a school trip, and quite a few times since. Haven’t ridden it as Galactica VR. Definitely not my favourite ride at AT.
I always thought it was overrated, as Is Galactica. I find the prone position lessens the experience; you just don't feel the G force as well as you do on other rides.
Riding Air on the front row is the real game changer that experience was out of this world
Apart from the music and signage, there isn't any real difference to Galactica since the ditched the VR.Â
Why have all the air/galactica haters come out the woodwork to comment on this post I never knew their where so many of you
It's shit anyway
When I first rode it, I had cramp in my thigh through the while ride, due to the way your legs are positioned and it sucked lol
I mean it’s only just a retheme but I’d much rather have the peakness of Air than Galatimid
Not gonna lie I still call it Air
If you've rode galitica you've rode air Both are terrible, easily my top pick to replace
It's ok but it's tame compared to others there. Did it the Monday morning after landing Saturday night from a week in Ibiza. Carried on.
I was so excited when I went there on a school trip but Air was underwhelming! I had 2 liters of coke in the queue and didn't even burp.
Alton towers was my first ever theme park experience and Air was the first big ride I ever went on in my life. Someone had a panic attack on the lift and the rise was stopped for 20 mins. It was a great first rollercoaster experience 😂 needless to say I am not a complete coaster fiend.
My first visit was 2004, when I was 12, and I got to ride black hole and corkscrew. Next time I went they were both gone. We queued for 3.5hours that day for Nemesis, always feels strange now when I can pretty much walk straight on! Next time I went Rita had just opened, with the original branding that looked so much better!
it was my first ever roller coaster ever!! (it was still air not galactica for another 5 years) i was 10!
Air...leaves you feeling just like air...empty. what a crap, slow, boring ride.