Flying theater
A Flying Theater is a themed entertainment technology and adjacent show style. It is a type of simulator ride which consists of one or several motion systems and a large screen. This type of attraction is also known as Panoramic Flying Theaters. The illusion of flight is created through motion that is synchronized with a film. Sound and special effects are combined with the film to create realistic flying experiences.
There are 2 different forms: the suspended Flying Theater, in which rigging similar to a fly system lifts seats into the projection of a film to create the illusion of flight. The other version uses a motion system-based platform with a dome-projection or a large curved screen.[1][2][3]
Platform-based Flying Theaters allow 2 different forms of experience: either a traditional seated version and a version where guests are standing on the platform, leaning forward into body-supports to create a ‚fly-like-superman‘-feeling.
History[]
The concept of Panoramic Flying Theaters as it is understood today was introduced by The Walt Disney Company in 2001 in their „Disney California Adventure“- theme park as „Soarin’ Over California“[3]. The success of „Soarin’ Over California“ initiated a worldwide trend which led to more than 50 Panoramic Flying Theaters built between 2013 and 2021.
While the steel construction of suspended Flying Theaters, which is necessary to lift the seats with guests into the projection has to be quite large and massive, platform-based Flying Theaters can be operated in a more compact space, thus making both the seated as well as the standing version suitable not only for large installations like "Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon" (Universal Studios Florida) but also for smaller venues like museums (e.g.: „Washington Revelations“ (Museum of The Bible, Washington D.C., shopping malls and family entertainment centers.
List of flying theater attractions[]
This list is incomplete; you can help by . (July 2021) |
Name | Park | Location | Manufacturer | Opened | Status | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Soarin' Over California | Disney California Adventure | United States | Dynamic Structures | February 8, 2001 | Closed | |
Soarin' | Epcot | United States | Dynamic Structures | May 5, 2005 | Operating | |
Viaggio in Italia | Ferrari World | United Arab Emirates | HUSS Park Attractions | 2011 | Operating | |
FlyOver Canada | Canada Place | Canada | Brogent Technologies | June 29, 2013 | Operating | |
Fuji Airlines | Fuji-Q Highland | Japan | Brogent Technologies | July, 2014 | Operating | |
FlyOver America | Mall of America | United States | Brogent Technologies | April 19, 2016 | Operating | |
Soaring Over The Horizon | Shanghai Disneyland Park | China | Dynamic Structures | June 16, 2016 | Operating | |
Soarin' Around the World | Disney California Adventure | United States | Dynamic Structures | June 17, 2016 | Operating | |
Krrish: Hero's Flight | Bollywood Park Dubai | United Arab Emirates | 2016 | Operating | ||
Wings Over Washington | Pier 57 Seattle | United States | December 11, 2016 | Operating | [4] | |
Agila: The EKsperience | Enchanted Kingdom | Philippines | SimEx-Iwerks | December 11, 2016 | Operating | [5] |
L'Extraordinaire Voyage | Futuroscope | France | Dynamic Structures | December 2016 | Operating | |
Voletarium | Europa-Park | Germany | Brogent Technologies | June 3, 2017 | Operating | |
Race Trough New York Starring Jimmy Fallon | Universal Studios Florida | United States | Dynamic Motion Rides | Apr 6, 2017 | Operating | |
This is Holland | This is Holland | Netherlands | Vekoma & Brogent Technologies | October 2017 | Operating | |
Washington Revelations | Museum of The Bible, Washington D.C. | United States | Dynamic Motion Rides | Nov 17, 2017 | Operating | |
Soaring: Fantastic Flight | