Susan Storey, Six Flags Great America’s Public Relations Superwoman, emceed the opening ceremonies.  Walter Bolliger, President of Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), was on hand to give attendees a bit of background on Superman’s development.  Wanting to “get it right,” this B&M marvel was three years “in the making.”  Great America and B&M have, for over a decade, been delighting coaster enthusiasts with unique and creative contraptions; SUPERMAN: Ultimate Flight being the park’s 4th “Beemer”.

The park partnered with Metropolis, Illinois, to honor six essay winners in the “Search for Heroes” contest.  350 participants, in three different age groups, crafted 500-word essays about heroes in everyday life.  The winners were invited to the Media Day, received a nice prize basket and were among the first guests to ride SUPERMAN: Ultimate Flight.  The city of Metropolis supplied all the winners with nice certificates and had an official proclamation read by their representative.  Metropolis even awarded Susan and Jim Wintrode, the Vice President and General Manager of Six Flags Great America certificates and embroidered caps that said Metropolis, the Home of Superman.

The park invited people who had the first or last name of Clark or Kent to participate as the first official riders.  100 Clarks and Kents of all ages were in attendance.  Seeing a whole train of people in Blue Superman Shirts wasn’t necessarily awe-inspiring, but is sure was fun!   But enough about the opening ceremonies, let’s get to the ride!

After dropping you backward straight down into a loop from a 185-feet tower (on Déjà Vu) and launching you at 70 mph into a vertical twist (on Vertical Velocity), Great America will spend 2003 teaching you to fly!  After the restraints are checked, the seats swing up to where the riders are facing the ground.  There is a link below showing the seats changing position.  The 32-passenger pair of 15-ton trains are dispatched every two minutes, giving Superman an estimated hourly capacity of 1100 riders.  The train climbs the 115-foot lift hill and swoops down to the left, accelerating to over 52 mph according to our radar gun, as it drops to within a mere 10 feet of the ground.

After the first drop, riders enter the large "pretzel" loop.  Tremendous g-forces press down on the chests of the riders as they dive head-first into the loop and soar upward, facing the sky, as they complete the circuit.  Watching the horizon turn a complete circle is amazing; it doesn’t seem possible.  Swooping outside turns add to the illusion of speed as they approach the 360-degree in-line roll, which is the last element before the final brake run.  Returning to the station, the seats are lowered back into the vertical position to allow the riders to disembark.  Wow, a lot happens over the 2798-foot course!

The seats are quite comfortable and the ride (in the B&M tradition) is as smooth as glass, allowing riders to experience Superman again and again.   While much of theming had yet to be completed (during the media event), the area has undergone a major overhaul and when completed, riders (who keep their eyes open) will have a very enjoyable view of both earth and sky.

SUPERMAN: Ultimate Flight brings Six Flags Great America’s coaster count to an even dozen.  The 12 coasters offer an extremely wide range of experiences, including intensely tall and fast, suspended looping, boomerang, wooden, launching and even child-size thrills!  The addition of Superman enhances the package, offering guests the ability to FLY!

Thanks to Susan Storey, Michelle Hoffman, Jim Wintrode, Walter Bolliger and all the wonderful employees of Six Flags Great America who made our many flights extremely enjoyable!

See you in line,

Scott & Carol

SUPERMAN – ULTIMATE FLIGHT
RIDE FACTS

DESCRIPTION:  The Midwest’s most unique flying coaster, SUPERMAN – ULTIMATE FLIGHT, based on the DC Comics Super Hero, SUPERMAN, is the newest generation of roller coaster providing an unparalleled flying experience at speeds greater than 50 mph.

OPENING DATE:  Spring, 2003

MAXIMUM HEIGHT:  115 feet

FIRST DROP:  109 feet

RIDE ELEMENTS:  1 pretzel-shaped inverted loop, 1 spiral, 2 horseshoe curves, 1 360-degree in-line roll

RIDE FEATURES:  A pretzel-shaped, inverted loop where trains climb to the top of the figure and dive into the loop traveling amazingly close to the ground heightening the feeling of flying.

A sequence of thrilling curves and dives that includes a highly inclined “horseshoe” curve and high-speed spiral.

A 360-degree, in-line roll will surprise guests just before entering the station.

TRACK LENGTH:  2,798 feet of twisting, looping blue, red and yellow steel

RIDE TIME:  Nearly 3 minutes

VEHICLES:  Two sleek trains specially designed to carry 32 passengers FLYING four abreast.

SAFETY SYSTEMS:  Computer controlled, fail-safe brakes and padded shoulder/breast harnesses and lap bars assure proper ride safety and comfort.

CAPACITY:  1,100 riders per hour

MANUFACTURER:  Bolliger & Mabillard of Monthey, Switzerland