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Coaster Must Knows...

This is far from a complete list of everything you need to know about Roller Coasters. I will be updating this often, providing information on a wider variety of coasters, and even more information on the companies that create these works of art.

Definitions

Airtime		Sick Air Time
The feeling of being lifted out of your seat, usually experienced when being taken over a hill, where the car quickly goes up one side of a hill and then quickly goes down the other side of the hill.		This is the best type of air time. This is where the car goes up and down a steep hill very quickly and you are launched out of your seat; the prayers are flying from the even the most devoted atheists hoping the lap restraint holds well enough! Truly one of the best feeling in the world!

Types of Wooden Coasters

Out and Back

Twister

Simple wooden coaster, usually goes out in a straight line, turns around and comes back to where it started. It usually consists of a big drop hill and consecutive smaller hills that give the rider good air time. The turn around is usually a sharp upwards hill that takes you up to a slightly banked turn then drops you into more smaller hills that provide more airtime. Some Out and backs have a Kickback that is placed at the bottom of a small hill, and this jerks the car at an angle which gives the rider the feeling of being thrown from the ride. Example is the Phoenix at Knoebels Resort.

This is usually a compact coaster, consisting of many banked turns which gives you a feeling of high speed. They usually crisscross themselves many times, turning you in many directions. An example of this is Wildcat at Hersheypark.

Racer

These coasters are usually a side by side coaster that has 2 identical tracks that mirror each other. The cars travel on their respective tracks at the same time. An example of a racer is the Rebel Yell at PKD. A new version of the Racer is the Dueling Racing coaster, where they are built like a Twister and they wind within each other. The only current Dueling Racing coaster is the Lightning Racer at Hersheypark.

Types of Steel Coasters

Mine Train		Wild Mouse
These are designed to give the rider a feeling they are on a runaway Mine Train. The cars usually look like old Mine Cars and they ride on a steel rail and usually have wooden supports. An example is the Trailblazer at Hersheypark.		Usually a single car coaster that rides on a steel rail and it makes sharp U-turns and gives the rider the feeling they are going to fall off the end. They usually have a few small hills that fall at a high rate of speed and give good air time. An example is the Wild Mouse at Hersheypark.

Bob Sled		Coasters with Inversions
Trackless coaster, where the train or car ride inside a steel trough, and resemble a bobsled. They consist of sharp twisting turns and no steep hills. Being trackless, if there were hills, the car would leave the trough, making way for a less than enjoyable flight through the air, landing somewhere other than where you'd want to be. An Example is the Avalanche at PKD.		They are coasters that consist of one or more loops or corkscrew, where the rider is sent upside down one or more times. Not to be confused with an Inverted Coaster. (See Below) An example is the Anaconda at PKD.

Standup		Inverted Coaster
Steel coaster where the rider is standing up throughout the duration of the ride. The Shockwave at PKD is an example of a Standup.		The train hangs under the track, but does not swing. The rider sits in a "Ski-Lift" type seat, and their legs dangle freely below the car. These rides may include many different inversion elements. An example is Alpengeist at BGW.

Suspended		Mega-Coaster
The train hangs below the track and swings freely below it, swinging the rider as it turns. Rider sits in a car that resembles a standard car. An example is the Big Bad Wolf at BGW.		High speed steel coaster that provide the rider with excitement from sheer speed, airtime and sick airtime, rather than inversions. Mega-coasters first hill are usually between 150 and 300 feet. With a 205 foot first drop, Superman Ride of Steel at Six Flags America is an example of a Mega-Coaster.

Hypercoaster, and the incredible...Giga-Coaster
Hypercoasters are any coaster that break the 200 foot mark. They can be Steel, wood, looping or not, they must be over 200 feet tall. Giga-coasters are ones that top the 300 foot mark. The first coaster to top the 300 foot mark was the Millennium Force at Cedar Point.