weightless vs. airtime

[dakota2112]

What is different about a roller coaster hill which produces that stomach-floating sensation that I crave, vs. a roller coaster hill which produces "airtime" but with no physical sensation at all? The discussion about DB's airtime got me to thinking about this.

The sensation that I crave is induced by:

• DB's first drop
• Several drops on Racer
• The first drop on Fairly Odd Coaster
• Drop Tower
• Viking Fury
• Driving fast on certain country roads with just the right dip in them
• Elevators sometimes even do it

For the purpose of this discussion, I will call that sensation weightlessness. (can someone confirm that this is the correct terminology?)

What confuses me is how something like DB's infamous "airtime" 2nd hill can make me float right up out of my seat, yet I get absolutely no physical sensation of weightlessness at all. I mean, for me to be floating out of my seat, I must be weightless, right? That 2nd hill looks to be parabolic and "zero G", so why don't I feel weightless on it? And likewise, why do I feel weightless on the bullet list above?

[The Interpreter]

You are talking about the difference between so-called ejector air and floating air. Neither is truly weightless...about 0.5 negative g's is as good as it gets these days...

[dakota2112]

Ok so DB 2nd hill is "ejector air", and the intense 1st hill stomach-floating sensation is "floating air"?

What then differentiates an ejector air hill from a floating air hill? I understand the basics about a projectile object in free-fall following a parabolic arc and all that, and I know airplanes that fly in a parabolic arc inducing simulated weightlessness are affectionately known as "vomit comet" etc. Yet on DB's parabolic-looking 2nd hill, there is no sensation induced at all. Why?

[74Gibson]

I would say the opposite about DB's frst 2 hills. The first one feels ejector towards the back and the second is definitely floater, you feel like your just fhanging there. Ejector air feels liek you would get thrown from the train without the restraint, basically the whole return trip on Magnum.

[Beast79]

The only way to experience true weightless is on the vomit comet or space travel.

[gigacoaster2k]

Ejector air feels like you would get thrown from the train without the restraint, basically the whole return trip on Magnum.

Or Voyage.

[Beast79]

Voyage or DB is the best! Unless I win the lottery and pay 30 million to be shot up in space!

[dakota2112]

I still don't understand how I can float up out of my seat on DB's second hill, yet not experience any sort of "weightlessness" sensation whatsoever. Maybe I'm not experiencing the same sensations as some other people are, but except for that wicked 1st drop, I feel no remarkable vertical G-force sensations at all on DB, despite the massive amount of float-out-of-my-seat airtime. That really perplexes me, and is somewhat of a let-down. A few other people cited similar experiences in that other thread, so I know I'm not the only one. I'm just trying to understand the physics of it.

By comparison, when I ride Racer, there are several midcourse hills which provide the float-out-of-my-seat airtime AND the weightless sensation that I crave. What I don't get is, why does Racer's airtime hills do this, but DB's do not.

[74Gibson]

I still don't understand how I've been able to handle 6 Long Islands but got sick off half a bottle of red wine There are a lot of mental things that go into the ride.

Anticipation and excitement can add a ton of physical feelings. My last trip to CP I had a good ride on Millie and then convinced the ride op to let me go into the station as they were loading the final train. I was so excited to get an extra ride and I always love the last train. I got everyone pupmed up and it was way more intense than the ride before.

[rotag]

i thought the difference was in where you sit i know when i ride in the back that i feel like im being slung, where as middle is floating & front is free-form.

[Beast79]

On DB I make sure that the restraint is just a little loose and at the bottom of the hills I press my feet down at the base of the restraint to force my knees up to keep the restraint from coming down then half way up the hills I lean forward just a bit so my back isn't touching the seat back and this makes me feel like I'm flying.

[Beast1979]

I understand what he's getting at. On Diamondback's first drop, no matter where I sit, I always get a feeling where my entire body only floats up an inch or two, but it feels like my stomach is about to pop out my throat.

On the next few hills, my enitre body (including my stomach) just plain and simply get launched.

I also understand the mentality of it, when I ride Diamondback for the first time that day it always seems better then all the other rides. It's probably because I am excited and anxious to ride, so it always feels more intense the first time.

Rides on the Vomit Comet are going for 30 Million folks!

[dakota2112]

I understand what he's getting at. On Diamondback's first drop, no matter where I sit, I always get a feeling where my entire body only floats up an inch or two, but it feels like my stomach is about to pop out my throat.

On the next few hills, my enitre body (including my stomach) just plain and simply get launched.

I also understand the mentality of it, when I ride Diamondback for the first time that day it always seems better then all the other rides. It's probably because I am excited and anxious to ride, so it always feels more intense the first time.

Bingo That's exactly what I'm talking about - the distinct difference between the sensation felt on the 1st drop compared to the (lack of) sensation felt on the subsequent "airtime" hills. I'm curious as to why that is.

As for the mentality - yes, the first ride of the day is usually best. It's like you forgot how intense it was, even though it's only been a few days or weeks since you last rode it. I also have another trick: don't look down the hill, but rather, keep your eyes focused on the crest of an upcoming hill as the drop begins. This somehow makes the 1st drop even more intense. Not really necessary on DB, but it does help amplify Racer's 1st drop, for me anyways.