SheiKra

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

It is situated in the Stanleyville section of the park. Shei-Kra was the first dive machine roller coaster in North America.

It is tied with Goliath at Six Flags over Georgia as the second tallest roller coaster in the southeast.

Shei-Kra first opened in May 2005. On June 16, 2007, Shei-Kra was converted into a floorless roller coaster.

The name Shei-Kra is derived from a shikra an Asian - African hawk that is known to dive straight down for its prey.

Climb a 47-degree 200-foot lift hill

After passengers leave the station, they climb a 47-degree 200-foot lift hill.

The train then makes a U-turn and approaches the holding brake, which holds the train for about 3–5 seconds over the first drop, then drops it 90 degrees down and into an Immelmann loop.

After the Immelmann the train takes an upward turn into the mid-course brake run before the second drop, which is at 81 degrees.

Then the train travels on a turnaround and then down into a water brake....splashdown area and a final helix into the final brake run.

SheiKra is the first vertical-drop (dive machine) roller coaster in the United States .....and the first roller coaster of its kind to include an inversion in this case, an Immelman Loop and a true 90-degree vertical drop.

The other four coasters of its type are:-

Alton Towers in the United Kingdom

G5 Flying Submarine at Janfusun Fancyworld in Taiwan

GRIFFON buschgardens Williamsburg, VA

and Vertical Coaster at Chimelon Paradise in China.

200-foot 45 degree chain lift hill

200-foot 45 degree chain lift hill

200-foot 90° drop

140-foot-tall Immelmann

138-foot 81° drop

At 10:30am Wednesday, January 31, 2007, Busch Gardens Tampa

Executive Vice President and General Manager Dan Brown, Vice President of Design and Engineering Mark Rose, and Busch Entertainment Corporation Corporate Vice President of Sales & Marketing Joe Couceiro officially announced on a webcast teleconference with media outlets the floorless conversion of SheiKra and details about the conversion.

According to the press release and teleconference, the last day to experience SheiKra before the conversion would be Memorial Day, May 28, 2007.

On May 29 SheiKra closed until June 16, 2007, when it reopened with new floorless hardware.

This conversion was most likely sparked by August Busch III explaining to coaster enthusiasts about "looking at engineering taking that floor out" of SheiKra and asking if it would make the ride better, worse, or the same.

Everyone who was asked replied saying it would make the ride better.

Video of this event can be seen on

YouTube

and is dated back to August 2006.

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I-Trolley..in Orlando Florida.

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Cash Fares

Single fare is $1.25

Senior citizen (65 and over) fare is $0.25 per ride

KIDS RIDE FREE (age 12 and under when accompanied by a paying adult)

Exact change is required

Drivers do not carry cash

I have included a large map of Busch Gardens to help you with your vacation planning!

SheiKra. Travel essentials

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