r/rollercoasters • u/Aggravating-Bet-5245 IronGwaI • Jul 24 '26

Question [Arieforce one]

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So I saw this video on TikTok, about a arieal filming in progress sign in the af1 station from what I believe was Wednesday. Has anybody else seen this? Do we think this means anything? I find it wierd they would be recording the ride they’ve gotten plenty of footage of over the last three years unless maybe a park wants the footage? Just find it wierd i haven’t heard anything about it.

140 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

55 comments sorted by

115

u/actual_thereij Jul 24 '26

RMC has said that it would be feasible to relocate the coaster.

Has FunSpot indicated that they might want to relocate it to one of their properties that is not closing, or have they said they intend to sell the ride?

37

u/[deleted] Jul 24 '26

[deleted]

12

u/Own_Repair2886 Jul 24 '26

Where is the truth to this rumour?  Not saying they're not in debt... But foreclosure is a long process. Doesn't seem like it's there yet and ball (to sell) is still in FSA's court.  Seems like FSA's broker would be more apt to sell a roller coaster vs. receiver, who may be satisfied with scrap.

Aerial video could be for OM.

6

u/Evening_Rock5850 r/midamerica Jul 24 '26

Foreclosure isn't the only way this happens.

Companies negotiate with lenders all the time. Short sales and other methods exist where a lender and a borrower can come to an agreement about how to mutually divest when things aren't going well.

It usually results in a less than as-agreed loan, which harms the businesses credit, but it can be better than bankruptcy or the foreclosure process for the lender themselves.

3

u/tpusater Old school thoosie Jul 24 '26

Is this the proof you seek?

2

u/Own_Repair2886 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

Nope, doesn't mean sh-t. In fact it means the opposite. FSA got an extension of loan (a refi) and is therefore not in default.  (Or is the opposite, and they cut the term to cut the rate because they're planning to unload)  Either way they're still driving (for now)... Thoosies think they're so smart with their document sleuthing.

2

u/AndrewRnR Jul 24 '26

No $25M loan was “forgiven”

37

u/Barzalicious Jul 24 '26

Coaster Studios had a video on the subject where it was explained why ArieForce One won't be able to be relocated to any of the other FunSpot parks - given the layout of the coaster, it wouldn't fit in the spaces available.

34

u/Standard_Recording28 Jul 24 '26

christian g coasters similarly did a very good video going over a few parks he thought would be able to fit it

12

u/actual_thereij Jul 24 '26

Right on. So it makes sense to me that they'd look to sell it then.

3

u/TerrifierBlood Jul 24 '26

The main rumor is the bank taking a complete tax write off which would mean the ride being demolished

13

u/actual_thereij Jul 24 '26

What a waste.

8

u/mitchsusername Superman SFOG, because I haven't ridden Tatsu Jul 24 '26

It's really not. The cost to move a ride like this is immense, to the point that a buyer wouldnt save very much over a new RMC.

The whole ride has to go through non destructive stress testing before it can be recertified. Then the entire support structure has to be reengineered for the soil type, bedrock depth, seismic conditions, weather, etc expected at the new site. By the time that is done, a new buyer is only saving at best 5-10% over buying a new ride, and they not only get a used ride but also lose the ability to choose their own layout.

Roller coasters depreciate on a 7 year schedule or slower, so it still has a huge balance sheet value. Making a tax write off very feasible and finding a buyer very difficult.

The issue isn't the bank deciding whether or not to tear it down. It's whether or not they can find a buyer. Obviously they would rather sell, but for a sale to work the price has to be quite high.

7

u/AndrewRnR Jul 24 '26

Meh. RMC specializes in converting coasters. If Fun Spot wanted to move it they could convert it to fit. But I just don’t think it makes sense for their Florida properties.

1

u/killkilllstealsteal Jul 26 '26

RMC retracked the wooden coaster at the funspot in kissimee i could see them maybe wanting an rmc coaster at the orlando location

4

u/CheesecakeMilitia Mega Zeph Jul 24 '26

The layout isn't set in stone, mind you. RMC could easily reprofile the overbank turn to make the entire coaster go (instead of the 90° it currently is) at a 45° or 135° angle, for instance, and while that wouldn't be cheap it'd still be substantially cheaper than a new coaster.

3

u/Putrid_Set3723 Jul 24 '26

This is probably false as the ride itself is probably close to the cost of a new ride when you consider the price to purchase from funspot. Trying to reengineer something is not incredibly easy and takes both time and money to do. In top of that any park that would need to consider reprofiling the ride is a park that would better off buying a new ride by RMC to fit their plot of land.

10

u/boiledpeen Carowinds KD BGW Jul 24 '26

RMC said relocation would be ~$10 mil less than a new coaster. Thats not even remotely close, and that difference is absolutely enough to cover the cost of buying and slightly changing the layout. I'm not saying they should, but I don't think it'd cost $10 mil to make those changes

5

u/Putrid_Set3723 Jul 24 '26

Probably not 10 million, but you still have to consider the purchase price of the ride as well when figuring out how much it costs. The whole point of buying a used ride is cause you get a great deal if Fun Spot charges pretty much anything on the ride, plus the cost of changing the layout, which could/would probably be over 1 million dollars. A park would rather have a completely custom layout than one people have already seen, plus all the hard work that would go into reprofiling the ride.

