Īt the end of February, Busch Gardens Tampa announced that Falcon's Fury would open on May 1, and on April 3 the park began a sweepstakes contest for its "Falcon's Fury First-to-Ride Party". Tower painting began in June, with its sunset motif estimated to take 60 hours over a three-week period. Testing was originally scheduled to begin in February, but due to construction delays the first drop tests were not made until April 15. Assembly of the gondola was completed by the end of March. Work on the ride's electrical components then began. The ride's counterweight was installed on January 22, and the tower was capped during the weekend of February 1. The seventh tower piece was installed by January 3, 2014, and the eighth by January 5, reaching a height of about 300 feet (91 m), and Falcon's Fury's gondola was seen at the park on January 12. The fifth section was placed by December 21, and the sixth was erected by New Year's Day. The ride's second piece was installed on December 2, and two more were installed by December 6. Construction was done by the Adena Corporation, and on November 18 the first piece was installed. Installation of one of the nine tower pieces was planned for every other night, with the last piece in place by New Year's Eve. On September 20, the tower for Falcon's Fury was shipped from Spain in nine sections, arriving at the park near the end of October the ride's smaller parts had been delivered earlier from several European countries. During the fourth quarter of 2013, the park drove steel piles for the ride's foundation nightly for about a month. About two weeks later, on June 11, Busch Gardens Tampa announced plans for Falcon's Fury and construction began that month. On May 31, 2013, it was announced that Sandstorm would close on June 2 to make room for a new attraction. For unknown reasons the project was delayed, with its construction pushed back to the second half of 2013. According to the FAA and the city of Tampa, the tower was supposed to be built in December 2012 and open to the public in 2013. Due to the height of the attraction, approval from the Federal Aviation Administration was required. When permits for the new ride differed from those for Mäch Tower in November 2012, rumors began that the seats would tilt forward. Speculation about the new attraction's name began when SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, owners of Busch Gardens Tampa, filed trademark applications for "Desert Dive" and "Falcon's Fury" on May 2 and July 11, 2012, respectively, and bought the domain name. Two months later plans were filed with the city to build a drop tower, possibly for the 2013 season. Construction surveying was observed in January 2012. Rumors that Busch Gardens Tampa might replace its Sandstorm ride with a 200-foot (61 m) drop tower surfaced in the fall of 2011 when Mäch Tower opened at its sister park, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, that August. Ground tests in the Timbuktu area (now known as Pantopia) revealed "interesting soil conditions", with steel beams and concrete required to reinforce the site. Planning for Falcon's Fury began around the time the park completed its Cheetah Hunt ride in 2011. Public response to the ride has been positive, with reviewers praising the height of the tower and the drop experience. 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. Construction began in 2013 with a scheduled opening date of however, the opening was delayed due to mechanical and technical issues. The project was originally planned to begin in 2012 with the ride opening in 2013, but it was delayed by one year. The ride's name was chosen to invoke a falcon's ability to dive steeply at high speed to capture prey. Riders experience about five seconds of free fall, reaching a speed of 60 miles per hour (100 km/h). 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. Falcon's Fury is a free-standing Sky Jump drop tower attraction at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay amusement park in Tampa, Florida, United States.
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