The new Skyraker ride at Flambards has opened and the Packet sent an intrepid member of staff for Cornwall's newest rush.

"I have always been a daredevil looking for a rush of adrenaline so when the Packet asked for a volunteer to ride the new Skyraker 001 ride at Flambards Theme Park in Helston I jumped at the chance," writes Claire Cameron, sub-editor at the Packet.

The £500,000 Skyraker was constructed in Northern Italy and is the only one of its kind in the UK. It stands at more than 28m high, making it the tallest ride in the county.

The Skyraker has five different "scare" settings, which will appeal to all types of riders. It was set to the maximum "thrill" for the launch day, which saw the ride drop at over 25km per hour. The gentle setting will see the Skyraker 001 rise and fall slowly whilst rotating.

The start of the ride is intimidating and nerve-wracking with "smoke" billowing from the bottom of the tower in rocket-like style and riders are left looking through a smoky fog before the ride "takes off".

The Skyraker slowly rises into the air twisting gently as it goes. As the ride climbs to the top of the tower, brave riders like myself who dare to look down are able to enjoy far reaching views in much the same way as if they were on a big wheel. Although I am not scared of heights even I felt a little daunted by the fact I was "hanging" 28m in the air.

Just as I was becoming accustomed to the height the screaming began as the tower, without any warning, dropped at speed, twisting as it went. The combination of the two left me feeling sllghtly giddy and my stomach had stayed at the top of the ride and it took several seconds for it to catch up. By this time the Skyraker was already rising back up the tower to start the process again.

I enjoyed the two-minute ride it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. It didn't leave me feeling sick or with shaky legs but the view from the top was breathtaking.

The sheer height and unique twisting drop makes it a definite winner and I would definitely ride it again.