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Falcon's Fury

From Alfawiki
Falcon's Fury
Company typeAmusement ride
IndustryAmusement park attractions
Founded2014
Headquarters
Tampa, Florida
,
United States
ProductsSky Jump drop tower attraction
OwnerSeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

Falcon's Fury is a standalone Sky Jump drop tower attraction located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. Constructed by Intamin's subsidiary Intaride, it reaches a height of 335 feet, making it the tallest free-standing drop tower in North America. Riders experience approximately five seconds of free fall, accelerating up to 60 mph. The ride’s name is inspired by the swift dive of a falcon when hunting prey.

Initially slated to begin construction in 2012 with an opening planned for 2013, actual building commenced in 2013 aiming for a May 1, 2014 debut. However, mechanical and technical setbacks postponed the launch. After an employee preview and a soft opening on August 16, 2014, Falcon's Fury officially welcomed the public on September 2, 2014. Visitor feedback has been largely favorable, emphasizing the tower’s impressive height and thrilling descent.

History

Development for Falcon's Fury started shortly after the completion of the Cheetah Hunt ride in 2011.[1][2] Soil testing conducted in the Timbuktu area (currently known as Pantopia) revealed difficult ground conditions that necessitated reinforced steel beams and concrete foundations.[1]

Speculation arose in late 2011 that Busch Gardens Tampa would remove its Sandstorm ride to install a drop tower, following the August 2011 debut of Mäch Tower at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.[3]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Surveying for construction began in January 2012,[3] and filings submitted by March indicated a target opening during the 2013 season.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Trademark filings for "Desert Dive" and "Falcon's Fury" by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, owners of Busch Gardens Tampa, intensified rumors about the ride’s eventual name.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name[4] Permit documents revealed plans for forward-tilting seats, setting it apart from Mäch Tower, and FAA approval was sought due to the ride’s height. The initial timeline aimed for construction to start in December 2012 with a 2013 launch, but delays pushed work back to late 2013.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

Sandstorm ceased operations on May 31, 2013, clearing space for the new attraction.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Two weeks later, Busch Gardens officially announced Falcon's Fury with construction commencing that month.[5][6][7] Foundation work involved nightly steel pile driving throughout the fourth quarter of 2013.[8]

The tower components were transported from Spain in September 2013, arriving by October; additional smaller parts were sourced from various European nations.[9][10] Assembly took place every other night, starting with the first section installed on November 18 by Adena Corporation.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Following sections were raised through early January 2014, reaching an approximate height of .Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name The gondola arrived mid-January; counterweights were installed on January 22, and the tower was topped out by early February.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name[11] Electrical systems and gondola assembly were completed by March.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Testing commenced on April 15 after some delays.[1][12]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name The tower was painted with a sunset-themed design over three weeks starting in June.[9]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

At February’s end, Busch Gardens announced a May 1 opening date,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name[13] launching sweepstakes for early access in April.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name However, manufacturing and technical difficulties with gondola cables caused further postponements; media previews were canceled.[12]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Falcon's Fury opened briefly for employees in August and had a soft public opening on August 16. The official grand opening took place roughly two and a half weeks later.[14]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

Following the Orlando FreeFall accident in March 2022, Busch Gardens temporarily shut down Falcon's Fury to conduct inspections. After reopening briefly, it closed again for maintenance. Supply chain disruptions extended its closure to about a year before announcing plans to reopen in Spring 2023.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

Ride experience

Falcon's Fury provides two covered queue options: a standby line with an estimated wait time of around 45 minutes, and a Quick Queue line allowing pass holders to skip the regular wait. Riders must meet height requirements between and .

After boarding, a catch car elevates the gondola to nearly the tower’s summit within approximately one minute, pausing just shy of the peak. At the highest point, the seats tilt forward, and after a computer-determined delay ranging from one to five seconds, riders are released into a rapid five-second free fall, reaching speeds up to . As the descent continues, the seats return to an upright position while passing through a pre-braking zone before entering the main magnetic braking section, where riders undergo roughly 3.5 g of deceleration. The entire ride cycle lasts close to ninety seconds from beginning to end.

Busch Gardens Tampa included a subtle detail: a Falcon's Fury emblem painted on a building that can only be seen from specific gondola vantage points.

