Superman: Ultimate Flight is a steel flying roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. It opened on May 3, 2003, in the park’s Orleans Place section, replacing the Arrow Dynamics looper Shockwave. Built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, it was the third installation of B&M’s flying coaster model to open at a Six Flags park, following versions at Six Flags Over Georgia and Six Flags Great Adventure.
The ride’s signature twist is its riding position: instead of sitting upright, passengers are secured face-down and pushed forward into a horizontal ‘flying’ orientation before the train even leaves the station, simulating the sensation of flight for the length of the course. Riders climb a 106-foot lift hill, then plunge nose-first into a first drop before racing through a pretzel loop and an inline twist at speeds up to 51 mph.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags Great America
- Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard
- Opened: May 3, 2003
- Height: 106 feet
- Top speed: 51 mph
- Length: 2,798 feet
- Inversions: 2
The Ride Experience
Before boarding, riders are loaded into seats that then rotate them forward into a face-down, arms-spread flying position, an experience distinct from most steel coasters. The 106-foot chain lift hill gives riders a bird’s-eye view of the park below them, seen through open air rather than over a shoulder or restraint bar.
Once over the top, the train dives into a roughly 50-degree first drop and accelerates into a pretzel-shaped loop that climbs back up around 78 feet before an inline twist and a high-speed horseshoe turn bring the flight full circle. The full layout runs about 2,798 feet and takes roughly three minutes from station to station.
Part of a Three-Park Trio
Six Flags rolled out the same B&M flying coaster model at three of its parks in the early 2000s: Six Flags Over Georgia debuted the first version in April 2002, Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey opened its copy in April 2003, and the Great America installation followed just weeks later in May 2003. Building the Gurnee version required regrading part of an existing parking lot to fit the coaster’s footprint and support structure.
The coaster has remained a fixture of Orleans Place at Great America since opening, giving Midwest riders access to one of only a handful of flying coaster designs operating in North America.
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Superman: Ultimate Flight Photo Archive: August 2005
These are original ThrillZing photos of Superman: Ultimate Flight taken at Six Flags Great America on August 10, 2005, restored and upscaled from the original camera files. They show the Bolliger & Mabillard flying coaster in its third season: the entrance signs, riders flying face down over the hills and through the loop, the trains in the station, the red track and blue supports up close, and the layout from above. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.
Superman: Ultimate Flight FAQs
What company manufactured Superman: Ultimate Flight?
It was built by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the Swiss firm known for pioneering the flying coaster format.
How fast does Superman: Ultimate Flight go?
The coaster reaches a top speed of about 51 mph during its first drop and pretzel loop.
What ride did Superman: Ultimate Flight replace?
It replaced Shockwave, an Arrow Dynamics looping coaster that previously stood in the Orleans Place area of the park.
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