You’re sitting in the jet black and cherry red seats of the newest addition to Six Flags, X Flight. Eyes closed, feet dangling 120 feet above the air, and knuckles white with anticipation, you anxiously wait for that thrilling moment when the train jerks forward. Finally, the ride picks up speed, and so begins your journey of flying through 3,000 feet of twisted steel at 55 miles per hour.

Wind blowing through your hair, you look up in panic, thinking that you’re about to crash into the manufacturing less than a few feet away from you. Suddenly, you’re jerked into a vertical flip, completely dodging the collision and just barely making it through a keyhole cut out.  The fun doesn’t end there. For the rest of the three minutes, get ready to undergo five inversions; including a zero-g roll, in-line roll, and a barrel roll.

Sound familiar, Niles West? Probably not, considering Six Flags Great America’s newest roller coaster, X Flight, is only the fourth coaster in the world to offer that kind of experience.

According to Six Flags Great America’s public relations supervisor Brandon Bruce, X Flight is nothing like riders have seen before.

“The trains look like airplanes, and the structure allows people to swing toward structures. [This ride] is more about the feeling of danger,” Bruce said.

With the X – Flight being the first big thrill addition to Six Flags since SUPERMAN: Ultimate Flight in 2003, students are already anticipating the ride’s debut.

“If they’re saying that [the ride is] like nothing that you’ve ever experienced, I’d be expecting an adrenaline rush and I’d want to be scared. That’s kind of the point of a roller coaster,” says senior Vicky Georgevich.

According to Bruce, Georgevich won’t be disappointed.

“Safety is always number one, and you’ll never be in danger, but on this ride, you’ll think that you are,” said Bruce.

Unlike SUPERMAN: Ultimate Ride and BATMAN: The Ride, X Flight, although designed by the same company, is not themed after a character. According to Bruce, X Flight follows a militaresque theme, giving riders a top-secret experience.

As for the effect of the ride, Bruce claims that it should feel similar to riding on the wings of an airplane–an experience that is probably not common to most people.

Bolliger & Mabillard, the Swiss manufacturer of the roller coasters who also designed Raging Bull, is credited for designing the roller coaster, but it is the workers in Gurnee who assemble it.

Katy Enrique, the supervisor of advertising,  said Bolliger & Mabillard are always coming up with unique, innovative rides that are hard to find at just any amusement park.

According to Bruce, once the amusement park gets designed, it is the workers’ job to lay the groundwork that includes all the concrete that support the coaster. Once the groundwork is complete, the track, which is build in segments, is assembled like a puzzle, a process which usually takes a bit longer than six months.

Those who have been working hard to oversee the construction of the ride are anticipating the people’s responses.

“We have expectations similar to Batman and Superman. We’re hoping for at least seven coasters that all deliver at least one million rides, and the X – Factor should be one of them,” said operations supervisor Eddie Katich.

Check out Six Flags Great America’s Facebook and Twitter pages for special promotions, sweepstakes, and contests. The Park opens on May 5 to the public. Six Flags Great America is located at 1 Great America Parkway Gurnee, IL 60031.

To win a free admissions pass to Six Flags, simply leave a comment.

• What’s your favorite ride?
• What would you do to skip the lines at Six Flags for free?
• How long would you be willing to wait in line to ride X Flight this summer?

Comment as much as you would like, but you will only get an entry for your first.

One winner will be selected via random.org. The winners will be contacted via email and will be announced on morning announcements.

This contest ends April 5 at 8 AM, so act quick!

Ivana Kosir contributed to this article.

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