Six Flags Hits New Milestone in Construction of Record-Breaking ‘Giga Dive’ Roller Coaster

Six Flags just hit a huge milestone in the construction of an all-new record-breaking coaster.

On Tuesday, Jan. 20, crews working at Six Flags Over Texas completed the Immelmann Inversion on Tormenta Rampaging Run. The ride element will help make up the world’s tallest, fastest, longest and first-ever giga (300+-foot-tall) dive coaster

“This inversion is not just another loop on a roller coaster,” says park manager Mark Boyer in a video interview. “It’s massive.”

He adds: “This inversion will take riders to a height of 218 feet in the air, at a whopping 87 mph.”

Before Immelmann Inversions were used as roller coaster track elements, they were used as a combat maneuver for aerobatic fighter pilots. Its history dates back to World War I when German pilot Max Immelmann escaped enemy fire by performing an ascending half-loop followed by a half-roll at the top, ending the opposite direction of the enemy.

“An Immelmann starts with a push down in your seat and you get heavier and heavier and heavier, as you pull [up],” says pilot Randy W. Ball says in a video interview. “And then as the roller coaster, or the jet aircraft in my case, slows down, you get lighter and lighter and lighter in your seat until suddenly you roll.”

Tormenta Rampaging Run’s Immelmann Inversion won’t be the attraction’s only record-breaking element. The ride will reach new heights, literally, as it is set to become the world’s tallest dive coaster at 309 feet. Riders will be able to look out at the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex before a terrifying 285 feet  beyond 95-degree vertical drop, the world’s highest.

Another record-breaking element is the vertical coaster loop at 179 feet, which is the tallest of any coaster, of any type, in the world. The entire attraction, the world’s longest dive coaster, spans 4,199 feet and offers “an extended journey full of airtime (weightless) moments, sharp turns and exhilarating drops that will make riders feel like they are bull runners,” per a press release.

Themed to the Spanish tradition of running with the bulls, Tormenta Rampaging Run will elevate riders to the top of the dive and, just like waiting for the release of the bulls, hold for brief pause before barreling down the track.

Alongside the new attraction, the park will also welcome a newly themed area of the park: Rancho de la Tormenta. The new land will mimic a secluded Spanish village and is set to feature vibrant colorful banners and lively Spanish music.

Guests can also enjoy a new restaurant, Cocina Abuela. The kitchen will offer traditional cuisine from Spain and Latin American, such as Spanish rice, papas bravas, chicken tinga and fresh house-made guacamole.

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While an exact opening date has yet to be announced, the park has said it will open as part of the park’s 65th anniversary. The 65th commemoration will feature new entertainment and food and beverage options, ride enhancements, park improvement initiatives and more.

Six Flags Over Texas officially reopens for the season on Saturday, Feb. 28.