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Falcons Flight is a steel launched roller coaster located at Six Flags Qiddiya, part of the Qiddiya mega project in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Upon opening it will become the world's fastest, tallest, and longest roller coaster.

History

Conception

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman officially announced the Qiddiya mega project on April 7, 2017, which would cement itself as a entertainment, sport and cultural destination as a key part of the Saudi Vision 2030, aimed to diversify its economy. Included in the announcement was the involvement of the original Six Flags theme park chain, which at the time was also pursuing the development of international parks in Dubai and China. The Saudi Press Agency reported in October 2018 that the Crown Prince had met with David McKillip – then Six Flags' senior vice president of international park operations – the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh.

Details for Six Flags Qiddiya were formally revealed on August 26, 2019, with the park slated to open in early 2023. Most notably included was Falcons Flight, a gargantuan roller coaster that would cinch the world records for longest, tallest, and fastest coaster ever built. An animated reel was released depicting a theoretical idea of what Falcons Flight could ultimately look like, which proposed scaling the nearby cliffs and interacting with the to-be-built F1 race track. The concept immediately drew skepticism from some internet circles, who dismissed the video's physics as unrealistic and debated as to whether a project of such a size would ultimately be completed.

Industry Involvement

By January 2020 it was confirmed that manufacturers had been selected for all of the park's attractions, with geotechnical testing and analysis taking place on the cliffside. In January 2021, Liechtenstein-based Intamin announced that they'd kicked off the design process for Falcons Flight; project manager Lukas Spieldiener would later allude to development having begun as far back as 2017. Another two years later, in January 2023, Swiss electronics firm Indrivetec AG affirmed that they were working on the launch propulsion system for a coaster with a "world speed record of more than 240 km/h (150 mph)".

Intamin used the 2023 IAAPA Expo in Orlando, Florida as a platform to reveal details on Falcons Flight. One of the coaster's lead cars was presented and displayed on November 14, and a newer animation was released of the finalized coaster design. The final layout eschewed an Immelmann inversion and cliffside tunnel that were included in the original concept, but otherwise remained consistent with the vision in scale and design. Daniel Schoppen – the firm's Vice President of design and development – described Falcons Flight as “the roller coaster evolution of the century”.

Construction

Construction took place concurrently with the park. For Six Flags as a whole, Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) awarded a SAR3.75 billion (USD $998.2 million) joint contract in December 2021 to Bouygues Bâtiment International and Saudi Almabani General Contractors. In September 2022, Intamin sought to hire a project manager "based in Riyadh for about 2 years (possibly more)". Fabrication of the attraction took place at Stakotra Manufacturing in Piešťany, Slovakia.

The first pieces of track and supports were placed in April 2023 the station and brake run area. Installation continued in phases over the next year and a half, with the first launch hill and then final turnaround being erected. The top piece of the marquee camelback - itself the tallest freestanding structure on the coaster - was placed in April 2024. Intamin announced in December 2024 that some weeks prior the final track piece had been fitted into place on top of the drop, just over the edge of the cliff.

Characteristics

Statistics

Falcons Flight is 13,943.6 feet (4,250.0 m) long and will reach a top speed of 155.3 mph (249.9 km/h) throughout its course. The coaster uses the natural cliffs near the park to attain a peak elevation of 639.8 feet (195.0 m), although the tallest freestanding hill at ground level is 535 feet (163 m). The drop height off of this structure is known to be 519 feet (158 m) in height.

The coaster will run with six trains, each of which will seat fourteen riders across four cars in rows of two; the front car only has a single row while the others have two. Falcons Flight's station will use a dual loading bay to handle trains, with two separate sets of track and platforms to increase throughput.

Falcons Flight utilizes three LSM launches, each of which propels the train to sequentially higher speeds. The second launch ascending the cliffside will accelerate riders to just over 100 mph (160 km/h), while the final launch on the descent aids the train in achieving the maximum 155.3 mph (249.9 km/h) top speed. The launches are made up of more than 700 LSM modules, about six times the amount used on VelociCoaster at Universal Islands of Adventure, another high-profile Intamin roller coaster.

