Superman: Tower of Power
{{Short description|Drop tower at Six Flags parks}}
{{ Infobox attraction
| name = Superman: Tower of Power
| logo = Superman Tower of Power logo.gif
| logo_width = 150px
| image = SupermanTower-5954.jpg
| imagedimensions = 180px
| caption = Superman: Tower of Power ride at Six Flags Over Texas in 2010
| location = Six Flags St. Louis
| section = Illinois
| status = Removed
| opened = {{Start date|2006|05|19}}
| closed = 2020
|replacement= Catwoman Whip
| location2 = Six Flags Over Texas
| section2 = Tower
| status2 = Operating
| opened2 = {{Start date|2003|03|29}}
| closed2 =
| location3 = Six Flags Over Georgia
| section3 = DC Super Friends
| status3 = Operating
| opened3 = {{Start date|2016|05|27}}
| closed3 =
| location4 = Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom
| section4 =
| status4 = Removed
| opened4 = {{Start date|1995|10|13}}
| closed4 = {{End date|2007|06|21}}
| type = Drop Tower
| theme = Superman
| virtual_queue_name = Flash Pass
| virtual_queue_image = Fastpass availability icon.svg
| virtual_queue_status = Available at both Six Flags parks.
| single_rider = available
| custom_label_1 = Manufacturer
| custom_value_1 = Intamin (Kentucky Kingdom and Six Flags St. Louis)
S&S Worldwide (Six Flags Over Texas)
Zamperla (Six Flags Over Georgia)
| custom_label_2 =
| custom_value_2 =
| accessible =
| transfer_accessible = available
}}
Superman: Tower of Power is a drop tower ride currently located at two Six Flags parks,{{cite web|title=Two New Kids Areas Opening at Six Flags Over Georgia for 2016 Season|url=http://newsplusnotes.blogspot.com/2015/09/two-new-kids-areas-opening-at-six-flags.html|access-date=September 9, 2015|date=September 3, 2015}} and two former installments at Kentucky Kingdom and Six Flags St. Louis. Two of the four drop towers were manufactured by Intamin, while the Six Flags Over Georgia version was made by Zamperla, and the Six Flags Over Texas version was made by S&S. The installment at Kentucky Kingdom (then known as Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom) was demolished after an accident that severed a 13-year-old girl's feet. At Six Flags St. Louis, the ride was removed from the park's website in early 2021.{{cite news| title=Girl's feet severed on ride at Six Flags in Kentucky| date=June 22, 2007| access-date=2010-04-22| url=http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/06/21/six.flags.accident/index.html| publisher=CNN}}{{cite news| url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/six-flags-closes-more-rides-after-accident/| publisher=CBS News| title=Six Flags Closes More Rides After Accident| author=Lloyd de Vries| date=2007-06-22| access-date=2010-09-20}} Many additional drop towers of the same model by S&S are installed at other Six Flags parks.
Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom
{{stack|Image:Superman Tower of Power SFKK.jpg, on June 9, 2007]]}}
The Superman: Tower of Power at Kentucky Kingdom (park then operating as Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom) was an Intamin Giant Drop model, nearly identical to the one at Six Flags St. Louis. It opened in 1995 as the first ride of its kind. The ride was constructed by Martin & Vleminckx. The original name for this ride was "Hellevator", but it was renamed "Superman: Tower of Power" in 2007 and received a fresh coat of paint at the top of the ride. The same year it was refurbished, its life was cut short after a major accident. The ride was dismantled in 2008.
A new 129-foot drop tower, called "FearFall", was later added to the park in 2014.{{cite web|title=Intamin|url=http://www.martin-vleminckx.com/mva_web_3_019.htm|publisher=Martin & Vleminckx|access-date=16 November 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131125045107/http://www.martin-vleminckx.com/mva_web_3_019.htm|archive-date=25 November 2013}}
=Rider experience=
Riders sit in one of four seats in several cars attached to the tower. They are quickly taken 177 feet (54 m) in the air at 12 mph (19 km/h), held at the top for several seconds, and then dropped around {{convert|154|ft|m}} at speeds of {{convert|54|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}, before being stopped just {{convert|23|ft|m}} from the ground by magnetic brakes.
