Abstract: An amusement ride with at least two flight support towers and a lift tower. The support towers are spaced apart with a gondola suspended from a support structure therebetween by flight cables. The lift tower has a lift cable with release mechanism to bring the gondola up into a launch position. When released, the gondola swings from the support structure on the flight cables. The support structure includes a bridge extending between support towers. The bridge comprises a track with parallel rails extending along the gondola flight path and a sled movably mounted on the track. A swing damper system is provided to arrest the motion of the gondola and bring it to a controlled stop. The damper system includes a rack-and-pinion system acting between the bridge and the sled. The pendulum motion of the gondola pulls the sled back and forth on the track, such that the sled provides a passive braking force against the swing motion of the gondola. Additional ride features are also described.