Airtime Misfits Podcast

Hey Friends! On this episode of the Airtime Misfits Podcast we're discussing Superman: Escape From Krypton, located at Six Flags Magic Mountain. When this coaster made its debute in 1997, Superman held the record of tallest coaster in the world and first coaster to reach 100mph. On March 28, 2025, Six Flags confirmed that Superman: Escape From Krypton would be demolished to make room for future new developments. We dive into all of this and more. Thanks so much for listening!Follow us on Instagram: @airtimemisfits

Hey Friends! On this episode of the Airtime Misfits Podcast we're discussing Big Bad Wolf, formerly located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, VA.  Since opening in 1984, this coaster was loved by many park goers and enthusiasts alike.  So when it's closure was annouced in 2009, it left many Big Bad Wolf fans pretty upset.  Fear not because soon you'll be able to relive some of the magic of Big Bad Wolf, sort of.  In 2025, Busch Gardens Williamsburg will debut Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf's Revenge as a homage to the orginal.  Although the name is lacking in creativity and the ride itself doesnt look near as exciting as the original,  We're happy to see the park pay an homage to a previous iconic coaster.  Thanks so much for listening!Follow us on Instagram: @airtimemisfits

Hey Friends! On this episode of the Airtime Misfits Podcast we're discussing the very short lived log flume, Shoot the Rapids, formerly located at Cedar Point. With the vacant land formerly occupied by Shoot the Rapids, in addition to the recent announcement of the removal of Snake River Falls, Cedar Point certainly has A LOT of room to work with for a future ride addition. hanks so much for listening!Follow us on Instagram: @airtimemisfits

Hey Friends! On this episode of the Airtime Misfits Podcast we're discussing the massive news Six Flags Great Adventure announced about the removal of Kingda Ka, Green Lantern and a few additional flat rides! All of these removals are to make way for a future "multi-record breaking coaster" coming in 2026! Thanks so much for listening!Follow us on Instagram: @airtimemisfits

On this episode of the Airtime Misfits Podcast we're talking about the Arrow Looping coaster, Vortex, formly located at Kings Island. Vortex debuted as the tallest, full-circuit roller coaster in the world with a height of 148 feet. It was also the first coaster to feature six inversions. Vortex thrilled over 46 million riders in its lifetime, until it closed permanently in 2019. Vortex was not known to be the smoothest coaster ride ever, but what it lacked in comfort it made up for with its iconic views from the midway. Hope you enjoy this episode!Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @TheChainLift, @airtimemisfitsFind some awesome roller coaster shirts at: www.thechainlift.com

During this episode we're talking about arguably the most infamous defunct coaster of all time, Son Of Beast. With it's record breaking height, length, speed and large looping inversion, Son Of Beast was supposed to be Kings Island's boundry pushing new coaster to bring in the new millennium. Unfortunately for Kings Island, things did not go as planned. This behemoth of a coaster was plagued with maintenance issues from the very beggining. It also quickly gained a reputation from those brave enough to ride it as being a very rough and uncomfortable experience. Due to these many issues and a series of serious accidents occuring on the ride, Kings Island made the decision to shut down the ride permanently in 2009. Not even ten years after it made its debut. Perhaps this ride was just built ahead of its time. Still, there's no denying that this coaster is legendary for it's boundry pushing stats and inspired innovation.Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @TheChainLift @airtimemisfitsFind some awesome roller coaster shirts at www.thechainlift.com

On this episod we're talking about the one and only T3, located at Kentucky Kingdom. Like most Vekoma SLC's, this was not a very enjoyable coaster experience and was widely considered to be one of the worst coasters around. We're were not fans of T3 by any means but the history of the coaster was fun to discuss nonetheless. Hope you enjoy the episode!Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @TheChainLift @airtimemisfitsFind some awesome roller coaster shirts at www.thechainlift.com

