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Galactica (roller coaster)
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| Galactica | |
|---|---|
| Previously known as Air (2002–2015) | |
| Alton Towers | |
| Location | Alton Towers |
| Park section | Forbidden Valley |
| Coordinates | 52°59′09″N 1°52′55″W / 52.9859°N 1.88205°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | 16 March 2002 |
| Cost | £12 million |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Flying |
| Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard |
| Model | Flying Coaster |
| Track layout | Terrain |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 20 m (66 ft) |
| Length | 840 m (2,760 ft) |
| Speed | 75 km/h (47 mph) |
| Inversions | 2 |
| Duration | 1:40 |
| Capacity | 1,500 riders per hour |
| G-force | 3.5 |
| Height restriction | 140 cm (4 ft 7 in) |
| Trains | 3 trains with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 28 riders per train. |
| Galactica at RCDB | |
Galactica is a flying roller coaster located in the Forbidden Valley area of Alton Towers amusement park in Staffordshire, England. It originally opened as Air on 16 March 2002 and is the first flying coaster manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard. Guests ride in a prone position, meant to produce the feeling of flight, as the train passes close to the ground, under footpaths, and narrowly past trees and rocks. The ride was refurbished for the 2016 season and reopened as Galactica. It features an 840-metre-long (920 yd) track and reaches a maximum speed of 75 km/h (47 mph; 21 m/s).
History
[edit]Air (2002–2015)
[edit]Alton Towers conceived the concept of a flying roller coaster in 1990, twelve years before Air eventually opened.[2] Following the opening of Nemesis in 1994, a flying coaster was planned by the park to open in 1998, but was delayed due to technological limitations.[3] During its development, Alton Towers marketed the ride as Secret Weapon 5 (abbreviated to SW5),[4] following the naming pattern established for previous major park developments.
Construction of Air began in mid-2001.[3] Later that year, Alton Towers initially advertised the new rollercoaster as a "next generation Aerial Inversion Ride"; subsequently revealing the name Air.[5][6][7] In early 2002, the ride began testing.
At the time of opening, Air tied with Oblivion as the most expensive ride at Alton Towers, at a cost of £12 million.[8][9] A £4.5 million marketing campaign for the ride included commercials based around the ride's slogan, "assume the position".[3] Air officially opened to the public on 16 March 2002.[8] On opening, Alton Towers entered into a five-year sponsorship agreement for the ride with Cadbury Heroes.[10]
Galactica (2016–present)
[edit]In June 2015, the park submitted a planning application to make modifications to the station building and retail space. This proposed adding a new photo opportunity into the queue, enclosing the station building with new walls, and constructing additional theming elements around the ride area.[11] This was in addition to an earlier planning application to convert the existing ride shop into a restaurant.[12] In October 2015, the first promotional material was posted on the Alton Towers website, advising guests to "prepare for a new flight" and to "watch this space".[13]
On 12 January 2016, Alton Towers announced that Air would be re-themed as Galactica for the 2016 season and would include on-ride virtual reality (VR) headsets simulating a ride through the cosmos. The announcement was made at an event held at the Science Museum.[14] Each seat on the roller coaster was initially fitted with a Samsung Gear VR headset and pouch.[15] The virtual reality experience was optional, as guests could choose to ride without using the headsets.[16] A promotional website was also released explaining more information about the ride and its new storyline.[17] In late February 2016, the park announced that the official opening date would be 24 March 2016.[18]
For the 2018 season, the availability of VR headsets on the ride were reduced to the back three rows of each train only, with guests choosing whether to use the VR or not when they entered the station. In 2019, Alton Towers removed the virtual reality headsets altogether due to guest feedback.[19][20]
Characteristics
[edit]Statistics
[edit]At the time of opening, Galactica was the tallest ride at Alton Towers with a height of 20 metres (66 ft).[8][9][21] until it was overtaken by Wicker Man, which stands at 22 metres (72 ft). The 840-metre-long (2,760-foot) ride reaches a top speed of 75 kilometres per hour (47 miles per hour), and riders can experience a g-force of up to 3.5g whilst on the ride. One cycle of the ride lasts approximately one minute and forty seconds.[8]
Trains
[edit]Galactica features a dual-platform loading station, permitting three trains to operate simultaneously. Each train has seven cars, with each car carrying four riders side-by-side in a single row. This configuration allows for up to 1500 riders per hour,[8] although this was heavily reduced when VR was in operation.
