Flight Deck is a steel inverted roller coaster at California’s Great America in Santa Clara, California. Built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, it opened on March 20, 1993 as Top Gun, a name that played off the Hollywood blockbuster, before the ride was rebranded Flight Deck in 2008.
As an inverted coaster, riders sit in ski-lift-style trains suspended beneath the track with their legs dangling free, a design that was still a novelty in the early 1990s. Flight Deck was only the second inverted coaster B&M ever built, following Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America, and it helped cement the inverted format as a theme park staple.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: California’s Great America
- Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard
- Opened: March 20, 1993 (as Top Gun)
- Height: 102 ft
- Top speed: 50 mph
- Length: 2,260 ft
- Inversions: 3
- Duration: About 2 minutes 26 seconds
The Ride Experience
After the lift hill, Flight Deck’s suspended trains dive into a 91-foot first drop before working through a vertical loop, a zero-g roll, and a corkscrew, the ride’s three signature inversions. With legs hanging free beneath the track, riders feel an added sense of exposure during the inversions that fixed-floor coasters don’t replicate.
The layout is compact compared to today’s hypercoasters, but its tight pacing and the disorienting zero-g roll near the midpoint have kept it a fan favorite at the park for over three decades.
A Top Gun Legacy
When it opened in 1993 as Top Gun, the ride leaned into a military aviation theme inspired by the 1986 film, complete with jet-inspired trains. The park rebranded the attraction Flight Deck in 2008, dropping the movie tie-in while keeping the aviation styling intact.
Flight Deck remains one of the longest-running coasters at California’s Great America, predating most of the park’s current lineup and representing an early, influential chapter in B&M’s now-extensive inverted coaster catalog.
Explore more: Explore more roller coasters.
Keeps your phone strapped to you, not in a loose-article bin. Zip it before the lift hill and walk straight off the exit ramp.
Rapids, log flumes and splash zones without the rice-bag aftermath. The touchscreen still works through the window, so you can still take photos.
Cheaper than the $15 poncho at the gift shop and you get a whole bag. Toss one in every backpack for water rides and pop-up storms.
Flight Deck FAQs
Who manufactured Flight Deck at California’s Great America?
Flight Deck was built by Bolliger & Mabillard, the Swiss firm known for pioneering the inverted coaster format.
What was Flight Deck originally called?
It opened on March 20, 1993 as Top Gun, named after the hit film, before being renamed Flight Deck in 2008.
How many inversions does Flight Deck have?
Flight Deck has three inversions: a vertical loop, a zero-g roll, and a corkscrew.
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Photo: Jeremy Thompson from Los Angeles, California / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.