Wild Eagle is a steel

Steel roller coaster

A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world...

 Wing Rider roller coaster

Wing Rider roller coaster

A Wing Rider is a type of steel roller coaster where pairs of riders sit on either side of a roller coaster track.-History:The Wing Rider was derived from John F. Mares' 4th Dimension roller coaster concept from the 1990s. However, unlike 4th Dimension roller coasters, cars on a Wing Rider train do...

 currently under construction at Dollywood

Dollywood

Dollywood is a theme park owned by entertainer Dolly Parton and the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation. It is located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Dollywood has 3,000 people on its payroll, making it the largest employer in that community....

 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Pigeon Forge is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the southeastern United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 5,875....

. It will be the first of its kind in the United States when it opens in March 2012.

History

In March 2011, plans for "Dollywood Attraction 2012" were submitted to the Pigeon Forge Planning Commission. The plans indicated the need to relocate three buildings before the construction of a 2012 attraction could begin. The plans were approved immediately. In May 2011, prepatory ground work started to take place. Also in May 2011, Pete Owens from Dollywood confirmed that the attraction would be announced on September 4, 2011. He also stated that the attraction would be the first of its kind in the United States and that one element should set a world record. In June 2011, the slogan for the attraction was revealed to be "The Sky Is Not The Limit" as blue Bolliger & Mabillard track began appearing at the park. A preview website for the ride was launched shortly after at . Wild Eagle was officially announced at the Boomsday

Boomsday

Boomsday is an annual fireworks celebration that takes place on Labor Day weekend in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is one of the largest firework shows in the Southern United States and is considered a top attraction in the region. The event is held on Volunteer Landing and accompanied by live music and...

 festival in Knoxville, Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee

Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...

 on September 4, 2011. Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton

Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...

's announcement of the ride's name was followed by fireworks and laser images of an animated flying eagle. Costing $20,000,000, Wild Eagle will be the biggest investment in the park's history. The ride is expected to open in March 2012.

Ride

Wild Eagle will be a Bolliger & Mabillard

Bolliger & Mabillard

Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president...

 Wing Rider roller coaster. Each train will feature 7 cars which each seat 4 people in a single row. Riders will be seated in pairs on either side of the track with nothing above or below them.

The ride will begin with a chain lift hill out of the station

Station (roller coaster)

A roller coaster's station is where the passengers board and alight from the trains. The station houses the coaster's control panel, and has devices for moving the trains in and out of the station and holding them in position, as well as devices for locking and unlocking the restraints and devices...

 to a height of 210 feet (64 m) above the ground. From there, the track plunges down 135 feet (41.1 m) and into a vertical loop. Following the loop, the train will then enter a zero-g roll, an Immelmann and a giant flat spin. The ride will then go through a camelback followed by some tight turns which will lead back towards the station. One cycle of the ride is expected to take 2 minutes and 22 seconds.

See also

• Raptor
  Raptor (Gardaland)
  Raptor is a steel roller coaster at the Gardaland amusement park in Lake Garda, Italy. The ride is a prototype Wing Rider design by Swiss roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard. Raptor opened to the public on April 1, 2011. The ride begins from an underground station and features two...
  
  , the world's first Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Rider roller coaster at Gardaland
• The Swarm, a Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Rider roller coaster currently under construction at Thorpe Park
• X-Flight
  X-Flight (Six Flags Great America)
  X-Flight is a steel Wing Rider roller coaster currently under construction at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. The long ride will feature barrel rolls and high-speed drops when it opens in 2012.-History:...
  
  , a Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Rider roller coaster currently under construction at Six Flags Great America