On this episode, We're sharing our lists of the top 5 defunct coasters we wish we had the chance to ride before they became extinct. Lots of great defunct coasters to choose from so this was no easy task. Let us know in the comment section below if you had a chance to ride any of the coasters on our lists before they were removed and what your memories are of riding them. Also, feel free to let us know some of the defunct coasters you missed out on that you now regret. Thanks for listening!Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @TheChainLift @airtimemisfitsCheck out www.airtimemisfits.com for awesome defunct coaster/amusement park goodsFind more roller coaster shirts at www.thechainlift.com

This was a fun episode for us to do. In this episode we discuss our top five favorite defunct roller coasters that we've ridden. So many great defunct coasters to choose from, but for us, it all comes down to one major factor. Nostalgia. Listen along as we reminisce about some great coasters of the past.Be sure to keep a look out for part two of this podcast series. In that episode we'll be discussing our top five defunct coasters that we wish we had the chance to ride before it was too late. Thanks for listening!

The recent announcement by Cedar Point of the retirement of Top Thrill Dragster was a tough pill to swallow for coaster enthusiasts across the world. Being the first full circuit roller coaster in the world to break the 400 foot tall barrier made this coaster legendary in many coaster enthusiasts eyes. So to have this coaster shuttered for good after 19 short seasons was a bit of a surprise. You could also say it was a bit predictable considering the rides history of having consistent mechanical issues causing larges amounts of downtime. The final nail in the coffin, a freak accident in 2021 where a small piece of metal from the ride became dislodged and struck a guest waiting the ride queue, causing serious injury. The coaster has not operated since this incident.However, some of the wording that Cedar Point chose to use in their released statement concerning the fate of Top Thrill Dragster, has left us with a little spark of hope. Particularly the phrases “Top Thrill Dragster, as you know it, is being retired” and “Our team is hard at work, creating a new and innovative ride experience.” What does this mean exactly? Nobody is certain. BUT, it does leave open the possibility that Top Thrill Dragster won't be leaving the park completely, which is a very intriguing thought.In this episode we discuss the history of Top Thrill Dragster and what our best guesses are for the future of this towering behemoth. Let us know what you think the future holds for Top Thrill Dragster in the comment section below.Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @airtimemisfitswww.airtimemisfits.com

The recent announcement from Cedar Fair about the sale and the inevitable closing of California's Great America has the roller coaster community shook. It's always a bad day when an amusement park closes its doors. Especially to the locals who claim Great America as their home park. While this is terrible new for the coaster community as a whole, it's good news for the smaller, neglected parks in the Cedar Fair chain. These parks now eagerly await to learn which of CGA's hand-me-down attractions they will be gifted.In this episode, we briefly discuss the history of Great America, Nick's experience visiting the park and our thoughts of why Cedar Fair decided to pull the plug. Most fun of all, we give our best guesses as to which parks will become the new owners of these hand-me-down roller coaster and thrill ride attractions.

In this episode we're talking about one of the most infamous defunct coasters in the United States. Drachen Fire, formerly located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, VA. This Arrow Dynamics designed coaster made its debut in 1992 and only remained open until the middle of the 1998 season, when it was shut down for good. The coaster structure was SBNO for several years, leaving many enthusiasts hoping to have another chance to ride it. Ultimately, the coaster was removed from the park in 2002. The land that formerly occupied Drachen Fire is now rumored to be home to a brand new Giga Shuttle Coaster coming to Busch Gardens in the very near future affectionately named Drachen Spire by coaster enthusiasts. Did you have the chance to ride Drachen Fire during its short life span before it was removed from the park? If so, let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @airtimemisfitswww.airtimemisfits.com

