Six Flags unveils world’s tallest rollercoaster that sends riders speeding 150 mph
Topics: World News
Bec Oakes
Featured Image Credit: Intamin
Topics: World News
Rollercoaster fans are about to experience a thrill like never before, with Six Flags announcing a new coaster that will be both the tallest and the fastest in the world.
Currently, the tallest coaster in the world is Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, which stands at a whopping 456ft and launches riders at an eye-watering 128mph.
But the amusement park company has outdone itself, announcing the world's first 'Exa Coaster,' which will dwarf the previous record holder.
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Dubbed 'Falcon’s Flight', the new attraction is set to be an opening day attraction at Six Flags Qiddiya, an entertainment center in development in Saudi Arabia that is expected to open its doors in October 2024.
Falcon's Flight will be the first rollercoaster in the world to stand at more than 500ft tall, with an insane 640ft drop over a desert cliff being a standout feature.
While still under construction, Intamin has released a simulation video giving fans a taste of what's to come, showing the ride twist and turn through 13,000ft of track, before lunging off the side of a cliff.
It will also race past its competitors as the fastest coaster ever built, with its 14-passenger trains capable of reaching a top speed of 156mph.
The current record holder — Formula Rossa at Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi — reaches speeds of 149mph.
The epic project was presented at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo last week.
"I will never forget the moment when I was standing at the edge of the 200-meter-high cliff on the Tuwaiq Mountain in Qiddiya, looking into the valley and imagining the creation of a future record-setting roller coaster," Daniel Schoppen of Intamin Amusement Rides (the company behind the coaster's design) said in a statement.
"I knew that exactly at this spot, the Falcon's Flight will dive down along the cliff, ending in a unique, exhilarating 250 km/h (155 mph) proximity flight close to the ground.
"The worldwide unique setting and heights such as the natural cliff will enable us to design an architectural masterpiece in steel."
“Rollercoaster fans around the world have been eagerly anticipating this ride since it was announced as there is nothing quite like it anywhere else,” added Qiddiya’s Chief Executive Officer, Philippe Gas.
“Now we are in the design stage with the experts at Intamin and the engineering team at Six Flags, the excitement is building!
"Falcon’s Flight will dominate the skyline at Qiddiya weaving all the way around our destination, right out of the theme park, up the cliffside, and down the cliff face.
"The greatest drop of any ride in the world. It won’t be for the fainthearted.”
Would you dare ride it?