Types of Inclines in Roller Coasters

Hills

• The first drop is how many roller coasters begin, in which the coaster climbs a lift hill at a slow, steady pace before diving at sudden speed, propelling it into the rest of the course. An air time hill, or bunny hop, is a hill that the coaster traverses at full speed, giving passengers a momentary feeling of being in midair as they go over the top. A camelback is when two or more such bunny hop hills are placed in a row. The top hat is the most extreme example of a hill. The coaster shoots vertically in the air, often twisting for part of the way, crosses a relatively small arch at the top, then plummets straight down again as it twists. An inverted top hat is one in which the coaster is upside down as it crosses the top arch. A zero-g roll is a type of hill in which the coaster rolls 360 degrees at its peek, creating a feeling of weightlessness.

Curves

• A banked curve is one in which the coaster tilts sideways into the turn. An overbanked curve is when the coast tilts more than 90 degrees. A flat turn is one that does not bank even at high speeds, making the coaster feel as if it might fall off the track. The horseshoe, or hammerhead, is a curve that is elevated at an angle high off the ground and makes a relatively sharp turn. A helix is a tight curve that ascends or descends in a circle more than 360 degrees.

Dynamic Straightaways

• A barrel roll is when the coaster rolls sideways 360 degrees, using the track as its axis of rotation. The heartline roll is similar in concept; however, the track is on the outside of the spinning coaster, resulting in the passengers' center of gravity being felt at their heart. The fly-to-lie harnesses riders in a flying position; it flips the coaster from fly position to lie position, facing up toward the sky. The lie-to-fly is the opposite. A corkscrew is a spiral of track that resembles small elongated loops that propel the coaster forward. A trick track is a section of uneven track that causes the coaster to jerk back and forth.

Loops

• A vertical loop is a basic 360-degree loop after which the coaster usually exits going in the same direction it entered. Interlocking loops are two vertical loops that lead into each other. A dive loop is when the track loops upward and to the side, corkscrews by 90 degrees and dives down in that direction. The Immelman loops the coaster upward, inverting it in the process, then rights the coaster as it exits in the opposite direction it entered from. The cobra roll is a loop that begins as an Immelman but instead of traveling straight away, the track veers to the side and connects with a mirror image Immelman loop, resulting in what looks like a raised cobra's head.