Falcon's Fury

Falcon's Fury
Falcon's Fury logo and the ride in operation
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
AreaPantopia
Coordinates28°2′15.5″N 82°25′22″W / 28.037639°N 82.42278°W / 28.037639; -82.42278
StatusOperating
CostUS$5,000,000–6,000,000[1]
Soft opening dateAugust 16, 2014 (2014-08-16)
Opening dateSeptember 2, 2014 (2014-09-02)
ReplacedSandstorm
Ride statistics
Attraction typeDrop tower
ManufacturerIntamin
ModelSky Jump[2]
ThemeFalcon
Height335 ft (102 m)
Drop310 ft (94 m)
Speed60 mph (97 km/h)
Site area3,600 sq ft (330 m2)
G-force3.5
Capacity800 riders per hour
Vehicles1
Riders per vehicle32
Duration2:00
Height restriction54–77 in (137–196 cm)
Quick Queue available

Falcon's Fury is a free-standing Sky Jump drop tower attraction at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay amusement park in Tampa, Florida, United States. Manufactured by Intamin subsidiary Intaride, the ride reaches a maximum height of 335 feet (102 m), making it North America's tallest free-standing drop tower. Riders experience about five seconds of free fall, reaching a speed of 60 miles per hour (100 km/h). The ride's name was chosen to invoke a falcon's ability to dive steeply at high speed to capture prey.[3]

The project was originally planned to begin in 2012 with the ride opening in 2013, but it was delayed by one year. Construction began in 2013 with a scheduled opening date of May 1, 2014; however, the opening was delayed due to mechanical and technical issues. Following a preview opening to park employees in early August and a soft opening on August 16, 2014, Falcon's Fury officially opened to the public on September 2, 2014. Public response to the ride has been positive, with reviewers praising the height of the tower and the drop experience.

  1. ^ Wynne, Sharon (August 26, 2014). "Falcon's Fury up and running at Busch Gardens; here's what it's like to ride". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  2. ^ "Falcon's Fury – Face-down freefall opens at Busch Gardens". Park World Magazine. September 2014. p. 8.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference bay9nov was invoked but never defined (see the help page).