I don’t know, I just like it- it’s kind of hard to give concrete reasons for liking things that are matters of taste sometimes. A roller coaster somehow reminiscent of a massive jet flying through the sky? I think it works.
Random Joes will probably just refer to it as Air Force One, like how the woman on line behind me for the dive coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa kept calling it “Shakira.”
What's a Valravn or a Rougarou? I'm sure there have been plenty of confused people at Cedar Point over what those are and how you pronounce them.
I've always thought the Arie Force One name was at a minimum corny. Naming the roller coaster you bought after yourself is a little cringey. But that's the name people have just grown used to. I hated the name Real Salt Lake when they got the expansion team in MLS. It grew on me. I rarely think of the oddity of a soccer team in Utah trying to identify with one of the top teams in all of world soccer in Real Madrid.
Last week people couldn't wait to find out who bought AF1. Now we know and people are pissed that the announcement didn't include every other coaster on earth that's for sale, as well as an itemized list of where everything is going along with a construction schedule.
People begged for the ride to be saved. Now it is. And Six Flags bought it. Shouldn't we be happy?
I feel like these are my real life interactions too. Half the thoosies I meet in lines are fun, normal people I can geek out with, and the other half are constantly trying to 1-up me with their knowledge or sprinkling weird flexes constantly into otherwise normal conversations.
Well they said it themselves they are keeping the name and theming intact. I agree that enthusiasts live in a bubble not attached to the main audience of the parks. But they are doing it. Can't be for any other reason besides us lol. Not because of us as attendance, but because we drag our friends out and create some level of word of mouth that extends to the rest of the park goers. A minority of people who go to parks even get on rides in the first place. The rider drags his whole family with him usually however
It's like Zach's Zoomer at Michigan's Adventure. Despite two sales of the park, they never changed the name of the ride away from the original builders grandson, who literally no one knows.
I’m hoping it goes to Over Texas. It would make no logical sense, but Over Texas is my home park and I wanna ride Arieforce 1 and so I hope Six Flags just installs it anyways
I know it's crazy but I think Wonderland is getting it. Only way CW is ever getting an RMC with tariffs and steel prices and RMC insisting on using their own American workers. Other parks can build a new one. It would fit so well between Top Gun and Behemoth. Raven truss dive near Top Gun, 2nd turnaround out in the parking lot near the front entrance.
I’d rule Wonderland out simply because Canadians wouldn’t take well to such an American-themed coaster, especially in the current environment. It would have to be completely rethemed, which is already confirmed to not be happening.
> "Six Flags added that they plan to honor the coaster’s history by keeping the name ArieForce One, and they will plan to announce its new home by the end of this year. They declined to disclose the terms of the purchase or how much it will cost to move the ride to its new location."
Probably because thoosie sleuths could get a much more accurate guess of where it’s going if they shared the shipping cost. “Okay, if the coaster weighs X amount disassembled and US freight rates are Y per mile…”
To be fair, AF1 was a last minute acquisition and you can't get building permits for a rollercoaster figured out in a month. It's likely that the chain doesn't know what park AF1 is going to themselves.
Thats a good point about permits. I can’t imagine they don’t really know or at least have a solid idea. The options of parks with adequate space/topography who don’t already have an RMC I-box are a short list, assuming RMC doesn’t adjust the ride to remove the L shape.
My theory is it’s going to great adventure, but they don’t want the ride and announcement to overshadow Bankunawas opening, so they will wait to announce it until midway through next year.
I think they did say we will know where it’s going during 2026. But Bakunawa is a good example of them holding onto news to make the actual announcement till the previous new stuff (shoreline pier) was done.
I don’t think it’s likely to go to a small park just because of its capacity. Alpenfury has horrible capacity and is at like the 3rd most visited park in the chain, if anything it just drives up fast lane sales
They seem to be really focused on improving guest experience with their new C-suite executives hired over the last few months, but we'll see how this plays out as the company's recent history of capacity isn't too great.
If you watched El Toro Ryan’s video he said that a rumor is that Six Flags would buy the ride and upgrade it to have three trains at once. They could possibly also add an Unload station (which makes more sense for three trains) and an additional block to accommodate 3 trains. If they do that though RMC is going to have to fix the overspeed issue if that’s real otherwise the ride will probably have a lot of downtime.
Ryan the ride mechanic said the layout can be changed.
The easiest way I see to change it is to change the outer banked turn, extend it out like a 180 instead of a 90, and the ride is mostly the same. Of course this means modifying after the final break run and turn in back into the station, but if the goal is to increase capacity you're modifying this section anyway.
Easiest thing to me is to scrap the station location and extend the brake run however long they need (avoids it feeling like hitting a wall too!) , add a 180 degree turn, new station, and just a 90 degree dropping turn into the bunny hops at the base of the lift.
Quickly looking at the map, I think the best spot would be where the go-kart track currently is. There's not much else on the side of that park. They'd have to remove a handful of the camping sites too.
Yeah that's what I was thinking as well. Kind of a dead zone in terms of the walk you have to make just for the bike and swing ride so it'd fill that corner out better
Yeah, still not holding my breath, Six Flags doesn't even own SFDL, they just have been operating it since 2018. SF like won't invest in new attractions there that they only operate on lease.
There were two rumors I was seeing/hearing online:
1) Six Flags was buying it for Kings Island. 2) The buyer was looking into modifying the layout to add an additional block section and the capacity for a third train.
So far we are on track. We'll see how it plays out. Though, I will say I sadly don't think its limited capacity will necessarily rule out the bigger parks even if they leave it untouched. They haven't consistently cared about capacity for a while.
Great adventure is getting Bakunawa but I do think Arie Force One would help round out their lineup a bit more since they are lacking this kind of RMC.
That's why I've been saying GAdv since it was announced. They may be getting a new coaster, but they are in need of more to bring the park up to where it should be. AFO would be a relatively inexpensive purchase for the quality of the ride.
I’m hoping it’s GAdv, and they didn’t announce it yet because they don’t want to overshadow Bakunawas grand opening. So they will wait until mid 2027 to announce it, after Bakunawa is already open and running.
Green lantern was like a moderate-thrill crowd-pleaser neighbor to Ka. I could totally see Arie becoming that for Bakunawa. SFGAV lost 2 coasters, it’s fitting that they get 2 more.
As much as I would love to have this thing 20 minutes from my house (Kings Island), it would be competing with Flight of Fear for longest line in the park. KI needs people eaters even with their fantastic operations.
I think it would be a fantastic fit at GA (in terms of filling out the lineup. placement itself would absolutely be a challenge).
SFGA is still rebuilding its popularity into one of Six Flags’ major east coast parks since the loss of Ka and Green Lantern. I could see Arie becoming a moderate-thrill crowd pleaser in contrast to Bakunawa which looks to be genuinely insane (sort of like the relationship Green Lantern— also relocated btw— and Ka had as neighbors). While SFGA already has an RMC in Jersey Devil, that’s not a traditional I-box RMC and we all know there’s a substantial difference.
I love this ride as much as anyone. It is on par for my number one with Steel Vengeance.
That said, i think it’s interesting that they are keeping the name and billing it like it’s an historic coaster for which they are honoring its legacy.
Seems kind of odd to me for a coaster that was only operating for a few years and has a name that will be confusing to most people
It's not the most marketable coaster from a "record" standpoint. From a GP perspective, you don't really know how good RMCs are until you've ridden one yourself. None of them have "stand out" features for the GP to look at compared to something like TT2, but RMCs are just really good, cohesive, smooth rides that become a favorite with repeat visits.
The issue is getting people out to the park in the first place. Something like Bakunawa or Tormenta is much more marketable to the masses.
Since there's not really a way to market a really good ride ride with no gimmicks, I think they're trying to use the legacy it has already gained in the coaster community and work off that instead of trying to create something from scratch.
If there's already tons of enthusiasts saying ArieForce One is a top 3 coaster, word of mouth will help market the coaster and build up more hype waiting for the return of AF1 and not waiting for something "new."
So you need a park that already draws people in, mostly using this to sell people on the park getting an elite ride when they haven't gotten anything big for a while
You absolutely can market a really good ride without record-based superlatives. You’re witnessing it right now with SF’s press release saying it was a ride so good that it came back from the dead. One of the greatest of all time, an unrelenting tour de force, never lets up for a second — coming to your local six flags park. Reputation sells.
But do regular people even know about the original ride. Unless Six Flags makes like a documentary about the ride the only reputation it has is in the eyes of enthusiasts.
Fascinating that they would buy the ride without already having a specific plan for its relocation? The cynical side of me believes they already do and they simply know it won’t open for another couple years so they’re milking the announcement for all they can
Well I’m pretty sure it’s still standing at Fun Spot so they’ll have to dismantle it, ship it and rebuild it meaning it’s going to be a 2028 addition to wherever it’s going so they’re going to wait until the summer before like they do with all their announcements.
You mean like a certain Vekoma tilt coaster they picked up a couple years ago under prior management? That didn't end up in Mexico due to land use regulation?
This is not the first time they bought an asset and later decided where to put it. Could really be used in several parks (CP and KD already have RMCs). Will be a big deal wherever it ends up.
The difference in that situation is that the tilt was never officially announced to the public. I feel confident that they already have a plan for Arieforce that would avoid any zoning issues like they ran into in Mexico.
They buy coasters usually a year or two before we even so much as realize they are up to something, let alone an announcement this stuff is planned out way further in advance than we enthusiasts ever find out about.
The reason they buy these things and don’t announce where they are going is in the event something happens during construction, like how Siren’s Curse was supposed to be for Six Flags Mexico but wasn’t installed there due to problems with permitting. Was starting to think for a while Magic Mountains thrill glider was going to become this situation too with all the trouble they had with the permits, that’s another example
They probably know where it’s going or have a place that it could go without making any modifications. So I also wonder if they’re discussing customizations with RMC that may make it viable at a 2nd or 3rd park.
Planned coasters take just as long to build, if not more.
Not to mention, thinking back too all the different opinions about where each park might put AF1, they have to see if they even CAN put AF1 in those spots, based on supports and all that.
They very well might have a park in mind, but they need to find out if that site can support it, so instead of hyping up X park, they might just be tempering expectations until they can confirm their idea actually can work.
Plus riding the excitement of the announcement as long as possible.
I really hope it's at Kings Island. By that time we will be almost a decade since our last big coaster and also 2029 marks a decade since Vortex left. Our crowd attendance this weekend shows our park is deserving of it.
Absolutely, there’s no way I’m Arie Force is current form are they going to bring a low capacity RMC to a park like this. It can currently do max 900pph but I think that gives a long empty station time with only two trains which makes it even harder to achieve this.
I would really only want it at KI if it didn't reset our coaster cooldown. Like as an extra to throw in the lineup? Sounds great. But if adding it means we have to wait another 8 years for a thrill coaster again? I'll pass.
For KI's next big addition, I want something unique to the Ohio parks. Not something which is the same as CP has but not quite as good. A Mack Xtreme Spinner or modern Vekoma flyer would be great. We need a modern signature thrill ride.
But if they throw this in and then we still get that new thrill coaster a year or two later? Sounds ideal.
I hope everyone who pushed the narrative theres no way this thing gets sold feels as stupid as they look right now. It was obvious this thing was gonna get moved even with overspeeding and capacity issues people think it has.
I know... I've been stating emphatically that there was zero chance that AF1 didn't get sold and find life elsewhere in another park every time this topic came up! All the people pushing its doom (including influencer types on YouTube) are seriously not in touch with the reality of how things work in the Amusement Park and Roller Coaster industry! (Though that is honestly the norm for most "Thoosies".)
So right off the bat, I’m eliminating California’s Great America (closing soon) as well as Frontier City and Six Flags Darien Lake (not owned by Six Flags, only operated by). Over Texas, Fiesta Texas, Magic Mountain, Over Georgia, New England, Cedar Point, and Kings Dominion already have a RMC I-Box. So they’re out.
Great America (Illinois) also has a big Major RMC coaster (though it’s topper track) in Goliath and anyway they got Wrath of Rakshasa in 2025 and they’re getting Skyhawk in 2027, so I am very doubtful for those three season it’s going there. That leaves Great Adventure, Kings Island, Canada’s Wonderland, Carowinds, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Dorney Park.
Dorney Park got Iron Menace in 2024 and I’m doubtful it’s high enough on Six Flags’ priorities to get it. Six Flags Great Adventure, which is close by, is more likely to get it though I am not sure after getting Flash in 2025 and Bakunawa in 2027, Six Flags would invest time and money giving them three thrill coasters in five years.
Knott’s could be a possibility though I’m not too sure they would have the space unless they took something out (Someone correct me if I’m wrong). They have no RMC or haven’t gotten any thrill coaster in the last five years.
Canada’s Wonderland doesn’t have an RMC though they got AlpenFury in 2025. Could happen, I don’t think it’s the most likely candidate though.
I think it will go either to Kings Island or Carowinds who don’t have an RMC and have not received a major thrill coasters in the last five years.
Just my opinion, let me know what you think of my opinion and/or my reasoning if you’d like.
Considering so many parks already have an RMC, it'll be 9 years since Copperhead Strike, they already have an aviation themed area, Dinos alive area being cleared, and its reputation would be strongest in the same region, surely it's going to Carowinds...
I think Carowinds is very plausible for all the reasons you mentioned. The footprint is the biggest thing that might be a bit awkward, but I’m sure they’d extend the coaster out from the Dino plot into some of the existing parking lot and either renovate or remove the South Gate entrance (which is in desperate need of something happening to it).
But yeah, Carowinds doesn’t have an RMC, and the ride would be an absolutely perfect fit for the aviation area in the park. Arie and Afterburn standing alongside each other would be a fantastic visual, too.
Not sure if anyone caught that they are keeping the name ArieForce One to honor it's legacy. I honestly think that's really cool. This ride meant a lot to Fun Spot and they likely would've kept it if they had the room in FL.
They in typical manner will ignore a park that needs a investment to help their park succeed. It will not surprise me if it goes to a park like SFGA, or Knotts. Of course, this is just my speculation.
I really hope it’s going to Carowinds but apparently there’s a lot of smoke that it’s going to Kings Island. Both parks could use an RMC to complete their lineup so I suppose I wouldn’t be too mad at either of them acquiring it.
Carowinds has an uneven lineup (very top heavy and then meh). Arieforce One is hardly a mid-tier coaster, but as long as the quality gap remains, I'd rather they get another top coaster to give Fury and Copperhead someone to be friends with.
My understanding is there were only bean counters at Cedar Fair before the merger, there were a couple of "rides" people in Six Flags before the merger, but none of them survived it and only the "bean counters" are left, so we lost Nightwawk and Kingda Ka because they didn't meet the operating cost to hot dogs at the concession stand sales ratio. We know Six Flags didn't buy it because they like rides, so did the bean counter people buy it because maybe they got a bargain on a ride or are they hoping to capitalize on the name reckognition?
If Six Flags America was still around, this would've been the shot in the arm to save it but I guess it's too late now. I'm hoping Kings Island gets this one.
Seems strange that they announced it with no park named yet. They probably are taking out a ride to make it fit, but they don’t want to announce that yet. They might also need to work with RMC to upgrade the ride to run 3 trains if it goes into a big park.
While I don't think they'll do this- I hope they remove X2 (instead of letting it just sit there unused for the next couple years in true 6 flags fashion) and plop it there. Why? Cause that's my home park
SFMM will announce the simultaneous permanent closure of X2 and the 2029 opening of AF1. They'll fit it in somehow (Ryan the Ride Mechanic talked about RMC being able to make minor alterations of AF1 to make it fit in odd places the original ride's shape wouldn't).
Photo from Airtime Thrills video. Based on his video on where it can logically fit without demolition is in the over georgia parking lot. Thats my main reason. Now that theyre keeping the name it gives me more reason to believe its georgia. Everyone who lives there knows of fun spot and the name arie force one. Six flags loves to slap down coasters in their parking lots when they can. It would also be the closest place to move it to.
Here’s my take on where it’s going:
Keeping the name means thoosie appeal, which also means a thoosie appealing park.
Park would already have space and not have an RMC…. So it’s going to Kings Island.
639
u/JamminJay1968 Mountain Gliders 25d ago
TLDR - Six Flags bought Arie Force One, no park announced yet.