GURNEE, ILL. – “X Flight,” an extreme, revolutionary wing coaster, is now open at Six Flags Great America. While many compare X Flight to riding on the wings of an airplane, wingwalker Tony Kazian, with Dave Dacy Airshows, attests to its legitimacy.
Kazian has been a professional wingwalker for 18 years. He spends his days performing stunts with no parachute, no ropes and no cables 1,000 feet off the ground, on the wings of a Boeing Super Stearman Biplane, piloted by Dave Dacy. However this time, Kazian stepped off the plane and on to X Flight at Six Flags Great America to compare the two thrill rides.
The X Flight amusement ride launches riders on a flight that defies gravity, with no track above or below them. Riders sit in pairs, suspended on either side of the track with their feet dangling, as they begin their climb up a 12-story plunge launching them into speeds of 55 mph through 3,000 feet of intense drops and five inversions, including a barrel roll and zero-g roll.
“This ride is the closest experience I’ve found on a roller coaster to being on the outside of an airplane,” said Kazian. “It really feels like an airplane doing a barrel roll! That first wingover that drops down into the first barrel roll is exactly like a chandelle.”
Six Flags Great America is located between Chicago and Milwaukee (www.sixflags.com).