The Stand-Up roller coaster model made its debut in 1982 at Yomiuriland in Tokyo, Japan when stand-up style coaster trains were added to the existing Momonga Standing & Loop Coaster. The following year, this revolutionary model was introduced to the United States when stand-up trains were added to the existing Extremeroller roller coaster located at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, MO. In 1984, King Cobra, which became the first ground up designed standing coaster model (TOGO), made its debut at Kings Island in Mason, OH. What initially seemed like a revolutionary and exhilarating new coaster riding experience, quickly proved to be a rather uncomfortable ride experience for guests. This was especially true for male coaster riders, who often complained of a painful ride experience due to the forces of the coaster pushing them downward onto the very uncomfortable bicycle style seat between their legs. Leading these riders to question whether or not they would ever be able to impregnate a woman after experiencing such trauma to the nether regions. As years past and these coasters became less popular with park guests, B&M introduced a solution to bring new life to these dying coasters. The solution was to convert the coaster from a stand-up style coaster to a seated floorless coaster by swapping out the coaster trains. Next, add a fresh coat of paint, new theming and a new name. Voilà, your park has a "new" coaster at a relatively low cost. May not be a perfect solution but seems to have helped revive some of these forgotten about coasters and increased popularity among guests. What are your thoughts of Stand-Up roller coasters? Let us know in the comment section!Be sure to check out www.airtimemisfits.com for some awesome defunct coaster/park inspired goods.

Hey guys! Happy New Year! Hope you had a great holiday season with your friends and family. To get 2022 started off on the right foot we decided the first episode of the year can only be about one type of coaster model. The coaster model that happens to be every enthusiasts favorite. The one and only, Vekoma SLC (Suspended Looping Coaster). Typically a cloned model, you can find one of these beauties at many amusement parks across the country and globe. These coasters are not always known for giving a very smooth ride. The sometimes painful ride experience is typically due to an uncomfortable restraint system combined with the overall general roughness of the layout. What are your thoughts about the Vekoma SLC? Check us out Twitter and Instagram: @airtimemisfitsShop for awesome defunct coaster and amusement park: www.airtimemisfits.com

Hey, what's up guys! On this episode of the Airtime Misfits Podcast we're discussing Blue Streak at Conneaut Lake Park located in Conneaut Lake, PA. Blue Streak made it's debut all the back in 1938! It also happens to be designated as an ACE (American Coaster Enthusiasts) classic coaster landmark. Since opening in 1938, Blue Streak has had it's fair share of lengthy down time. At one point, Blue Streak sat dormant for three years, from 2007 to 2010. Blue Streak also did not operate for the entire 2021 season, and with the rumors of Conneaut Lake's closure, the future is not looking bright for this historic wooden coaster. Will Blue Streak ever run again? Or have we seen the last of Blue Streak and Conneaut Lake Park? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below! Check us out at www.airtimemisfits.comFollow us on Twitter and Instagram: @airtimemisfits

On this episode of the Airtime Misfits Podcast we're continuing our "The Making of A Coaster Enthusiast" series. The purpose of these episodes are for you, our awesome listeners, to learn a little bit more about us and how we became coaster enthusiasts.In our part two episode of "The Making Of A Coaster Enthusiast," we're putting the focus on Adam to learn where his love for coasters all started. Listen to find out what it was like for Adam visiting Cedar Point in the early 90's and how he was tricked into riding Mean Streak for the first time.Thanks for listening!

On this episode of the Airtime Misfits Podcast we're doing something a little different than our normal podcast format. Instead of discussing a defunct coaster or park, we thought it would be fun to share with you on how we became the coaster loving enthusiasts that we are today. In this part one episode of "The Making Of A Coaster Enthusiast," we're putting the focus on Nick and his coaster enthusiasm roots. Listen to find where Nick's love for Mantis started and to hear his experiences of visiting Geauga Lake before it's closure.Thanks for listening!

