What was your first coaster to feature airtime?

[CarterG3ttingSm4rter]

Another entry in the "what was your first coaster?" series; this time it's about airtime! What coaster provided your first taste of getting kicked out of your seat?

Mine was Tonnerre de Zeus back in its heyday. So many pops of airtime for a comparatively short coaster. I didn't know what the word airtime mean (in fact, I didn't mutter a single word of English then) but the sensation was there and very distinctive.

Goliath at Walibi Holland was also my first big ejector camelback. Even today the first hill feels more powerful than many coasters I've ridden since! Writing that makes me want to go back to the Netherlands immediately...

The first coaster I went on that featured an Air-time hill was Wickerman at alton towers, it was amazing everything leading up to getting into the carriage was amazing all the theming was brilliant and I would 100% recommend it if you've never been on a coaster with an air-time and you want your first one to be one that has amazing theming and a great story behind it too

 

[James F]

Growing up in the north west of England I went to Blackpool and Southport alot. I remember The Cyclone at Pleasureland having an airtime moment on the 3rd drop, sometimes Big Dipper, Grand National and The Wild Mouse also offered a couple of airtime moments.

In terms of a true airtime focused coaster, my first was Silver Star.

 

[Slamming Coastercore]

I suspect it would probably be Rattlesnake at Chessington World of Adventures; but the bunny hill on Colossus after the loop was probably the first time I experienced airtime and mentally clocked what the sensation was.

From there, the first time I had a real eye-opening experience of what a true airtime coaster could feel like was on Goliath at Walibi Holland. That's the coaster that really got me hooked on the sensation.

 

[East Coast Mariner]

For me, it was probably one of the wooden coasters I rode in the north-west in 1999 - Cyclone, perhaps. The odd thing is I'd been riding coasters for years, but didn't actually know what airtime was. Sure, the Great Yarmouth and Margate coasters were floaty, as well as the Pinfari Z40s, but I'm not sure I actually floated up (perhaps I was too heavy!)

Roller Coaster at Blackpool, though, was a revelation, and the first time I truly understood what airtime was. Sit in the back and you'd actually float up a lot. Operated as it was then, I still say it was just about the best woodie we had in England, and to this day I prefer Roller Coaster's gentle approach, as opposed to more wild rides that need to hold you in with more and more extreme restraints.

 

[FistedColossus]

Other than the few pops here and there in England, it was probably Shambhala.

Then Taron a few years later got me fully hooked.