Batwing was a steel flying roller coaster that opened on June 16, 2001, at Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Built by Dutch manufacturer Vekoma as one of only three “Flying Dutchman” models ever produced, Batwing launched riders backward out of the station in a lay-down, face-up position for the climb up the 115-foot lift hill, then flipped them into a face-down, arms-out flying position through a course of loops and twists inspired by the park’s Gotham City superhero theming.
The ride was a near-clone of Kings Island’s Firehawk and shared its layout with Carowinds’ Nighthawk, both of which have since closed, making Batwing’s own retirement in 2025 the end of an unusual chapter in coaster history. By the time it shut down, Batwing held the distinction of being the last operating Vekoma Flying Dutchman coaster in the world.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags America
- Manufacturer: Vekoma (Flying Dutchman model)
- Opened: June 16, 2001
- Closed: 2025
- Height: 115 ft (35 m)
- Top speed: 50 mph (80 km/h)
- Length: about 3,340 ft (1,020 m)
- Inversions: 5
The Ride Experience
Riders boarded Batwing seated upright, then were tilted backward into a horizontal, face-up “lay-down” position as the train traveled backward out of the station and climbed the 115-foot lift hill. After cresting the top, the train dipped into the first “Lie to Fly” element, a twisting drop that flipped riders from their backs into a face-down flying position for the remainder of the course, which included a vertical loop, a horseshoe element, and additional transitions between flying and lying orientations across the ride’s roughly two-minute run.
Themed to Gotham City, one of Six Flags America’s signature areas built around DC Comics characters, Batwing leaned into its Batman-adjacent name and dark color scheme to fit the surrounding land, giving guests a visually distinct flying experience compared to the park’s more traditional sit-down coasters.
Closure and Legacy
Batwing was closed indefinitely on July 8, 2025, after a decorative fiberglass piece on the front of the train broke apart and fell during operation; no riders were injured. The ride never reopened, and Six Flags confirmed its permanent closure in September 2025, just weeks before Six Flags America itself closed for good on November 2, 2025.
As the last Vekoma Flying Dutchman still running anywhere in the world at the time, Batwing’s closure effectively retired the model altogether, leaving Firehawk’s and Nighthawk’s earlier shutdowns to make Batwing the final word on this rare flying coaster design.
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Batwing Photo Archive: July 2001
These are original ThrillZing photos of Batwing taken at Six Flags America on July 14, 2001, its opening season, restored and upscaled from the original camera files. They show the Vekoma flying coaster brand new: the entrance marker, trains flying through the inversions, riders lying back in the trains, and the station and yellow track from the plaza and the parking lot. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.
Batwing FAQs
What type of roller coaster was Batwing?
Batwing was a Vekoma “Flying Dutchman” flying coaster, a rare model built only three times worldwide, which carried riders face-up during the lift hill before flipping them into a face-down flying position.
When did Batwing close?
Batwing was pulled from operation on July 8, 2025, after a decorative part broke off the train, and was permanently closed in September 2025, shortly before Six Flags America itself shut down on November 2, 2025.
Were there other coasters like Batwing?
Yes. Batwing was a near-identical clone of Firehawk at Kings Island and closely resembled Nighthawk at Carowinds, though all three Vekoma Flying Dutchman coasters have now closed.
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