Status | In production |
First built | Galactica (2002) |
Latest built | Flying Dinosaur (2016) |
Statistics | |
Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard, Switzerland |
Type | Steel - Flying |
The Flying Coaster is a type of flying roller coaster designed by Bolliger & Mabillard.
History
The first installation, Air (now called Galactica) opened in 2002, two years after Vekoma's first Flying Dutchman installation opened.
Design
The station and lift hill are inverted and thus riders face towards the ground while climbing the lift. This is the inverse of Vekoma's Flying Dutchman, which has riders facing towards the sky while climbing the lift hill.
Some Flying Coaster installations, including the first two to open, have a dual station. This is due to the flying-style trains taking longer to load than standard trains.
Nine out of eleven Flying Coaster installations have a pretzel loop. This double-inversion was invented by Bolliger & Mabillard and remains exclusive to their roller coasters.
Trains
Riders board in a standard, seated position. When all restraints are secured the seats are tilted backwards, leaving riders in a flying position facing downwards. Each row seats four riders.
Riders are held in by vest harnesses and shin restraints.
-
During loading and unloading, the cars are positioned like those on a standard roller coaster
-
The cars tilt backwards into the "flying" position before the ride starts
Installations
Name | Amusement Park | Country | Layout | Opened | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Galactica | Alton Towers | UK | Custom | March 16, 2002 | Operating |
Superman Ultimate Flight | Six Flags Over Georgia | USA | Superman | April 6, 2002 | Operating |
Superman Ultimate Flight | Six Flags Great Adventure | USA | Superman | April 17, 2003 | Operating |
Superman Ultimate Flight | Six Flags Great America | USA | Superman | May 3, 2003 | Operating |
Crystal Wing | Happy Valley (Beijing) | China | Superman | July 9, 2006 | Operating |
Tatsu | Six Flags Magic Mountain | USA | Custom | May 13, 2006 | Operating |
Manta | SeaWorld Orlando | USA | Manta | May 22, 2009 | Operating |
Starry Sky Ripper | Joyland | China | Custom | April 30, 2011 | Operating |
Acrobat | Nagashima Spa Land | Japan | Manta | July 18, 2015 | Operating |
Harpy | Xishuangbanna Theme Park | China | Custom | September 26, 2015 | Operating |
Flying Dinosaur | Universal Studios Japan | Japan | Custom | March 18, 2016 | Operating |
Bolliger & Mabillard | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Products |