=Stats=
- Introduced: 1995
- Demolished: 2008
- Height: 177 ft (54 m)
- Drop height: 154 ft (47 m)
- Max speed: 54 mph (87 km/h)
- Lift speed: 12 mph (19 km/h)
- Manufacturer: Intamin
- Height restriction: 48 in (122 cm)
=Incidents=
{{See also|List of incidents at Herschend parks}}
On June 21, 2007, 13-year-old girl Kaitlyn Lassiter was severely injured on Superman: Tower of Power when a cable snapped shortly after the ride began, striking the passengers in Section 3 of the ride, where she was located. The cable wrapped around Lassiter's feet during the drop, shattering her left femur and severed both of the girl's feet.{{cite news|title=Excerpts of Kaitlyn Lasitter's deposition|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20080130/NEWS01/80130056/Excerpts-Kaitlyn-Lasitter-s-deposition|newspaper=The Courier-Journal|date=January 30, 2008|access-date=July 4, 2015}} Ride operators heard the cable snap and acknowledged unusual screaming as the car climbed, but failed to press the emergency stop button until after the ride had already dropped. The ride cannot be stopped once the carriage begins to drop.{{cite web|title=KDA Final Report|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/assets/B2109690530.PDF|publisher=Kentucky Department of Agriculture|access-date=18 June 2011}}{{cite news |title=Report: Faulty Cable, Operator Response Factors in Kentucky Accident |url=https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/southeast/2008/06/02/90543.htm |access-date=December 1, 2021 |agency=Claims Journal |publisher=Associated Press |date=June 2, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128233025/https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/southeast/2008/06/02/90543.htm |archive-date=November 28, 2020 |url-status=live}} Her right foot was successfully reattached, but not her left, which required amputation below the left knee.{{cite news|date=July 4, 2007|title=Teen's right foot reattached|work=Pensacola News Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90242915/teens-right-foot-reattached/|access-date=December 8, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|date=December 2, 2007|title=Ky. amusement park to tear down ride|work=Evansville Courier and Press|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90243031/ky-amusement-park-to-tear-down-ride/|access-date=December 8, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}
Following the accident, the ride was closed indefinitely. Other drop tower rides around the country temporarily closed for inspection, including Drop Tower rides at five Cedar Fair parks.{{cite news |title=Carowinds thrill ride closed for inspection |url=https://www.heraldonline.com/news/local/article12182144.html |access-date=December 8, 2021 |work=Rock Hill Herald |date=June 22, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208202456/https://www.heraldonline.com/news/local/article12182144.html |archive-date=December 8, 2021 |url-status=live}} On November 29, 2007, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom announced that Superman: Tower of Power would be demolished for good. The attraction was removed prior to the 2008 season.{{cite news|last=White|first=Charlie|date=November 30, 2007|title=Ride that maimed girl to come down|work=The Courier-Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65083000/ride-that-maimed-girl-to-come-down/|access-date=December 14, 2020|via=Newspapers.com}}
On May 14, 2008, the Lassiter family spoke and gave support for a bill introduced by Massachusetts State Representative Ed Markey on Capitol Hill, which would have allowed the federal government to oversee permanent rides at amusement parks.{{cite news|last1=Leonard|first1=Connie|date=May 14, 2008|title=Kentucky Kingdom ride accident victim speaks out for safety changes|publisher=WAVE|url=https://www.wave3.com/story/8325799/kentucky-kingdom-ride-accident-victim-speaks-out-for-safety-changes/|url-status=live|access-date=May 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611073201/https://www.wave3.com/story/8325799/kentucky-kingdom-ride-accident-victim-speaks-out-for-safety-changes/|archive-date=June 11, 2021}}{{cite news|date=May 15, 2008|title=Teen Who Lost Legs on Thrill Ride Talks About Ordeal|publisher=Fox News|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/teen-who-lost-legs-on-thrill-ride-talks-about-ordeal|url-status=live|access-date=May 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119020044/https://www.foxnews.com/story/teen-who-lost-legs-on-thrill-ride-talks-about-ordeal|archive-date=January 19, 2021}} The family sued Six Flags and reached a confidential settlement on November 21, 2008, with one of the terms requiring Six Flags to provide a lifetime of care for the injured girl.{{cite news |title=Amusement Park Reaches Accident Settlement |url=https://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/34901049.html |access-date=May 5, 2020 |publisher=WKYT-TV |date=November 21, 2008}}{{dead link|date=June 2021}}
Six Flags Over Georgia
The Superman Tower of Power at Six Flags Over Georgia is located in the DC Super Friends themed area with a structural height of {{convert|65|ft|m}} and opened on May 27, 2016.{{cite news|last1=MacDonald|first1=Brady|title=Six Flags unveils new attractions for every park in 2016|url=http://www.latimes.com/travel/themeparks/la-trb-six-flags-2016-20150903-story.html|access-date=September 4, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=September 3, 2015}} This is the second attraction themed to Superman to operate at the park, with the first one being Superman: Ultimate Flight.
