THE AMERICAN EAGLE - Six Flags Great America
A shot of the Eagle's entrance from 1991
When the Eagle premiered in 1981, this was the inside leaf of that year's brochure. Courtesy Great America.
The view from the lift.
The Eagle soars 127' high at sunset.
A striking view of the station and lift.
During 2002 you can ride blue side backwards! Here the red train catches up in the enormous helix.
Twin-track, RACING out and back--Built 1981 by Intamin/Figley-Wright
Red white and blue never looked so good. The ultimate in racing coasters, the American Eagle took flight in May of 1981. It was the world's largest wooden coaster at the time, second in length only to the Beast at Kings Island (which is still the world's longest at 7,400'). Racing coasters, though technically two seperate rides, are not combined for total track length. Otherwise, we have over 9,000 feet of track! The Eagle was a milestone for the amusement world, taking guests 127 feet into the air, before plunging them down an unbelieveable 60 degree drop. Until 2001, the American Eagle was the world's fastest wooden coaster at 67 mph. For 2002, the right (blue) side was turned backwards. This adds a new element of thrill, similar to the smaller backwards racers at other parks. Eagle however is twice as high, and packs great airtime as the trains race to the finish. Though the ride is braked more than it used to be, occasional brakeless night rides will happen. It is during that time when this wooden monstrosity is at her finest.
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ALL images copyright Brad Sherman unless noted otherwise. Logos copyright their respective sources.