Batwing
Website: Six Flags America Homepage
Ride Type: Steel Flying Coaster
Ride Status: Running
Average Rating: 4.0000
TPC Overall Rank: #162 out of 2933 rides.
Reviews: 33
Last Review: 12/13/2015 8:55:00 PM
In User Top 10: 24 times.
User Tracker Count: 108 times.
 


Awesome coaster.
    
Post Review
You must login or create an account to post a review.
 
Page [ 1 of 3 ] [ 1 ] 2  3 
5 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up CoasterCale on 12/13/2015 8:55:00 PM
This coaster isn't as good as Superman within the same park, but blows away the B&M Flyers. I wish more of these Dutchmans were around.

4 Rating
+2 Rating Rate Down Rate Up Timberman on 5/15/2007 12:02:00 AM
Im no big connoisseur of the flying coaster concept, but I personally find this ride a lot more interesting than its B&M counterpart at Six Flags Great Adventure. The opening act, in which you climb the lift hill on your back and then flip into flying position on the way down the first drop, is a great little stunt. Youre then treated to a layout with just the right combination of swooping, diving, barrel-rolling, and close encounters with the ground and support structure to keep things varied and interesting and to maintain the illusion of flight. What really makes this ride, however, are the transitions between riding above and below the track. I think some have been a little too quick to impute Vekomas usual reputation for brutalizing its riders to what in this case is actually a very comfortable, well-engineered installation. During certain parts of the layout, your chest is bearing the brunt of the forces generated by gravity, so youre going to feel that to some extent. However, until some Swiss ride manufacturer gives us a restraint system made out of bubblewrap, cotton candy, and spun silk, you could do a lot worse than the weird rubbery gizmo that holds you in place on Batwing. It has a sort of organic quality to it, which is a little freaky in a mostly good way. You would be well advised, however, to suck in a chestful of air before closing it around you, since youre not getting any more breathing room once that thing takes hold. Unlike some Vekoma models, this is definitely a roller coaster that should not be ridden defensively. Your best bet is simply to relax, put your arms out like your caped crusader of choice, and let the ride sweep you along. If you approach Batwing with an open mind, you might just be in a for a pleasant surprise. Its proof that despite its ubiquitous production models, Vekoma still has an unexpected trick or two to deploy from its own utility belt.

3 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up fergusonat on 5/8/2007 4:09:00 PM
After riding three Vekoma Flying Dutchmen, Ive decided that I just dont really enjoy the ride experience. The restraints are unconfortable, the layout places way too much pressure on your head and stomach for my taste, and the ride is not at all reliable. Just not my cup of tea...

4 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up lserna on 9/18/2006 7:53:00 PM - User's Top Ride #7
I really enjoyed the flying aspect of this ride. It gives you a unique experience you dont get with other coasters. I didnt wait in line, because I bought a Flash Pass. I really dont understand why more people dont do this. This is the type of ride I can ride again and again and still have fun.

2 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up BobFunland on 9/8/2006 12:15:00 PM
I thought Batwing was pretty crappy. The fact that it did have a decent layout saves it here, because otherwise it would be just another rough and uncomfortable ride. Starting off with one train ops and 3 rows closed on that one train, I went in already a little bitter. Once I finally squeezed back into those awful Vekoma flying trains I remembered what I hated most about BORG - the stupid metal bar sticking me in the back. However I liked BORG so I was ready to give Batwing a shot, and throughout the ride, I was almost regretting it. The ride is very rough and the trains did not help at all. Throughout the ride I felt discomfort and bordered on extreme, and you could not get me off the stupid ride fast enough. Then I remembered that its basically plopped in a field and the theme job is a joke... a three almost seems like a freakin gift at that point.