Station and loading
[edit]Riders board a train sitting down, in a similar style to inverted roller coasters.[22] Riders are restrained through a padded over-the-shoulder harness and a lap bar. Two flaps hold the riders' legs in position at their ankles, and close as the harness locks into place. After a train is fully locked and checked, riders are raised into the flying position and the train departs the station.[22] From 2016 to 2018, riders had the option of wearing virtual reality headsets, which were attached to the restraints.
Ride layout
[edit]Galactica departs the station and ascends a chain lift hill. The train enters the first drop, dips to the right, and rises back up through the ride's centrepiece theming element – a portal – which correlates to the ride's space theme. Immediately following this, the track twists, turning riders from the prone position onto their backs.[23] The train then embarks on a large upward left turn before twisting again, returning riders to the prone position.[23] After exiting from this lie-to-fly element, the train passes underneath a small ravine before pitching up into a tight turn over the plaza area.[23] A 360-degree inline twist[8] is followed by a series of smaller turns and dips in the track, before coming to a stop on the brake run and returning to one of the ride's two stations.[23]
Reception
[edit]The Tussauds Group, owners of Alton Towers in the early 2000s, claimed that Air contributed to the park's strong performance in 2002 and 2003.[24]
In Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards, Air was ranked in the top 50 among steel roller coasters numerous times following its opening. It peaked at position 24 in 2003,[25] before dropping to 34 in 2004 and 36 in 2005.[26][27] In 2006, it tied ranked 49th with another Bolliger & Mabillard flying coaster, Superman: Ultimate Flight.[28] The ride would drop out of the annual rankings the following year, although it would make a brief reappearance as Galactica in 2015 when it ranked 38th.[29]
References
[edit]- ^ "FastTrack Passes". Alton Towers.
- ^ "The World's First Flying Rollercoaster Opening at Alton Towers" (Press release). Alton Towers. 10 March 2002. Archived from the original on 28 May 2005. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
- ^ a b c "Air: A Coaster in the Making". Alton Towers Almanac. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ "All Time Greats – Air". Alton Towers. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
- ^ Koranteng, Juliana (15 October 2001). "Coaster shoots for all ages". Amusement Business. 113 (41).
- ^ Koranteng, Juliana (14 January 2002). "Alton Towers debuts coaster". Amusement Business. 114 (2): 9.
- ^ "Air Rollercoaster". Alton Towers. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f Marden, Duane. "Air (Alton Towers)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
- ^ a b Marden, Duane. "Oblivion (Alton Towers)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
- ^ "Cadbury's Heroes links with Alton Towers ride". Marketing Week. 14 February 2002. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
- ^ "Minor works to the 'Air' rollercoaster, including enhancing the existing station area, installing a photo-opportunity kiosk and new themed features". Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. Archived from the original on 18 March 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ "Alton Towers plans extension to 'Air shop'". Leek Post & Times. Archived from the original on 12 May 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ "Alton Towers promise 'out of this world' year for 2016". Airgates. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ "Galactica launches at London's Science Museum". TowersStreet. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ White, Jeremy (18 March 2016). "Galactica at Alton Towers: What it's like to ride a VR rollercoaster (Wired UK)". Wired UK. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ Wright, Dan (12 January 2016). "Alton Towers announce Galactica". Airgates. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ "Galactica". galacticatours.com. Archived from the original on 11 March 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ "Exciting developments for our 2016 season!". Alton Towers. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ^ "Galactica: VR removed from Alton Towers rollercoaster". Ride Rater. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- ^ "Reply to user @Ev_Jay". Alton Towers official Twitter account. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
Galactica no longer features VR due to guest feedback regarding their experience on the ride.
