Air Time

Steel or wood, short or all, new or vintage - it does not matter the class of coaster, it can only be tops on an Enthusiast's list if it contains massive amounts of one thing - airtime.

Enthusiasts crave air time on a coaster. This is what they live for. In fact, if you could put air time in a syringe or in powder form, there would be a serious drug problem in the Enthusiast community.

Enthusiasts go so far as to categorize their air time - floater air and ejector air. They even keep a close tally of a coaster's air time "moments."

To make a good impression on an Enthusiast, and to make him/her feel smart, ask them to explain how different seats on a train offer different air time effects. You can mention laterals and Gs, but these coaster elements pale in comparison to air time and won't get you a guaranteed invitation to be their guest at the next coaster convention. You may then ask how a coaster that is over 300 feet tall, tops 90 mph, and covers over a mile of track is no good. The answer won't surprise you. "It has no air time."