3 Rating
+1 Rating Rate Down Rate Up coasterf42 on 7/26/2006 11:54:00 AM
Bat Wing was my most anticipated coaster while heading back to Six Flags America for the first time in three years yesterday. It was the only coaster at SFA that I didnt hit the last time I went, only because it was closed down all day. And unfortunitely yesterday, it was closed down about half the day and when it was open, the line moved so slow it was really a pain just standing there shaking my head at the opps. I guess this is what happens when you put Vekoma and SFA together. The other reason I wanted a few more rides on it because really the main thing I thought of it (and my ride partners for that matter) after my first and only ride was, "That was wierd!" I must say, the coaster certainly has its moments, but all in all it is a very wierd ride. It starts off with the restraints. They look very soft and flimsy and go basically all the way from your shoulders to your belt it seemed. They were actually comfortable. Then you go up the lift on your back which is wierd as well. You get pretty nice speed heading down the drop and then I was "flying" for the first time, which was a pretty cool position. Unfortunitely that speed would soon fizzle out to basically nothing, and that poor pacing is my main complaint of the ride. You then fly at a pretty good speed for a while, and then, what I believe was the best part of the ride happened. At the base of the loop I got some very strong Gs and of corse they were unique, because Ive never felt the Gs flying before. It seemed then that the ride got very slow, although I did like the complete heartline roll, as I like most. However the numerous "half rolls" werent all that great. Out of all the banked turns on the ride, none of them really stood out to me, so I didnt mention any. During the helix towards the end of the course, the train did pick up some welcomed speed towards the bottom of it. Then you got flipped on your back and layed there helplessly until the sub-par SFA ride opps undid your restraints.

So as much as I would have liked to ride Bat again, I do know that it is a good, unique coaster, and it certainly has its moments (first flying part and base of the loop to name a few) but as of right now, I didnt quite get enough of a buzz for it to be one of my favorites.

5 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up coasterwom on 5/4/2006 12:32:00 AM
The Batwing is a steel sit down roller coaster. (Flying) It was built in 2001. It was built by Vekoma. It is 115' tall, it is 3,340' long, it is fast (50mph), It lasts 2:02. It has 8 inversions. It is fun, rerideable, it has a large capacity, and a long duration.

5 Rating
-1 Rating Rate Down Rate Up Mr.C on 11/17/2005 10:22:00 PM
I didnt expect this to be a scary ride but it was. It really did feel like you were flying. Great Coaster!

3 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up Hercules on 10/23/2005 8:11:00 PM
Im not exactly sure what it is with me. I guess Im just not a flying guy in general. Dont get me wrong here, I thought this was a pretty good ride and was above average. However, to tell you the truth, I just dont know what to say. I guess flyers just dont do it for me. I can say that I enjoyed this more than Superman: Ultimate Flight. This ride is not as smooth as the B&M version, but I think that the much more elaborate layout of this coaster really pulls it over the top in the comparison. To start off my riding experience, I would like to comment on the loading time of this ride. It was horrible. It took about 5 minutes just to get straped in and dispatched. A walk-on turned into a 10 minute wait. Yet, once I did get on and I was off and running, it all started off fairly plesantly. While lying down going up the lift hill, you get a pretty nice view of the rest of the park. It is also kind of relaxing in a sense as if I could fall asleep in that position (almost like on Nitro). I had no discomfort going up the lifthill unlike that of Superman: Ultimate Flight. No hurting is a good thing, but there was just something about those restraints that creeped me out a bit. I dont really know how to explain it except that they look like they are that cheap Vekoma crap that looks like it is something that you would see on a portable carnival ride. Anyway, once I got over that, I was enjoying the view and... flip. Totally unexpected. Well, obviously not unexpected because I knew it would come eventually, but it took me by surprise for sure. The train was off and going. After a manuveur or two came the vertical loop. Upon the entry of this I was ready and excited to compare it to the pretzel loop on Superman. It was good, but nothing like the pretzel loop. A few flips here, a couple of close calls there (which were pretty cool and added to the ride) and it was over. I was pretty impressed, but I guess it is just not my kind of thing. I felt a slight discomfort from the flying position throughout the ride, which I didnt like, but the overall ride was ok. It is just missing something though. I guess it could just use some extra theming or something, not to mention it is just thrown in the middle of a grassy area and mudpit. I guess that is what Six Flags likes to do or something. If it had that extra something that was missing, it could be a better ride. Im not trying to say that they should add something or whatever, I think it just needs something else. I liked the layout and all, but like I said (and Im sure you are sick of reading it as I am getting sick of typing it) Im not a flying guy. Give me a sitdown coaster anyday of the week over one of these things. It is a definate crowd pleaser, but it is not a me pleaser. I enjoyed it, but, it wasnt anything worth riding again for me. Fun? Yes. My kind of thing? No.

4 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up mjbc_64 on 8/31/2004 12:40:00 PM
Batwing is my favorite flying coaster. The "Fly to Lie" and "Lie to Fly" turns are my favorite parts. The horseshoe and intense loop are great too. My only complaint with Batwing is that it is almost never open!! Every time I go to SFA, it is never consistantly open the whole day. If it wasnt for this problem, it would be a 10.

Page [ 1 of 3 ] [ 1 ] 2  3 






Clicky Web Analytics