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Nemesis (Alton Towers)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
- ^ a b Bevil, Dewayne (17 November 2008). "Manta on demand: more details about SeaWorld coaster under construction". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on 14 April 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
- ^ a b c d Bell, Ian (13 October 2006). "Air, Alton Towers POV". Coaster Force. Retrieved 27 April 2013 – via YouTube.[dead YouTube link]
- ^ Koranteng, Juliana (22 December 2003). "Despite Economic Woes, Attendance Stable in Europe". Amusement Business. 115 (51): 11, 15.
- ^ "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2013.
- ^ "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2007. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ^ "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2013.
- ^ "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 May 2013.
- ^ "Issue Archive". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
External links
[edit]Galactica (roller coaster)
View on GrokipediaHistory
Development and construction
The development of what would become Air began in the late 1990s, with Alton Towers initially planning its unveiling for the 1998 season under the codename Secret Weapon 5 (SW5), part of the park's secretive ride announcement tradition. The project carried a projected cost of £12 million, tying it with the contemporary Oblivion as one of the most expensive attractions in the park's history at the time.[5][6] The ride was designed by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), marking their first flying coaster installation in Europe and the world's inaugural prototype of this model. It incorporated innovative prone-position restraints that positioned riders face-down to simulate flight, a concept conceived by ride designer John Wardley to enhance the sensation of aerial maneuvers. Key engineering challenges included crafting a custom tubular steel track optimized for the flying configuration, which allowed for low-to-the-ground dives and interactions with the landscape, as well as two inversions—a horseshoe roll and a corkscrew—while ensuring smooth transitions without traditional over-the-shoulder restraints. Integrating the structure into the rugged Forbidden Valley terrain required precise site preparation to blend the ride's 840-meter layout with existing paths and natural features, addressing delays stemming from these technical complexities that postponed the original timeline.[5][7][6] Construction commenced during the 2000-2001 closed season, with major groundwork and site clearance occurring in mid-2001 amid challenging wet weather conditions that turned the area muddy. Bolliger & Mabillard handled the track fabrication and assembly, collaborating with Consignia for control systems and Tussauds Studios for thematic elements. By late 2001, the core structure was largely complete, enabling initial testing with crash dummies in early 2002 to verify safety and performance. The ride received official planning permission in October 2000 following submissions in August of that year, paving the way for its debut.[6][7] Initial marketing built anticipation through cryptic posters and media teasers starting in mid-2001, culminating in a major campaign that promoted the attraction as the "Aerial Inversion Ride" (AIR), emphasizing its groundbreaking flying experience. The strategy included nationwide television and cinema advertisements with the slogan "Assume the position," sponsored by Cadbury Heroes in a five-year deal, positioning AIR as a revolutionary addition to the Forbidden Valley area.[6][7]Operation as Air
Air operated daily during Alton Towers' theme park season from March to November, aligning with the resort's standard operating calendar to capitalize on favorable weather and visitor demand. Peak performance occurred in the summer months, when extended hours and high attendance allowed the ride to achieve its maximum throughput potential, often seeing queues exceeding 60 minutes on busy days. The ride's two-train operation, each with seven cars seating four riders per row for a total of 28 passengers per train, enabled a theoretical capacity of 1,500 riders per hour under optimal conditions.[8][1][9] Maintenance practices for Air followed standard protocols for Bolliger & Mabillard roller coasters, emphasizing reliability and safety through regular checks on track integrity, train mechanisms, and passenger restraints. Alton Towers commissioned approximately 1,800 hours of independent ride inspections annually across its attractions, ensuring compliance with stringent safety standards; Air benefited from these routine evaluations without requiring major overhauls during its 13-year run as Air until the 2015 closure announcement.[10] The ride's innovative flying position and smooth layout contributed to its enduring popularity, consistently earning high marks in UK theme park enthusiast rankings throughout the 2000s. It frequently placed in the top tier of Alton Towers' coasters and broader UK polls, praised for its accessibility and immersive sensation of flight that appealed to a wide range of riders.[11][12] Early operations encountered minor issues typical of a new installation, including brief downtimes for adjustments, but no significant incidents or injuries were reported, underscoring the ride's robust engineering.Relaunch as Galactica
