X-Flight (Six Flags Great America)
X-Flight | |
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Flash Pass available | |
Must transfer from wheelchair | |
X-Flight at RCDB |
X-Flight is a
History
X-Flight was announced on September 1, 2011. Six Flags Great America was the first park to announce plans for a Wing Coaster in the United States.[2] Land clearing started that same month on the former site of Splashwater Falls and the Great America Raceway.[3] The first pieces of the track began to arrive in early October.[4] 127 Caissons (footers), ranging from 30 feet (9.1 m) to 77 feet (23 m) were dug into the ground.[5] On January 27, 2012, the final piece of the lift hill was topped off.[6] The trains for X-Flight arrived at the park on March 2, 2012.[7] In a Chicago Sun-Times article in February, the park said they expect safety tests to start in early April.[8] A soft opening media preview event was held on May 10, 2012.[9] X-Flight opened for "Xclusive season pass holders" on the weekend of May 12 and then to the public on May 16, 2012.[10][11][12] X-Flight originally opened with a 54" height restriction. In 2024, this was changed from 54" to 52".
Ride experience
... It'll be like riding on the wing of a plane.[13]
— Gary Pohlman, Director of maintenance/construction
After departing from the
Characteristics
Manufacturer
X-Flight is a
Trains
X-Flight operates with two steel and fiberglass trains. Each train has eight cars with four seats per car (two on each side of the track) for a total of 32 riders per train. The colors of the train are red and black with over-the-shoulder restraints.[12][16] The restraints are similar to the restraints found on Superman: Ultimate Flight.
Track
The steel track is approximately 3,000 feet (910 m) in length and the height of the lift is approximately 120 feet (37 m).[12] The track is colored red while the supports are black.[3]
Reception
X-Flight has received mostly positive reviews. Doug George from the Chicago Tribune stated the ride is very smooth with "rolls, dives and inverted, eye-bugging flips."[17] However, he stated that the ride is pretty short and with only one train running the course at a time, the wait time can reach as long as other popular attractions at the park.[17] The Coaster Critic reviewed the ride and stated that the theming is very well done, especially the keyhole element. He said the different seating set up encourages re-rides because of the different experience on each side of the train. Overall, he gave the ride a 9 out of 10 because of the "riding position, loops, and interactions or near-misses."[18]
Awards
Year | 2013 |
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Ranking | 45 (tie)[19] |
See also
- 2012 in amusement parks
- Wild Eagle, a Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Coaster at Dollywood, was the first of its kind in the United States
- GateKeeper, a Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Coaster at Cedar Point
References
- ^ Black, Lisa (September 3, 2011). "Six Flags gets in line for more thrill rides". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
- ^ "Six Flags' 'Flying' Roller Coaster". Fox News. September 1, 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
- ^ a b c "X-Flight at Coaster-Net". Coaster-Net. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
- ^ "First 3 pieces of track have arrived". Six Flags Great America. October 5, 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
- ^ Six Flags Great America (January 27, 2012). "We've reached the top ..." Facebook. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
- ^ Six Flags Great America (March 2, 2012). "First few coaster cars of train 1". Facebook. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
- ^ Morgan, Dan (February 21, 2012). "Record profit ends Six Flags financial roller coaster". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
- ^ Levy, Piet (May 16, 2012). "X-citing excursion". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
- ^ MacDonald, Brady (April 11, 2012). "X-Flight wing coaster premieres at Six Flags Great America in May". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
- ^ "Six Flags Great America unveils 'X Flight'". WLS-TV. May 10, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ^ a b c Marden, Duane. "X-Flight (Six Flags Great America)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
- ^ a b Morgan, Dan (February 2, 2012). "X-Flight 'like riding on the wing of a plane'". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on December 26, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
- ^ "X-Flight POV *REAL* Six Flags Great America 2012 Roller Coaster". themeparkreviewtpr (YouTube). May 10, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
- ^ Kramer, Beth (May 10, 2012). "X Flight takes wing at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ "X-Flight (Six Flags Great America) Gallery". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
- ^ a b George, Doug (May 10, 2012). "X Flight all about inversions". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ "X-Flight @ Six Flags Great America". The Coaster Critic. July 31, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ "2013 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 17 (6.2): 34–35. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.