Hey guys! On this episode of the Airtime Misfits Podcast we're discussing Wicked Twister located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH. Wicked Twister has long been rumored to be on the chopping block. Cedar Point finally made the news official by announcing Wicked Twister would be removed from the park to make way for future park improvements. The coaster currently takes up a decent chunk of beautiful beach front real estate. This land, combined with the land formerly occupied by the Oceana Stadium, Cedar Point has quite a large area to work with for future rides and attractions. Will it be a new record breaking coaster? Maybe Cedar Point will finally build that boardwalk/pier enthusiasts have been dreaming about for years. Whatever the park decides to do, it will be exciting to see how this area of the park transforms.Get your last rides in now for Wicked Twister. Final day to ride is September 6, 2021! What are your thoughts about Wicked Twister being removed from the park? Will you miss it or are you more excited about the future potential for this area of the park? What would you like to see Cedar Point do with this beach front area?Thanks for listening!

On this episode of the Airtime Misfits Podcast, we're discussing The Dragon. Making it's debut on May 12, 1990 at Adventureland in Altoona, IA, The Dragon was the first coaster in Iowa to feature an inversion (two back-to-back vertical loops). Not only was The Dragon the only looping coaster at Adventureland, it was also the only looping coaster in the entire state of Iowa for over 25 years. All the way until 2016 when Adventureland debuted The Monster, a Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster featuring five inversions.The Dragon gave its last rides to guests on September 29, 2019. A portion of The Dragon was removed to make room for Dragon Slayer, a 4-D Free-Spin Coaster from S&S. As of the summer of 2021, a large portion of The Dragon is still standing, including the very picturesque back-to-back vertical loops. Did you have the chance to ride The Dragon before it closed for good? Let us know your thoughts about this coaster in the comment section.Thanks for listening!

In this episode we're discussing Orient Express formerly of Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, MO. Debuting in 1980, Orient Express, designed by Arrow Dynamics, was the second full circuit coaster to feature the interlocking loops element. It was also the first coaster to feature the Kamikaze Curve element (also known as a boomerang or batwing). Orient Express gave it's final rides in 2003. Did you have the chance to ride this Kansas City legend? Let us know in the comment section. Thanks for listening!

*After recording the episode, we realized we failed to mention that both Gwazi (Iron Gwazi) at Busch Gardens Tampa and Roar (The Joker) at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom were originally built by GCI. Making our statement about RMC not having converted a GCI coaster yet ridiculous and irresponsible. We promise to do better in the future. For this episode we decided to try something a little different. Instead of talking about a defunct coaster or park, we are instead discussing a defunct roller coaster manufacturing company. That company happens to be the one and only Dinn Corporation. Dinn Corp. first got it's start in 1983 when company founder, Charles Dinn, decided to venture into the coaster manufacturing business on his own. Prior to establishing the Dinn Corporation, Charles Dinn worked as an engineer for Kings Island and was a part of the team that designed and built one of the most iconic coasters in the world, The Beast.If you have ever had the opportunity to ride a coaster manufactured by Dinn Corp., then you probably know all too well that these wooden coasters have a reputation for being a rough and uncomfortable ride. Only eleven coasters were constructed under the Dinn Corp. name in the companies short life (1983-1991). Many of those coasters have either since been demolished or re-imagined by the good folks at Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC). What are your thoughts about Dinn Corporation? Were you a fan of these coasters? What impact did the unsuccessful longevity of the Dinn coaster models have on the extremely successful rise of Rocky Mountain Construction in the roller coaster community?Thanks for listening!Check us out on Twitter and Instagram: @airtimemisfitsWe have awesome defunct coaster and park inspired goods for sale in our shop! Check it out!www.airtimemisfits.com

In this episode we're discussing Firehawk located at Kings Island (formerly X-Flight of Six Flags Worlds of Adventure/Geauga Lake). Firehawk was a Vekoma Flying Dutchmen roller coaster. Making its debut in 2001, Firehawk was billed as the first and only flying roller coaster in the Midwest. We discuss this coasters brief history at SFWoA/Geauga Lake, as well as its relocation to Kings Island. We also give you our thoughts of the ride experience, why we think it was removed, and was its removal the right decision for Kings Island.Did you have the chance to ride Firehawk before it was removed? What are you thoughts of this coaster? Be sure to let us know in the comment section. Thanks for listening!Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @airtimemisfitsAlso, check out www.airtimemisfits.com to purchase some coaster inspired goods!

