Ace Academy��A thrilling, dueling, fighter jet roller coaster

Eric Frankle

TPA 3183

Concept

Front Entrance

• Military style gate
• Sign in front of gate naming attraction
• Military bunker to enter main building
• Additional sign stating: “New recruits needed!”

Signage

• Rock N Roller Coaster style decoration
• Depicts 2 fighter jets going through inter-locking corkscrew
• White track underneath and around model jets; track transforms into smoke trails (white trail or contrail) after short distance

Training Room

• Combination of classroom and simulator room
• Several types of flight simulators: VR, computer screen, and 270-degree projection
• Queue will go inside 270-degree simulator
• Simulator screens show pre-recorded simulations of dogfights, aerial maneuvers, takeoff and landing, etc.
• Posters and whiteboard showcasing real aerial maneuvers, including several that are on the coaster
• Dynamic/moving model of miniature jets doing maneuvers
• Guests press a button to choose what maneuver is done

Training Room

Maintenance Bay

• Scale model of T-7A jet having maintenance done on it
• Parts taken off, can see some of inner workings
• In a hangar with the doors closed
• Audio chatter between technicians
• Mention new recruits
• Periodically, parts of plane will move
• Engine nozzles expand/contract and change direction, steam come out of engine
• Flaps/fins move up and down
• Cockpit cover come up and down

Maintenance Bay

Briefing Room

• Pre-show room
• Like Haunted Mansion stretching room, set number of people
• Elevated stage with projector/screen for pre-show
• Flags, decorations, and other assorted flight related objects adorn the walls

Briefing Room

Briefing Room

• Commander speak first
• Welcomes new recruits
• Explain today’s training exercise
• Brief preview of some ride elements, not spoil too much
• Mention teams alpha and bravo
• Commander leaves, flight instructors for each team enter
• Flight instructors try to persuade you to join their team
• Tells guests to get suited up and head to the tarmac
• Flight instructors fly jet, not visible

Locker Rooms

• Very short area
• Separate locker room for each team
• Feeling of getting suited up and ready for flight

Loading Station

• Two separate loading stations
• Looks like hangar with doors open
• Walk up stairs/ramp to loading platform, need to be higher to enter cockpit

Launch

• Roll out of hangar and line up next to other train
• Onboard audio with control tower chatter
• Launch area designed to look like tarmac runway
• Runway lined with scale jets and a control tower (double as ride control booth)
• Forced perspective on runway and jet sizes as get further away

Ride

• Once launch begins, onboard audio play energetic music
• Top Gun Stall, Immelmann, barrel roll
• Other booster launch sections, feeling of accelerating
• Interaction with other train

Trains

• Based off T-7A training jet
• Each team have different colored trains
• Zero car (front) looks like nose cone and part of cockpit
• Restraints will have joystick shaped grips
• “Functional” triggers, shoot at other plane/targets, sound effects

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Technical Details

• Rocky Mountain Construction Raptor single rail coaster model
• Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) launches
• 1200 people per hour capacity; 40 ft/min line
• Roller coaster cost about $30 million
• Queue and other theming elements add $1-5 million

Entrance Gate

Bunker

Entrance

Extended Queue

Training

Room

Hallway

Hallway

Maintenance Hangar

Jet

Preshow

Alpha Locker

Bravo Locker

Alpha

Station

Bravo

Station