Tatsu is the signature flying roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California — the ride that tilts you face-down into a prone harness and sends you skimming just feet above the hillside at 62 mph. Designed by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, it’s one of the most talked-about coasters in the park, and one of the most searched: how tall you need to be to ride it, when it opened, and where it sits on the Magic Mountain map are the questions guests ask most.
This guide answers all of that directly — Tatsu’s height requirement, its opening date and record history, exactly what the ride feels like from lift hill to pretzel loop, and where to find it in the park — plus a full FAQ for quick reference before you get in line.
Quick Answer
Tatsu opened on May 13, 2006, at Six Flags Magic Mountain and requires riders to be at least 54 inches (137 cm) tall. It’s a Bolliger & Mabillard flying coaster that reaches 62 mph across 3,602 feet of track, featuring four inversions including the world’s tallest pretzel loop at 124 feet.
What Is Tatsu?
Tatsu is a steel flying coaster located in the Samurai Summit section of Six Flags Magic Mountain. Its name is Japanese for “Flying Beast,” a fitting label for a ride that debuted as the tallest, fastest, and longest flying coaster in the world. Riders board seated, are raised into a standing position, then tilted face-down into a prone flying harness before launching through the layout.
Unlike a typical seated coaster, Tatsu’s flying format means the track is built to keep riders staring straight down at the terrain below for most of the ride — part of what makes it feel more intense than its 170-foot height and 62 mph top speed suggest on paper.
Tatsu Height Requirement
The minimum height to ride Tatsu is 54 inches (137 cm), per Six Flags Magic Mountain’s official ride restrictions. This puts it in the park’s highest thrill category — riders below 54 inches, and those who don’t meet other standard restraint requirements (loose articles must be stowed, riders must be able to sit unassisted in the flying harness), will not be permitted to board. There is no separate maximum height or weight posted publicly; the restraint system is checked at the station for every rider regardless of size.
When Did Tatsu Open at Six Flags?
Tatsu opened to the public on May 13, 2006, becoming Six Flags Magic Mountain’s seventeenth coaster. It cost roughly $21 million to build and debuted simultaneously as the world’s tallest, fastest, and longest flying coaster — a record sweep no flying coaster had achieved before. It also introduced the zero-gravity roll to the flying-coaster format for the first time.
Those records stood for a decade. In 2016, The Flying Dinosaur at Universal Studios Japan opened and broke Tatsu’s length record while matching its 62 mph top speed. Tatsu still holds the height record among flying coasters and remains home to the tallest pretzel loop in the world at 124 feet, so nearly two decades later it’s still a genuine record-holder, not just a legacy ride.
The Ride Experience
From the moment riders are tilted horizontal, Tatsu delivers a sensation closer to hang-gliding than a traditional roller coaster. The train crests a roughly 103-foot chain lift before plunging into a terrain-hugging layout that keeps guests staring at the ground below throughout the ride.
Key elements include a corkscrew descent, a zero-gravity roll — the first ever built into a flying coaster — a horseshoe turn, an inline twist, and the headline 124-foot pretzel loop. That loop is the defining moment of the ride: riders plunge face-first toward the earth, are swept onto their backs under strong positive g-forces, then are flung back face-down in one continuous fluid arc.
Because the flying position keeps riders horizontal throughout, every banked turn and dip reads as a near-miss with the landscape. The combination of speed, proximity to the terrain, and the disorienting prone posture makes Tatsu feel faster and more exposed than its statistics alone suggest — a big part of why it’s held up as one of the best flying coasters in North America two decades on.
Tatsu Stats at a Glance
Park: Six Flags Magic Mountain. Location: Samurai Summit, Valencia, California. Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard. Opened: May 13, 2006. Height: 170 ft (52 m). Top Speed: 62 mph (100 km/h). Track Length: 3,602 ft (1,098 m). Inversions: 4 (corkscrew, zero-gravity roll, pretzel loop, inline twist). Minimum Height: 54 in (137 cm). Trains: three 8-car trains, 32 riders each.
Where Tatsu Ranks Among Flying Coasters
Tatsu remains one of the most decorated flying coasters ever built, having appeared repeatedly in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards steel coaster rankings since it opened. Its record-setting specs raised the bar for the entire flying-coaster genre when it debuted, and Six Flags Magic Mountain’s willingness to invest in a terrain-interactive layout — rather than a simple out-and-back — gave Tatsu a character that most flying coasters still struggle to match.
If you’re planning a visit, expect Tatsu to run among the longer waits at Magic Mountain alongside X2 and Full Throttle; lines are typically shortest in the first hour after opening or in the late afternoon. It does not currently offer a dedicated single-rider line, so plan for the standard queue.
Tatsu flying coaster FAQs
What is the height requirement for Tatsu?
Riders must be at least 54 inches (137 cm) tall to ride Tatsu at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
When did Tatsu open at Six Flags Magic Mountain?
Tatsu opened on May 13, 2006, becoming the park’s seventeenth roller coaster and debuting as the world’s tallest, fastest, and longest flying coaster.
Where is Tatsu located at Six Flags Magic Mountain?
Tatsu is located in the Samurai Summit section of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California.
Is Tatsu still the world’s tallest flying coaster?
Yes. The Flying Dinosaur at Universal Studios Japan matched Tatsu’s speed and beat its length in 2016, but Tatsu still holds the height record among flying coasters and features the tallest pretzel loop in the world at 124 feet.
What makes the pretzel loop on Tatsu special?
At 124 feet, Tatsu’s pretzel loop is the tallest in the world. It sweeps riders from a face-down flying position onto their backs and back again in one continuous motion, generating the ride’s most intense g-forces.
How fast does Tatsu go and how long is the ride?
Tatsu reaches a top speed of 62 mph across 3,602 feet of track, with four inversions including the pretzel loop, a zero-gravity roll, a corkscrew, and an inline twist.
Who manufactured Tatsu?
Tatsu was designed and built by Bolliger & Mabillard, the Swiss manufacturer behind many of the world’s record-setting steel coasters.
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