The year 2001 was the season that the southeast United States' premier thrill ride collection was expanded by two when Six Flags over Georgia welcomed a new thrill-packed duo of rides to the Austell, Georgia theme park. Along with one of three Vekoma Super Invertigo shuttle-loopers to open in the Six Flags family in '01, Deja Vu, a cylindrical twenty-story blue, yellow, and magenta tower took the place of the aged Air Racer at the front of the park that would take vertical thrills to a whole new level. Going by the name Acrophobia, the attraction officially opened to the public on May 12th of 2001 from the Wollerau, Switzerland-based Intamin AG with the claim to being the first ever freefall tower of its kind in the world. With a completely new type of riding position for thrill seekers which allowed riders to stand straight up with legs dangling over the ground below, Acrophobia combines the foot-hanging fun of traditional Intamin drop towers with the stand-up approach of 2000's Apocalypse at Drayton Manor in England. But as if that weren't enough, this tower throws in one other surprise: As the seating ring of 30 riders reaches the topmost point, 180 feet (55 meters) above ground level, the 'seats' tip forward 15 degrees before the plummet. And on the way up, passengers get the chance to take full advantage of a 360-degree view as the ring throws in a full spin around.

Future passengers of Acrophobia first make their way through a first queuing building with signs lining the walls comparing the height of the tower to various landmarks around the world. After completing the switchbacks of the line, the next group of thirty riders lines up to prepare for boarding. Once the ring drops back down to the ground and the previous riders exit, the next load boards the ride by resting on protruding 'seats' in the standing position and pulling down over-the-shoulder harnesses which lock into the lower portion of the seating configuration via safety belts. Once restraints are secured, restraints checked, and lifting vehicle locked to the seating ring, it's time for liftoff; passengers' feet lifting off of the concrete platform and Acrophobia beginning its ascent into the sky. The ring's slow 360-degree rotation starts out and the ride makes its way to the top of the tower. On the way up, thrill seekers are treated to a full panoramic view of Six Flags over Georgia laid out below and the cityscape of downtown Atlanta off on the horizon. Just as the vehicle reaches the maximum height, riders are angled forward those fifteen degrees in groups of three and wait at the top for a full twenty seconds, waiting to plunge. In a split second, the ring is released and begins the free fall, reaching its top speed of sixty-two mph (100 kph) and serving up several intense seconds of negative g's before being brought to a stop just two stories above the ground, then lowered back to terra firma.

If you have acrophobia, confront your fears with some High-Altitude Attitude at Six Flags over Georgia!