Batwing Review

Batwing is now a rare ride as it is one of only two Vekoma Flying Dutchman models that are still in operation (the other being Nighthawk at Carowinds). Unfortunately, that may be for a reason. Batwing is an incredibly odd rollercoaster and people have mixed reactions to it. 

It seems like B&M has done the flying coaster model with much better success which is why Vekoma isn’t making flying coasters anymore. However, does Batwing have something good to offer, or is it time to finally retire this ride for good?

Theming

First thing is that this ride is in a very odd location in the park. It is behind Superman: Ride of Steel in the very back of the park. To get to it, there is a Batman sign next to Superman, which leads to a path towards Batwing. Along the way, there are different signs that have Batman heroes and villains on them, with descriptions of who they are. A neat detail for Batman fans, but I don’t think anyone is actually stopping to read them.

 The signs do set the mood for the Batman theme. However, the signs are about it. Six Flags is not known for their theming, and besides the signs, the track has a black and yellow coloring, and that is about it for the theming. I can’t really fault the ride for this because Six Flags just doesn’t really do theming. At least it is in the Gotham City section.

Ride Experience

Unlike the B&M flying coasters, this ride does not start in the flying position. You get into the car sitting upright. The car then tilts you onto your back and sends you out of the station up the lift hill. This isn’t too much of a problem unless it is a sunny day. If it’s sunny and hot, then the sun is just beating on your face up the lift hill. 

Once you get up the lift hill, that is when the track flips the car into the flying position. This is actually a cool aspect of the ride because it makes the flying feeling more sudden and fearful. However, this is where you may realize that Batwing may not be the safest ride in the world.

The seats on Batwing have both a shoulder harness and a lap bar that keep both your legs and shoulders pressed back. However, once the car flips, these restraints do not feel as tight as they should be. My legs feel like they are going to come out of the lap bar every time and it’s a bit freaky. The shoulder vest places a lot of pressure on your chest as well that can get uncomfortable on some of the ride elements.

The best part of this ride is definitely the loop that places you on your back and then into the flying position once again. It’s a weird feeling that is unique to this ride. There is also a double barrel roll and it ends with a helix that has a surprising amount of force. The ride then puts you on your back once more and goes back into the station. This ride is the most intense ride in the park as it does exert a lot of force on the riders.

Another big issue with this ride is its operations. This ride is rarely open. I don’t know what the issue is but there are times when it will close down during the day randomly or just be closed for long stretches of time. This is a ride that I would never want to get stuck on anyway, so the fact that it breaks down so much is an enormous red flag.

Final Thoughts

Batwing used to be a lot better, but the years have not been kind to it. It’s not comfortable to ride, it is rarely open, and it just feels like a waste of space now. I have ridden a B&M flyer before and those rides are just much more comfortable than this one. 

I’m honestly surprised that it is still open at Six Flags America. I honestly hope that Six Flags America puts it out of its misery soon so that something better can take its place.

Final score: 5/10

Suggested Wait Time: 25-30 minutes (It may take a while to board as the loading process sometimes takes a while since there are a lot of safety restraints)