Amusement parks love those heart-stopping vertical drop rides because they don’t take up much space. But when you’ve ridden one, you’ve ridden them all. At least until Busch Gardens’ new 102m tall Falcon’s Fury ride is open to the public.
When riders get to the top — as many as 32 at one time — their seats are tilted forward 90 degrees so that they’re directly facing the ground when released. And during the first 30m of free fall, they will actually achieve a speed of around 100km/h before a magnetic braking system brings them to a safe and upright stop.
If it sounds incredibly terrifying, it’s because it is. And even seasoned thrill park riders will find their hearts racing once they get to the bottom. But there will still probably be a line a mile long once this officially opens to the public before the Summer arrives. [Busch Gardens via Popular Science]