The Orbiter is almost a shoe in to appear at medium to large sized carnivals. The Orbiter is made by Tivoli, a ride manufacturer that brought us g-force intensive rides such as Scorpion , Re-Mix, and the infamous Force 10.

The Orbiter is made up of 6 arms with a satellite on each end holding 3 cars at each end. The center spins in one direction and the cars spin in the opposite, the arms are able to tilt the seats to a steep angle, almost completely sideways actually. The colors of the ride are usually either a brownish-red with off yellow or multicolored.

The Ride

A ride on the Orbiter starts with the center spinning in a counterclockwise direction; it’s not too fast at this point. Next the center of the ride rises up a few feet and the arms begin to flip outward as the satellites begin to spin. The next part depends on how far the ride operator turns the speed dial. I’ve been on Orbiters that go at a fair speed and give a nice enjoyable ride, and I’ve been on Orbiters that whip riders around at insane speeds. On the latter you tend to get a feeling of your face pushing back when the car dives under the arm. It’s worth mentioning that riders are in very unnatural positions while riding with them essentially sideways and vertical at times. On the ride you don’t even realize it though, and you barely slide around the seat due to the centrifugal force.

Other Info

The Orbiter comes in three names: Orbiter, Predator, and Typhoon. I like Orbiter just fine myself! While Orbiters are mostly found at carnivals, there are non trailer-bound park models. The Flying Machine at Busch Gardens Europe (in Williamsburg, VA) is a Tivoli Orbiter.

Video

Orbiter @ State Fair Meadowlands 2009 from The DoD3 on Vimeo.

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