*We decided to get our babies together for a play date when we recorded this episode. Sorry for the occasional sounds of babies in the background. They're future enthusiasts that apparently had to share their two cents about Opryland.*In this episode we discuss the history of Opryland USA located in Nashville, TN which opened in 1972 and permanently closed in 1997. We take a look how the park started, some of the rides and attractions featured at the park and our thoughts on what caused the park to go out of business.We hope you join along in the conversation by letting us know your thoughts in the comment section below about Opryland. Did you have the chance to visit the park? If so, what were your impressions of the park? Check us out on Instagram and Twitter: @airtimemisfits.comWe have a selection of awesome defunct coaster/park inspired items for sale in our online shop! Be sure to check them out!www.airtimemisfits.com

Really excited about this episode because Chris of Airtime Thrills was able to join in on the conversation! Chris was one of the lucky few who had the opportunity to ride Wind Jammer Surf Racers during it's short three year life span. It was great to get his thoughts and unique perspective of this problem-filled coaster.Designed by coaster manufacturer, TOGO, Wind Jammer Surf Racers opened in 1997 as the first dueling Looping Wild Mouse coaster in the United States. This coaster was plagued with mechanical issues and suffered much downtime from the start. Due to it's unreliability and uncomfortable ride, Wind Jammer was not considered to be a crowd favorite at the park. The coaster closed for good in 2000 and a $17 million lawsuit was filed by Knott's Berry Farm thereafter claiming that TOGO poorly engineered the coaster preventing successful operation during its three years. Knott's Berry Farm ultimately loss the lawsuit and the coaster was torn down in 2001 paving the way for Xcelerator to be erected on the same site in 2002.Did you have the rare opportunity to ride Wind Jammer Surf Racers during its short three year life span? If so, we'd love to hear your thoughts about your experience. Be sure to leave a comment below! Thanks so much for listening.Be sure to check out Airtime Thrills for awesome, fun and knowledgeable roller coaster content!Airtime Thrills YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbv75m4y_FPOp1zz3DMtv4wAirtime Thrills Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/airtimethrills/Check us out at on Twitter and Instagram @airtimemisfitswww.airtimemisfits.com

Making it's debut in 1985 as Avalanche Run, it took Cedar Point only four years to realize that constructing an open track Bobsled coaster on the beach of Lake Erie was probably not the best decision. With the constant issue of sand being blown onto the coaster track, forcing the ride to be shut down to remove the sand, Cedar Point knew modifications needed to be made to keep the coaster running efficiently. The solution; Erect a giant building around Avalanche Run, create an odd and confusing space/Alaskan theme and give it a new name. Disaster Transport. Making its debut in the summer of 1990, Disaster Transport was the addition to park that Cedar Point execs hoped would help them compete with Disney and their space themed coaster, Space Mountain. Though it was a nice attempt by Cedar Point, Disaster Transport never matched the full scale theming that a Disney park offers. Especially as the years passed. Much of the theming that debuted with Disaster Transport in 1990 either was removed or non-functioning by time the coaster gave it's final rides in the summer of 2012. What's the story behind the odd space/Alaskan theming that Cedar Point came up with? Was Disaster Transport a fun coaster? And what lead to the removal of this coaster in 2012? If you had the chance to ride this coaster we'd love to hear your thoughts and memories. Be sure to comment below and let us know your thoughts about Disaster Transport. Check us out on Twitter and Instagram: @airtimemisfits @thechainliftwww.airtimemisfits.comDisaster Transport radio commercial courtesy of:https://youtu.be/xbWoMmL0AFgDisaster Transport TV commercial courtesy of: https://youtu.be/97nGs0w-LJsCedar Point TV commercial courtesy of:https://youtu.be/vSXZzsD8uQs

