X-Flight (Six Flags Great America) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids X-Flight
X-Flight train going through the "Keyhole"
Six Flags Great America
Location	Six Flags Great America
Park section	County Fair
Coordinates	42°21′55.57″N 87°56′1.63″W / 42.3654361°N 87.9337861°W / 42.3654361; -87.9337861
Status	Operating
Soft opening date	May 12, 2012 (2012-05-12)
Opening date	May 16, 2012 (2012-05-16)
Cost	$12–15 million
Replaced	Splashwater Falls Great America Raceway
General statistics
Type	Steel – Wing Coaster
Manufacturer	Bolliger & Mabillard
Model	Wing Coaster
Track layout	Twister
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	120 ft (37 m)
Length	3,000 ft (910 m)
Speed	55 mph (89 km/h)
Inversions	5
Duration	1:15
Height restriction	54–78 in (137–198 cm)
Trains	2 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.
Flash Pass available
Must transfer from wheelchair
X-Flight at RCDB

X-Flight is an exciting steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. It was designed and built by a famous company called Bolliger & Mabillard. When it opened on May 16, 2012, X-Flight was only the fourth "Wing Coaster" in the world! This type of coaster has seats on the sides of the track, making you feel like you're flying.

X-Flight replaced two older attractions, Splashwater Falls and the Great America Raceway. This 3,000-foot-long (910 m) roller coaster is known for its cool moves. It features barrel rolls, fast drops, and a special "fly-through" part. Here, the train seems to just barely miss a support structure that looks like an air traffic control tower. This exciting moment is called a "keyhole element" because the train passes through an opening, just like a key goes through a keyhole!

History of X-Flight

Six Flags Great America first announced X-Flight on September 1, 2011. It was the very first park in the United States to share plans for a Wing Coaster.

Work on the ride began in September 2011. Crews started clearing the land where the old Splashwater Falls and Great America Raceway used to be. The first parts of the track arrived in early October. Huge foundations, called caissons, were dug deep into the ground to support the ride.

On January 27, 2012, the very last piece of the lift hill was put into place. The trains for X-Flight arrived at the park on March 2, 2012. After many safety tests, X-Flight opened for special "season pass holders" on May 12, and then to everyone on May 16.

What It's Like to Ride X-Flight

Imagine riding on the wing of an airplane – that's what it feels like!

When your train leaves the station, which looks like an airplane hangar, you immediately start climbing the tall 120-foot (37 m) chain lift hill. Once you reach the top, the fun begins!

• Dive Drop: The train enters a "Dive Drop." It spins 180 degrees upside down before diving back towards the ground. During this drop, you reach the top speed of 55 miles per hour (89 km/h)! A camera takes your picture right after this drop.
• Zero-G Roll: Next, you go through a "zero-g-roll," which makes you feel weightless, before passing through a cloud of fog.
• Immelmann Loop: The train then makes a slight left turn and enters an "Immelmann loop." This is a cool move where you go up, flip over, and come back down in a different direction.
• Second Zero-G Roll: After a right turn over a pond, you hit another zero-g-roll, this time over the main entrance of the ride.
• Keyhole Element: Then comes the most famous part! The train makes a left turn and goes through an "Inline twist." This is the "keyhole" element. You zoom right through an actual airplane control tower! It feels like you're going to hit it, but you just barely miss.
• Near Misses: After the tower, you go through another near-miss keyhole, surrounded by fog.
• Final Turns: The train then makes a tight right turn, passing by the Demon coaster, before a slight upward left turn.

Finally, the train enters the main brake, slows down, and returns to the station. One full ride on X-Flight lasts about 1 minute and 15 seconds.

X-Flight's Design and Features

An X-Flight train exiting an inversion.

Who Built X-Flight?

X-Flight is a "Wing Coaster" made by the Swiss company Bolliger & Mabillard, often called B&M. This was the fifth B&M roller coaster for Six Flags Great America! The park now has four B&M coasters:

• Batman: The Ride (an inverted coaster)
• Raging Bull (a hyper-twister coaster)
• Superman: Ultimate Flight (a flying roller coaster)
• X-Flight (a wing coaster)

The park's first B&M coaster, Iron Wolf, was moved to another park in 2011. X-Flight was the fourth Wing Coaster ever built and only the second one in the United States. The first U.S. Wing Coaster was Wild Eagle at Dollywood.

The Trains

X-Flight uses two trains, made of steel and fiberglass. Each train has eight cars, and each car has four seats. This means 32 riders can go on the ride at once! The seats are on either side of the track, two on the left and two on the right. The trains are red and black and have special over-the-shoulder restraints to keep you safe.

The Track

The steel track is about 3,000 feet (910 m) long, and the lift hill is about 120 feet (37 m) tall. The track itself is bright red, and the supports that hold it up are black.

Awards for X-Flight

X-Flight has been recognized as one of the top steel roller coasters.