=Stats=
- Introduced: 2016
- Total height: 65 ft (20 m)
- Manufacturer: Zamperla
- Height restriction: 42 in (107 cm)
Six Flags Over Texas
Superman Tower of Power at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas was added to the Tower section of the park in 2003. With a structural height of {{convert|325|ft|m}}, it was the tallest ride in the park until the opening of the Texas Sky Screamer. Superman Tower of Power is also the tallest ride to use both space shot and turbo drop pneumatic (air powered) sequences in the United States, as well as the second highest of its kind in the world, with the tallest being La Venganza Del Enigma at Parque Warner Madrid which is structurally at a height of {{convert|377|ft|m}}.{{cite web|url=https://www.parquewarner.com/en/in-the-park/attractions/la-venganza-del-enigma|title=La Venganza Del Enigma {{!}} Parque Warner Madrid}}
It features three towers: blue, red, and yellow positioned so that ride resembles a tripod like structure. Riders are seated facing outwards and are strapped using air-locked shoulder restraints and a safety belt that attaches the restraint to the seat. The ride begins with the weigh process. During this time the cart is raised and lowered as the ride's computer determines the amount of air pressure to use for the ride cycle. Once completed, there is a brief pause and the riders are then launched up the tower (Space Shot) then slow just before reaching the top. This is the first feeling of weightlessness that the riders experience. The cart briskly falls halfway down the tower then brought back up to the top to complete the Turbo Drop portion of the ride. Once at the top the cart locks into the brakes and is held there giving the riders just enough time to view both the Dallas and Fort Worth skylines. The cart is then released from the brakes, and the riders are dropped giving them the second and final experience of weightlessness. The riders are then bounced halfway up the tower and dropped again until they are slowly brought back down to be unloaded.
At night the ride is illuminated by various lights that change color and can be seen for miles.
=Stats=
- Introduced: March 29, 2003{{cite news|date=March 27, 2003|title=Super thrills at Six Flags ride debut|work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57010696/super-thrills-at-six-flags-ride-debut/|access-date=August 20, 2020|via=Newspapers.com}}
- Total height: 325 ft (99 m)
- Structural height: 313 ft (95 m)
- Drop height: 245 ft (74 m)
- Top Speed: 55 mph (89 km/h)
- G-force: min -1.0 g, max +4.0
- Manufacturer: S&S Worldwide
- Height restriction: 52 in (132 cm)
Six Flags St. Louis
The Superman: Tower of Power at Six Flags St. Louis was manufactured by Intamin, and was one of Intamin's "Giant Drop" models. Riders sat in open-air ski lift style seats that face away from the tower, leaving their feet dangling. The cars lifted up slowly at first, but quickly accelerated to 12 mph (19 km/h) after leaving the magnetic brakes. Riders were held at the top of the 23-story tower for several seconds at the top. The cars were then released in a random order and free fall some 230 ft (70 m), reaching 62 mph (100 km/h) before hitting the brakes.
=Stats=
- Introduced: May 19, 2006
- Height: 227 ft (69 m)
- Drop height: 217 ft (66 m)
- Free fall distance: 230 ft (70 m)
- Free fall speed: 65 mph (104.607 km/h)
- Lift speed: Up to {{convert|16|ft|m|abbr=on}} per second
- Ride Duration: 1 min, 50 sec
- Capacity: 6 cars that hold 4 passengers each, for a total of 24 riders per cycle
- Manufacturer: Intamin
- Height restriction: 48 in (122 cm)
=History=
- The ride was originally operated at Six Flags AstroWorld in Houston, Texas, where it was known as the "Dungeon Drop". When AstroWorld was closed and demolished in 2005, Dungeon Drop was relocated to Six Flags St. Louis.
- The ride was originally intended to be named "Acrophobia". The tower pieces were painted in an alternating color scheme of orange, green, and teal with white accent rings{{spaced ndash}}prior to being erected at the park during the off-season. When CEO Mark Shapiro made his stop at the park on his national tour of the Six Flags parks in 2006, he ordered the name change to Superman: Tower of Power and the tower was repainted again, but in an alternating color scheme of yellow, blue and red with yellow and blue accent rings.
- The ride was closed on June 22, 2007, after the accident occurred on the Kentucky Kingdom location.{{cite news|date=June 23, 2007|title=More thrill rides closed after teen injured|work=Pensacola News Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82673617/more-thrill-rides-closed-after-teen/|access-date=December 8, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}
- The ride was removed from the park website in 2021 and replaced by Catwoman Whip.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sixflags.com/stlouis/things-to-do/all-rides|title = Our Rides - Six Flags St Louis}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Superman: Tower of Power (Six Flags Over Texas)}}
- [http://www.sixflags.com/overTexas/rides/SupermanTowerofPower.aspx Superman: Tower of Power at the Six Flags Over Texas Official Website]
- [http://www.sixflags.com/stLouis/rides/SupermanTowerofPower.aspx Superman: Tower of Power at the Six Flags St. Louis Official Website]
{{Kentucky Kingdom}}
{{Six Flags Over Georgia}}
{{Six Flags Over Texas}}
{{Six Flags St. Louis}}
{{Superman amusement rides}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Superman: Tower Of Power}}
Category:Six Flags attractions
Category:Six Flags Over Georgia
Category:Towers completed in 1995
Category:Towers completed in 2003
Category:Towers completed in 2006
Category:Amusement rides based on film franchises
Category:Amusement rides based on television franchises
Category:Amusement rides manufactured by Intamin
Category:Amusement rides manufactured by S&S – Sansei Technologies