Making it's debut in 1998, Volcano: The Blast Coaster opened at Kings Dominion located in Doswell, VA. To see this innovative coaster in person was something special. The most unique characteristic about Volcano was that it was built inside and around an existing man-made mountain. At it's debut, Volcano held the records for fastest invert at 70 mph and tallest inversion at 155 ft. Unfortunately, Volcano was plagued with mechanical issues and expensive repair costs. Unexpectedly and to the disappointment of many enthusiasts, Kings Dominion made the difficult decision to close the coaster for good in 2018. The ride structure and mountain were torn down soon after. What attraction will fill the empty space that once occupied Volcano? That's anybodies guess. One thing we know for sure, Volcano will be missed by many for years to come.If you had the chance to ride this coaster we'd love to hear your thoughts and memories. Be sure to comment below and let us know your thoughts about Volcano: The Blast Coaster. www.airtimemisfits.com

Fun Fact: The Airtime Misfits Podcast features the worlds biggest "Fantist of Mantist" in co-host Nick. So that makes this episode all that more exciting. Easily, Nick has to own the largest collection of Mantis memorabilia of any coaster enthusiast in the universe. It's pretty impressive to see. Listen in as Nick explains why he loves this stand-up coaster so much, despite is notorious uncomfortable ride reputation. Mantis made its debut at Cedar Point in 1996 as the tallest, fastest and longest B&M stand-up coaster in the world. With endless headbanging and extreme discomfot on the legs and groin area, stand-up coasters are not known for being universally loved by enthusiasts or the GP. All of which makes sense as to why, in 2014, Cedar Point made the decision to do a major overhaul on Mantis. This overhaul consisted of a new paint scheme, new floorless trains in place of the stand-up trains, and a new name, Rougarou. Why did Cedar Point make this decision and was it the right decision for the park? Listen in and find out our thoughts.Did you have the chance to ride Mantis before it was converted to Rougarou? Let us know your thoughts of this 90's B&M coaster in the comment section.www.airtimemisfits.com

Really excited about this episode because we are joined by Josh from from Made to Thrill. With Six Flags Great America being Josh's home park, seemed like the perfect opportunity to have him on to share his thoughts and memories about Shockwave. Making it's debut in 1988, Shockwave debuted at Six Flags Great America as the tallest looping coaster in the world. It also broke the record for most inversions on a coaster in the world with 7. Plagued with many mechanical issues and low ridership due to discomfort, it was inevitable that this coaster would meet it's demise sooner rather than later.If you had the chance to ride this coaster we'd love to hear your thoughtsand memories. Be sure to comment below and let us know your thoughts about Shockwave.Thanks to Josh for joining us on the episode. Be sure to check out madetothrill.com for some awesome amusement park and roller coaster inspired goods.

In this episode we are joined by Marc from The Chain Lift. Being a Batman super fan, it was an easy sell to convince Marc to join in on this conversation. In this episode we will be discussing the dueling roller coaster, Batman & Robin: The Chiller located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, NJ. Making it's debut in 1997, this coaster had several issues from day one that never were able to be fully resolved before this coasters ultimate demise in 2007. If you had the chance to ride this coaster we'd love to hear your thoughts about the ride experience. Be sure to comment below and let us know your thoughts about Batman & Robin: The Chiller.

In this episode we discuss the short history of Jazzland/Six Flags New Orleans which opened in 2000 and unexpectedly closed in 2005 due to severe damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. We also talk about the current state of the defunct park and what could have been had Hurricane Katrina spared the park. We hope you join along in the conversation by letting us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

In this episode we discuss the demise of Geauga Lake and our thoughts of what may have caused this to happen. We hope you join along in the conversation by letting us know your thoughts in the comment section below.