Turbulence (roller coaster) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Turbulence |
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| Adventureland (New York) | |
| Location | Adventureland (New York) |
| Coordinates | 40°45′09″N 73°25′11″W / 40.752494°N 73.419721°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | May 22, 2015 |
| Cost | $5,000,000 |
| Replaced | Hurricane |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Spinning |
| Manufacturer | Mack Rides |
| Model | Spinning Coaster |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 55 ft (17 m) |
| Length | 1,253.3 ft (382.0 m) |
| Speed | 40 mph (64 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Height restriction | 44 in (112 cm) |
| Trains | 2 trains with 3 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 12 riders per train. |
| Turbulence at RCDB | |
Turbulence is an exciting steel spinning roller coaster at Adventureland in East Farmingdale, New York. This thrilling ride opened in May 2015. It took the place of the older Hurricane coaster, which had been at the park for 22 years. Turbulence is now considered the park's main attraction.
Contents
The Story of Turbulence
The idea for the Turbulence roller coaster began in 2013. Park officials from Adventureland traveled to California. They rode Sierra Sidewinder, another spinning coaster, at Knott's Berry Farm. After that, they went to Germany to talk with the company Mack Rides.
On June 25, 2014, Adventureland announced big news. They would remove their old Hurricane coaster at the end of the season. A brand new $5 million spinning coaster from Mack Rides would replace it. This new ride would be the biggest and most expensive attraction the park had ever built!
The park also held a contest to choose the new ride's name. The Hurricane coaster, made by an Italian company called S.D.C., gave its last rides on September 13, 2014. It had been operating for 22 years. The Hurricane coaster was then sold to Race City in Panama City Beach, Florida. It opened there in 2015 and is still running today. On December 26, 2014, Adventureland announced the winning name: Turbulence.
Building the coaster started after Hurricane was taken down. Construction continued through the winter of 2014 and 2015. The park hoped to open Turbulence in March 2015. However, bad weather caused delays. The coaster was finally finished in late March.
Test runs began in the spring, along with landscaping work. On May 18, there was a special preview for the media. Then, on May 22, 2015, Turbulence officially opened to the public at 2 PM EST. Many excited fans and local leaders were there for the big event.
Two years later, on August 2, 2017, Turbulence celebrated a huge milestone. It welcomed its one millionth rider! That lucky person won season passes for 2017 and 2018, plus a prize pack of ride merchandise.
What It's Like to Ride
The ride starts with a turn to the right. Your car is locked in place and does not spin yet. You then go up the Chain lift hill to a height of 55 feet (17 m). As you climb, the song "Turbulence" by Steve Aoki and Laidback Luke plays. It can be hard to hear over the sounds of the lift!
Once at the top, your car is set free to spin! The ride makes a left turn into the main drop. You reach a top speed of 40 mph (64 km/h). Then, you go up into a large turnaround. After an airtime hill (where you feel a bit weightless!), the coaster twists close to the ground.
The track then forms a figure-8 shape. You experience another airtime hill and a helix (a spiral turn). A final tight turn brings the trains to the brake run. You still have lots of speed! A small turn leads back to the station. The whole ride, from start to finish, lasts about one minute.
Fun Facts and Numbers
Turbulence is 55 feet (17 m) tall. The track is 1,253.3 feet (382.0 m) long. It reaches a top speed of 40 mph (64 km/h). Even though its layout was designed just for Adventureland, it's about 174 feet (53 m) shorter than the old Hurricane coaster.
The coaster uses two trains. Each train has three cars, and each car holds four riders. Riders sit facing forwards and backwards in two rows of two. The cars spin freely throughout the ride!
How the Trains are Stored
Turbulence uses a special way to store its trains. Instead of a typical track that moves trains into a storage shed, it has a stacked storage system. One train can be stored right below the station. The other train stays in the station. An elevator lift can bring the lower train up to the platform. This system is not very common. You can find it on some other Mack Rides coasters, like Sierra Sidewinder. It's also used on The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in Blackpool, England.
Other Mack Spinning Coasters
Turbulence is a Spinning roller coaster made by Mack Rides. It is one of only three Mack spinning coasters in the United States. The other two are Sierra Sidewinder and the more intense Time Traveler (roller coaster) at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri.
External Resources
- Turbulence (roller coaster) at the Roller Coaster DataBase
