Air

Take to the skies around Alton Towers with the amazing Air - sponsored by Cadbury's Heroes.

This roller coaster was one of the first 'flying coasters' to be built in the world. First opening in 2002, you'll get strapped in and 'assume the position' - which means you'll be riding this roller coaster lying down, or flying like Superman.

Air is still the only ride of its type in the UK, offering a quite unique experience that is set to wow guests to Alton Towers. It has a smooth and graceful flight, swooping close to the ground and then back into the skies.

This roller coaster came at a whopping cost of £12 million, whilst it's also the only flying coaster to feature a half zero G roll - that's some serious 'Air time'!

Air is one of the most popular rides at Alton Towers, so it's often worth making it one of your first port of calls to avoid queue time. There's also a special queue for riding at the very front of the train - this is highly recommended, and worth the extra wait. You won't find an experience much closer to actually flying than when you ride on the front of Air!

Want to know what riding Air is like? Check out our Air video page.

Facts

Air
Theme Park: Alton Towers
Park Area: Forbidden Valley
Category: Roller coaster
Ride Type: Steel - flying
Manufacturer: Bolliger and Mabillard
First Opened: 2002
Maximum ride height (ft): 66
Ride Length (ft): 2756
Speed (mph): 47
Max. Ride G-Force: 3.5
Number of Inversions: 2
Duration: 1:40
Min. Height Restriction (m): 1.4