Characteristics

Intaride, an Intamin subsidiary, manufactured both the tower and gondola. The ride extends over approximately .[9]

Tower

Falcon's Fury’s tower rises tall, ranking as the third tallest freestanding drop tower in North America. To endure hurricane-strength winds, the tower’s apex is engineered to flex in any direction.[15][6][16] Constructed from nine segments including the machine house,[7] each weighing up to , the total structure weighs around .[10][17] The machine house at the summit contains four DC motors responsible for raising the gondola.[7] A lead counterweight inside assists with lifting.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name The foundation comprises 105 steel piles driven between and deep.[1][7] An Eddy current brake system facilitates slowing of the gondola post free fall.[7][9][18] The tower is painted in yellow, aqua, and two tones of red.[1]

Gondola

The ride utilizes a single gondola with 32 seats arranged in an octagonal formation around the tower, featuring eight sides each accommodating four riders. Every seat is equipped with an over-the-shoulder harness and a seat belt. Falcon's Fury has a theoretical throughput of 800 riders per hour. To protect riders’ arms and legs during descent, carbon-fiber wings are installed on the outer seats. The gondola ascends to , approximately below the tower’s peak. At full height, seats tilt forward by 90 degrees, positioning riders face-down—a pioneering feature among drop towers.

Records

When it debuted, Falcon's Fury claimed the title of North America’s tallest freestanding drop tower. While taller drop towers exist—such as Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom at Six Flags Great Adventure, with drop heights of and respectively—these are affixed to pre-existing structures. Falcon's Fury’s top speed of does not break speed records; other towers like Drop Tower: Scream Zone at Kings Dominion achieve speeds up to . Nevertheless, Falcon's Fury is globally unique as the first drop tower with seats tilting a full 90 degrees forward, surpassing previous tilting designs like Intamin’s Acrophobia at Six Flags Over Georgia, which featured more limited tilt angles.

Reception

The announcement of the ride was met with a largely favorable response. Lance Hart, a theme park aficionado from Screamscape, described it as potentially "the most terrifying drop tower worldwide." Robb Alvey from Theme Park Review hailed it as the premier drop tower globally and placed it among his top 14 new attractions for 2014. Dave Parfitt and Arthur Levine of USA Today listed Falcon's Fury among their ten most eagerly awaited rides, while Brady MacDonald from the Los Angeles Times initially ranked it seventh before revising his position to seventeenth.

To ensure safety, most construction activities took place during nighttime hours. Residents living nearby voiced complaints about the noise generated by pile drivers during foundation installation and continued operational sounds extending into August 2014.

During the soft launch, public feedback was largely enthusiastic, with selected tweets from media sources expressing excitement. Total Orlando awarded the attraction five stars for teenagers and four stars for adults. A reviewer at Coaster101.com praised the secure restraints and characterized the drop as uniquely powerful, likening it to riders’ stomachs being carried to the bottom. Florida Trip Guides commended it as a valuable addition to Busch Gardens' offerings, highlighting its distinctive thrill element. Robert Niles of Theme Park Insider noted that Falcon's Fury, along with other extreme thrill rides, may be nearing the threshold of mass appeal, which could limit its audience reach. Bay News 9’s Randi Nissenbaum emphasized the stunning views and conveyed enthusiasm about experiencing the ride again. Sue Carlton from the Tampa Bay Times described the experience as both frightening and exhilarating.

Busch Gardens Tampa anticipated an attendance boost between 3% and 8% in 2014; however, IBISWorld reported only a modest combined increase of approximately 0.3% in second-quarter attendance across SeaWorld parks and Busch Gardens venues, alongside a slight overall decline compared to 2013 figures. The park attributed some of this shortfall to delays encountered during Falcon's Fury’s construction phase.

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named bay9nov
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named bay9media
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named screamscape
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Newspec
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named WPannouncement
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named TBTannouncement
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named FFfacts
  8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named noisecomplaint
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named raisingthebar
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named towerarrives
  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named OSFeb5
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named TBOdelayed
  13. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named TBTopendate
  14. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named stockdrop
  15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named tbtFeb5
  16. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named hurricaneproof
  17. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named towerarrives2
  18. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named webisode4
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