<i>ArieForce One</i> Aims for the Stars

ArieForce One Aims for the Stars

Recommend

originally posted on 4/7/2023

Photo: Doug Perry. View full-sized image.

Ignition engaged.

On March 31, Fun Spot America Atlanta (which is really in Fayetteville, Georgia) made a quantum leap in making its presence known to metropolitan Atlanta. The park had its ties to being a family entertainment center (what with go-karts, batting cages, miniature golf, arcades, etc.) within its history of being Fun Junction USA before being purchased by the Arie family in 2017. Once it was part of the Fun Spot brand, the Arie family set its sights on growth. Now the park is in transition from being an FEC to a larger amusement park. Rides were always tucked in with the other offerings, but when a $13 million roller coaster rises on the property, it’s a step into the big leagues.

Photo: Doug Perry. View full-sized image.

Photo: Derek Perry. View full-sized image.

Officially announced at IAAPA Expo 2021, ArieForce One hoped to open in 2022. The construction process weathered its share of delays of permit challenges, supply chain and the typical ordeals that have become the norm. But it is complete, it is open and it is a hit.

Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.

With 20 customized signature roller coasters now under its belt, Rocky Mountain Construction’s (RMC’s) portfolio has a breadth to it that allows fans (and clients) to see what the company can truly offer. The manufacturer is renowned for its award-winning, wild coasters — both Steel Vengeance (Cedar Point) and Iron Gwazi (Busch Gardens Tampa Bay) took the Golden Ticket Award for Best New Roller Coaster in their respective opening years. But just 20 miles down the road, Twisted Cyclone at Six Flags Over Georgia offers a less extreme coaster that is still wonderfully fun and exciting. RMC has proved that it can package fun in all sorts of sizes.

So where does ArieForce One fit in?

The answer to that is it is at the top end of the scale. Big. Intense. Out of control. Wild. ArieForce One is in the company of the aforementioned award winners. With a height of 154 feet and a top speed of 64 mph, it’s an extreme rush. It’s exactly what RMC is known for — smooth acrobatics and scream-inducing elements. For fans of airtime, it’s all over the place. For those who like the inversions, they’ll find favorite maneuvers they’ve loved plus the new raven truss dive. If one is a speed freak, the ride maintains a breakneck pace to the very end. The immediate stop on the brakes conveys to riders just how fast they were traveling to the very end.

The futuristic look capitalizes on the space launch theme.
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.

Photo: Michael Christopher. View full-sized image.

The station is simple enough but has enough décor and thematic touch to keep it from being too sparse. Its space age theme is evident — so much so that Fun Spot brought in astronaut Col. Doug Hurley at the opening to discuss negative and positive gravity. Because … you know.

Speaking of the opening ceremony, owner John Arie Jr. addressed the media (of which ACE was a part) and thanked them for helping to spread the word. It was a nice touch. During introductions, he praised the enthusiast community (of which ACE was a really big part) for its support. The ceremony had nice moments of emotion and inspiration. An auction for first riders raised $5,000 for the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives.

ACE was on hand for the opening ceremony.
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.

Chris Gray of the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives accepted the donation from Fun Spot America.
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.

If enthusiasts are up for a wild ride, here’s the breakdown. The 154-foot lift along the roadway makes for an iconic landmark to motorists. The near-vertical 83-degree drop is expected on an RMC coaster nowadays, and it appropriately delivers. The trains rise into the first inversion, the raven truss dive, which features just a touch of a fake-out in the opposite direction before it gracefully twists into a curving half-loop. A speed bump is sandwiched in between the first and second inversions, which is the always crowd-pleasing zero-G stall. Often spoken of on opening day as several people’s favorite moment is the outward-banked airtime hill (while others opt for the more fluidic inversions). This is followed by a double up packed with negative Gs and a delightful — and fast! — zero-G roll over the arcade building. The turnaround is snappy with several directional changes. A final inversion (another barrel roll) sets the course for ArieForce One’s final act: a bucking bronco of six airtime pops.

Riders ascend into the first inversion, the raven truss dive.
Photo: Doug Perry. View full-sized image.

The train twists out of the zero-G stall.
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.

The outward-banked airtime hill was a notable maneuver.
Photo: Bobby Nagy. View full-sized image.

So often, RMC works with an existing structure. ArieForce One is practically the company’s first foray into an out-and-back design.

Each train seats 20 riders. Snuggly.

One more barrel roll leads into the final stretch.
Photo: Doug Perry. View full-sized image.

The finale is an onslaught of airtime.
Photo: Bobby Nagy. View full-sized image.

When a coaster is said to “put a park on the map,” the phrase couldn’t be more fitting for ArieForce One. Just as The Raven shone a national spotlight on Holiday World in 1995, Megafobia brought attention to Oakwood in 1996 and Excalibur made known Funtown Splashtown USA in 1998, ArieForce One is doing the same for Fun Spot America Atlanta. It’s not only now on the map but also aiming for the stars. It joins two fun Miler coasters to offer something for all thrill levels.

— Tim Baldwin, ACE News