Following the closure of Air at the end of the 2015 season on November 8, Alton Towers announced on January 12, 2016, that the ride would undergo a major retheming to incorporate virtual reality technology, transforming it into Galactica for the 2016 season.[13][14] The refurbishment included an overhaul of the station to accommodate VR headset integration, with modifications to ensure seamless synchronization between the ride's motions and the virtual experiences, while retaining the original track layout from Air.[2] This multi-million-pound project, developed over two years, involved extensive technical work to install the VR systems across all 84 seats.[15] The retheming embraced a space exploration theme, featuring a new queue line that immerses guests in a sci-fi narrative set in the year 3019, where a wormhole in Forbidden Valley serves as a portal to cosmic adventures.[1] The station was repainted in an aqua blue metallic finish to evoke a futuristic spacecraft aesthetic, complementing the ride's flying position.[16] In partnership with Figment Productions, Alton Towers integrated Samsung Gear VR headsets, providing an optional virtual reality overlay that transformed riders into astronauts on a synchronized space journey, including encounters with nebulae and the birth of a star.[17][14] The experience was designed to enhance the prone flying sensation, with visuals precisely matched to the coaster's inversions, drops, and speeds up to 75 km/h.[18] Galactica reopened on March 24, 2016, billed as the world's first roller coaster fully dedicated to virtual reality, marking a significant innovation in theme park attractions despite the park's recent challenges from the 2015 Smiler incident.[15][14] However, the launch encountered initial technical difficulties, including software synchronization issues with the VR headsets, which delayed full operational capacity until early April 2016.[19] These early glitches required on-site adjustments by the technical team and Figment Productions to ensure reliable performance.[20]Post-relaunch developments
Following the 2016 relaunch, the virtual reality (VR) headsets on Galactica were limited to the back three rows of each train starting in the 2018 season, in response to guest feedback regarding motion sickness and extended dispatch times caused by the fitting and adjustment process. The full VR system was removed entirely in March 2019, allowing the ride to operate as a standard flying roller coaster while retaining its Galactica theming and aerospace narrative.[4] The ride was closed from March 2020 to March 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, during which Alton Towers postponed its entire theme park season opening.[21] Upon reopening in 2021, Galactica underwent maintenance focused on its track and restraints to ensure safe operation after the extended downtime.[22] In 2022, updated loading protocols improved operational efficiency, enabling the ride to achieve its theoretical maximum throughput of 1,500 riders per hour without the prior constraints of VR headset management.[1] Maintenance efforts continued into 2023 with upgrades to sensors aimed at reducing weather-induced stoppages, a common issue for outdoor coasters like Galactica.[23] On March 31, 2025, Alton Towers announced the permanent closure of Galactica after the 2025 season to facilitate new hotel and car park infrastructure developments, with operations ceasing on November 9, 2025.[24]Design and characteristics
Track layout and statistics
Galactica is a steel flying roller coaster located in the Forbidden Valley area of Alton Towers Resort, Staffordshire, England, where its track layout is designed to weave through the rugged terrain, skimming close to the ground and paths to enhance the sensation of flight. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), it utilizes a tubular steel track typical of the company's flying coaster model, marking the debut of this restraint and positioning system in 2002.[1][2] The ride's circuit begins as trains exit the station and make a right turn toward the chain lift hill, ascending to a maximum height of 20 meters over a nearby footpath. At the crest, a brief pre-lift brake run slows the train momentarily before the 20-meter drop plunges riders to the right through a themed portal featuring mist, lighting, and sound effects. This leads into the first inversion, a horseshoe roll, followed by a dive to the left and an ascent into the second inversion, a zero-g roll that delivers a moment of weightlessness. The layout then features a tight right turn, a small dip for airtime, and a series of sweeping banked turns and additional low-level airtime hills that hug the landscape, culminating in a 180-degree left turn into the brake run and return to the station.[2][1] Key performance statistics for Galactica are summarized in the following table:| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Track length | 840 meters |
| Maximum height | 20 meters |
| Drop height | 20 meters |
| Top speed | 75 km/h |
| Inversions | 2 |
| Maximum G-force | +3.5 G |
| Ride duration | 1 minute 40 seconds |