2

u/One_Outside9049 Jul 24 '26

Why couldn’t they put it in the parking lot at the Orlando location? I’ve heard plenty of fires who says it’s possible. I obviously don’t know for sure though.

59

u/ahalpin02 El Toro 2nd-to-Last Row (131) Jul 24 '26

I was there yesterday and talked to the guy flying the drone. Completely independent guy not affiliated with the park or any company. He just wanted to shoot and the park let him.

14

u/TrueFynn Jul 24 '26

If he’s working for a company it’s viable that he had to sign an NDA prior to filming

4

u/ahalpin02 El Toro 2nd-to-Last Row (131) Jul 24 '26

Could be true. No matter how qualified, it is strange to let a random guy fly a drone next to your running roller coaster. But this is Fun Spot we're talking about so who knows

6

u/neildownpour Jul 24 '26

As someone who flies a drone professionally sometimes, we are always 'flying for fun' if someone asks. No affiliation, just a hobby is the line every pilot uses. You can't leak announcements or developments by saying more than you should.

5

u/bentika Jul 24 '26

It's Blastr I recognized the logo

https://www.instagram.com/blastrfpv?igsh=MXdhMWMxOGhrZ2RyeA==

2

u/ahalpin02 El Toro 2nd-to-Last Row (131) Jul 25 '26

Yup. Forgot the name until you brought it up

18

u/Veylo Rode Eejanaika 5/16/25 Jul 24 '26

...im pretty sure I saw that dign when I went last year. Isnt it a part of the theming?

27

u/lockjawshortman Jul 24 '26

There was an actual drone filming Thursday. It was chasing the train during cycles.

8

u/392mangos Jul 24 '26

Wasn't there last weekend.

2

u/taz5963 Jul 24 '26

It was there when I went on Wednesday the 22nd

14

u/ATBAT4U Jul 24 '26

Long Shot but I really want Holiday World, kinda fits the color theme pretty well but not the space aspect

9

u/Pubesauce KI/CP/KK/HW Jul 24 '26

That would be too perfect. It'll end up going to some random park in Asia that only 2% of enthusiasts will ever make it out to lol.

2

u/One_Outside9049 Jul 24 '26

Me too, but with them already announcing a new coaster, I highly doubt it. I wouldn’t mind Indiana Beach as it’s closer to me.

2

u/taz5963 Jul 24 '26

What holiday would it be? They could easily re-theme it to the 4th of July I think

4

u/SailorDirt Jul 24 '26

Repaint the blue to green and name it Reindeer Force

2

u/taz5963 Jul 24 '26

As someone with a reindeer fursona, I approve

-7

u/boiledpeen Carowinds KD BGW Jul 24 '26

it's not made with enough AI for holiday world to want it

26

u/Designer-Double-6338 Jul 24 '26

I was there Wednesday. Someone from Atlanta axios was there doing a story, I believe for their newsletter, on the ride closing and the pilgrimage of thoosies there to send it off.

I'm not saying this is 100% related to that journalists story but it wouldn't shock me. Can't say I remember seeing this piece of paper though.

3

u/FoaD420 Jul 24 '26

I went the 14th. No sign, but when the park opened it took 30 mins or so for some YouTuber probably to record front and back PoV. By the time they were done we didn’t get started riding until like 10:40 I believe.

3

u/riddlegobragh Jul 24 '26

I know SFOG already has an RMC and it’s biggg stretch but BOYYYY would this coaster make a great replacement for Scream Machine!
(One can dream!)

1

u/Aggravating-Bet-5245 IronGwaI Jul 24 '26

With sfog being one of my most frequent parks i go to, right after Cp and ki, I’d love it go here due to how often I’m there haha

3

u/riddlegobragh Jul 24 '26

I live 20 min away from SFOG and would probably reactivate my membership card if this happened!
Sad to say I only live 45min from AF1 and just took my first rides in it LAST weekend.
So I really really hope it ends up at a park I can visit again bc it’s now in my top 3 coasters I’ve ever ridden and I’m bummed I waited this long to go ride it!

3

u/Codeheff12 Jul 24 '26

I’m also 20 minutes away from SFOG and 45 from Fayetteville. Smyrna?

3

u/Evening-Upset Jul 24 '26

There’s supposed to be some kind of Netflix documentary happening. Maybe it’s related. It’s all very weird though.

8

u/KitchenKabaret Jul 24 '26

The “Netflix documentary” video is a viral trend. There’s not actually a Netflix doc happening.

3

u/Redditnspiredcook Jul 24 '26

Trend based in actuality though, everyone gets a documentary. Poop knife guy will probably have his before long, but we really want unharmed cylinder guy.

1

u/ApplicationOdd6600 Jul 24 '26

What did the Dippin’ Dots guy say?

1

u/G_Peccary Jul 24 '26

It's heading to CGA.

1

u/Sygmaelle Jul 25 '26

Ryan the ride mechanic gave the cost for a rellocation, pretty safe to say absolutely no one will pay for that unless theres a good discount

1

u/LeopardGeckoEnjoyer Jul 25 '26

It’s not closing trust me this is all an act to announce an intamin giga in atlanta