Holiday World's Thunderbird Completes First Launch

Holiday World & Splashin' Safari are celebrating the first launch of Thunderbird, the park's new steel roller coaster, just in time for the Nation's 'launch forward' into Daylight Savings Time.  That extra hour of daylight should prove beneficial to the park as it continues testing of the first launched wing coaster in the United States.

© Holiday World

The launch took place at 2:03 pm on Saturday, and the train - seen above mid-flight - made it back to the station with ease.  The train was filled with twenty water dummies that are, one could say, the first riders of the new Bolliger & Mabillard creation.

© Holiday World

Thunderbird is an enormous project for Holiday World, so this first launch is momentous.  Matt Eckert, Holiday World park President, notes that "this is a huge milestone for us – Thunderbird is the greatest investment we’ve made since we opened in 1946. Our season begins in just seven weeks.”

The new coaster will feature a zero to sixty miles per hour launch in just 3.5 seconds, followed by four inversions including a 125 foot vertical loop and 3,035 feet of track.  Thunderbird will also utilize the sleek wing coaster trains to treat riders to several "near miss" moments with a barn, other thematic elements, trees and even other rides.

So do you want to see the video?  Me too! Check it out and remember to see more on Thunderbird from Holiday World at this link.