Design

Falcons Flight – dubbed by Intamin as an Exa Coaster – has been designed to withstand both the high speeds incurred and harsh desert climate. For comfort the trains feature lap bars and giant curved windshields per car, protecting riders from airborne sand at high speeds. The trains are fully machined with no welding involved and include rims specifically designed to improve cooling. The wheels were custom designed for the project, measuring 16 inches (41 cm) in diameter and being among the largest ever committed to a coaster (although marginally smaller than those found on Top Thrill 2 at Cedar Point). Falcons Flight's trains also include thirty-five programmable and individually controlled light modules, allowing for enhanced spectator visibility at night.

References

1. ^ Nagraj, Aarti (August 27, 2019). "In pics: Saudi's new Six Flags park to feature world's fastest, longest roller coaster". Gulf Business. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
2. "Qiddiya Investment Company officially established as standalone company". Arab News. May 21, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
3. "6 Flags park to be built in new Saudi 'entertainment city'". Associated Press. April 9, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
4. Rousseau, Oscar (October 28, 2018). "Saudi Crown Prince meets Six Flags SVP to discuss Qiddiya". Construction Week. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
5. blooloop: Visitor Attraction News (August 27, 2019). "Tallest, Fastest Rollercoaster to be Built: Falcon's Flight at Six Flags Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia". YouTube. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
6. Krivsky, Andrew (January 4, 2021). "SPECS AND MANUFACTURER ANNOUNCED FOR FALCON'S FLIGHT – WORLD'S TALLEST, FASTEST, LONGEST ROLLER COASTER". limitlesspark.com. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
7. Ralph, Owen (January 30, 2020). "Six Flags Qiddiya to bring year-round thrills to Saudi Arabia". Blooloop. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
8. "Saudi Arabia/Liechtenstein: Start of Design Process for Six Flags' "Falcon's Flight" Superlative Coaster". EuroProfessional Magazine. January 12, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
9. ^ "Intamin unveil huge coaster vehicle for Falcon's Flight, Six Flags Qiddiya at IAAPA Expo in Orlando". gottagoorlando.com. November 15, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
10. Indrivetech AG (January 12, 2023). "Soon it will be time to keep your fingers crossed!". LinkedIn. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
11. ^ Hardy, Rebecca (November 21, 2023). "Intamin reveals details of Falcons Flight at Six Flags Qiddiya". Blooloop. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
12. Dadlani, Disha (December 13, 2021). "Saudi Almabani and BBI win $1bn contract for Six Flags Qiddiya". Construction Week. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
13. "Site Operations Manager 100%(M/W/D)" (PDF). Intamin Amusement Rides Int. Corp. Est. 2022. p. 1. For supporting us in a large scale and iconic project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), we are looking for a Site Operations Manager
14. aerocoasters (May 15, 2023). "Some very interesting things..." Instagram. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
15. @themeparX (April 6, 2023). "Major milestone at Six Flags Qiddiya as track is now being installed for..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
16. sadeeq1212 (April 22, 2024). "SADEEQ DGKHAN". TikTok. Retrieved December 19, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
17. Intamin (December 12, 2024). "Intamin". Facebook. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
18. AmusementInsider (November 14, 2023). "FALCON'S FLIGHT Reveal + Details! Six Flags' Record-SHATTERING Roller Coaster". YouTube. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
19. "Top Thrill 2 opens and shatters records". Amusement Today. May 3, 2024. Retrieved December 19, 2024.

External links

• Official website
• Falcons Flight at the Roller Coaster DataBase

• Roller coasters under construction
• Steel roller coasters
• Launched roller coasters
• Roller coasters manufactured by Intamin
• Roller coasters introduced in 2025
• Proposed infrastructure in Saudi Arabia
• Buildings and structures under construction in Saudi Arabia
• 2025 establishments in Saudi Arabia