Wild Eagle is a steel Wing Coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard at the Dollywood amusement park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It is the first of its kind in the United States and opened to the media on March 23, 2012 before opening to the public on March 24, 2012. The roller coaster reaches a height of and reaches speeds of. In September 2012, the ride was voted as the best new ride of 2012 in Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards.HistorySpeculation of Wild Eagle began in March 2011 when plans to discuss Dollywood's 2012 attraction were submitted to the Pigeon Forge Planning Commission. On March 24, 2011, those plans were approved and though city officials could not tell exactly what the plans were, some believed it looked to be a roller coaster. On September 4, 2011, Wild Eagle was officially announced to the public as the first wing coaster to open in the United States. On October 7, 2011, the lift hill was completed, and by the end of October 2011, the track layout was complete. On February 28, 2012, Dollywood unveiled a steel sculpture of an eagle with a wing span of 42ft and a total weight of 8000lbs that would be placed near the entrance of the ride. The ride soft opened to the media on March 23, 2012, before officially opening to the public on March 24, 2012.
