Superman: Ultimate Flight

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Superman Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Great America 36.jpg
Superman Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Great America 37.jpg
A train at Six Flags Great America in the loading position (left) and flying position (right)

Station and loading

Once in the station, riders of Superman: Ultimate Flight board a train sitting down, in a similar style to inverted roller coasters. [20] Riders are restrained through a padded over-the-shoulder harness and a lap bar. [15] [21] At the ankles, two flaps hold the legs in position and close as the harness is locked in place. After the train is fully locked and checked, the trains are raised into the flying position and depart the station. [20]

Layout

Superman Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Great America 12.jpg
Superman Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Great America 32.jpg
Trains at Six Flags Great America exiting the pretzel loop (left) and navigating the inline twist (right)

Superman: Ultimate Flight begins as the train turns to the right and begins to climb the 106-foot-tall (32 m) chain lift hill. [2] [3] [4] After cresting the top of the lift hill, the train drops 100 feet (30 m) to the right at a 50-degree-angle, reaching a top speed of 51 miles per hour (82 km/h) and preparing to enter the pretzel loop. [22] In a pretzel loop, a train swoops up to a height of 78 feet (24 m) [2] [3] [4] before diving toward the ground, looping back under the starting point. [21] [22] At the bottom of the loop, riders face upward and experience strong, positive g forces. [22] To complete the pretzel loop, the train climbs back to the top of the element, parallel to where it started. After exiting the element, the train then enters a 270-degree turn to the left, dropping back through the middle of the pretzel loop. [22]

Next, the train passes through two consecutive horseshoe turns, [21] first to the right and then to the left. [22] As the name suggests, Horseshoe turns are highly banked horseshoe-shaped turns which feature track entering from roughly the same direction as where it exits. As the train exits the second horseshoe, it swoops down and begins a 270-degree helix to the right, which leads into the ride's second inversion, an inline twist. [21] [22] The inline twist sees riders perform a full rotation around the track, starting from a position where they are facing downward. After completing the twist, the train reaches the brake run and a final right-hand turn that leads back into the station. [21] [22]

Reception

Superman: Ultimate Flight was generally well received. Arthur Levine from About.com rated the ride four out of five stars, describing the flying sensation as wonderful. He also praised Six Flags for the choice of theme, saying, "the Superman theme is ideally suited for the flying concept and adds a nice touch". [23] Alex Bove of Ultimate Rollercoaster also reviewed the ride favorably: "From its comfortable restraints, silky ride and delightful pacing to its avian aesthetics, Superman: Ultimate Flight demonstrates B&M's unmatched attention to detail and their genuine desire to create enjoyable rides that surprise us over and over again". [19] Jeremy Thompson of Roller Coaster Philosophy compared the ride unfavorably to Batman: The Ride , which also appears at all three parks: "Batman is gritty and intense and based on quick variations in the layout, while Superman is graceful and slower paced, based on creating a singular flight sensation, and quite honestly it's all a tad boring". However, he added that the "flying position does transform the ride experience into something relatively different from the rest". [24]

In Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards, Superman: Ultimate Flight was ranked in the top-50 steel roller coasters numerous times since its opening. It peaked at position 35 in 2004, [25] before dropping off the poll in 2007. [26]

Superman: Ultimate Flight
Superman Ultimate Flight Logo.svg
Superman Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Great America 14.jpg
Superman: Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Over Georgia
Park section Metropolis Park
Coordinates 33°45′57″N84°33′11″W / 33.765745°N 84.553045°W / 33.765745; -84.553045
StatusOperating
Opening dateApril 6, 2002
Replaced Viper [1]
Superman: Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Over Georgia at RCDB
Six Flags Great Adventure
Park section Boardwalk
Coordinates 40°8′20.27″N74°26′21.94″W / 40.1389639°N 74.4394278°W / 40.1389639; -74.4394278
StatusOperating
Opening dateApril 17, 2003
Superman: Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Great Adventure at RCDB
Golden Ticket Awards: Top Steel Roller Coasters
Year200220032004200520062007
Ranking33 [27] 38 [28] 35 [25] 45 [29] 49 [30] N/A [26]

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References

  1. ↑ O'Brien, Tim (December 16, 2002). "Six Flags Ships Schwarzkopf". Amusement Business. 114 (50): 8.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Marden, Duane. "Superman - Ultimate Flight  (Six Flags Over Georgia)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Marden, Duane. "Superman - Ultimate Flight  (Six Flags Great Adventure)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Marden, Duane. "Superman - Ultimate Flight  (Six Flags Great America)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  5. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Glossary  (Flying)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  6. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Search Results  (Design = Flying)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  7. ↑ Koranteng, Juliana (January 14, 2002). "Alton Towers debuts coaster". Amusement Business. 114 (2): 9.
  8. 1 2 O'Brien, Tim (January 28, 2002). "Superman Coaster Set To Soar". Amusement Business. 114 (4): 10.
  9. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Air  (Alton Towers)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  10. ↑ O'Brien, Tim (February 10, 2003). "Superman To Soar At Six Flags". Amusement Business. 115 (6): 8.
  11. 1 2 3 4 O'Brien, Tim (April 21, 2003). "New Superman Ride Helps Promo Plans At Six Flags Great America". Amusement Business. 115 (16): 5.
  12. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Shockwave  (Six Flags Great America)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  13. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Crystal Wing  (Happy Valley)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  14. ↑ "Six Flags Great Adventure Trip Report - Late April, 2019 - The Coaster Kings". April 28, 2019.
  15. 1 2 "The World's Greatest Superhero Emerges at Six Flags Over Georgia" (Press release). Six Flags Over Georgia. January 22, 2002. Archived from the original on December 30, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  16. 1 2 "The world's greatest super hero will take to the skies at Six Flags Great Adventure in 2003" (Press release). Six Flags Great Adventure. October 23, 2002. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Six Flags Great America invites park guests to fly like a super hero in 2003" (Press release). Six Flags Great America. February 5, 2003. Archived from the original on May 8, 2012. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
  18. ↑ Guido, Anna (November 7, 2005). "Steel plant's business on fast track". Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on January 7, 2006. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  19. 1 2 Bove, Alex (2003). "Superman: Ultimate Flight". Ultimate Rollercoaster. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  20. 1 2 Bevil, Dewayne (November 17, 2008). "Manta on demand: more details about SeaWorld coaster under construction". Orlando Sentinel . Archived from the original on April 14, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 "Superman - Ultimate Flight Ride Facts" (Press release). Six Flags Great Adventure. October 23, 2002. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Superman Ultimate Flight Six Flags Great America". Sharp Productions. YouTube. July 30, 2010. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  23. ↑ Levine, Arthur (2006). "Superman- Ultimate Flight roller coaster review". Theme Parks Guide. About.com. Archived from the original on March 30, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  24. ↑ Thompson, Jeremy (September 5, 2011). "Six Flags Great America (Part 2)". Roller Coaster Philosophy. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  25. 1 2 "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
  26. 1 2 "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 21, 2013.
  27. ↑ "Top 25 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  28. ↑ "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  29. ↑ "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  30. ↑ "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 5, 2013.
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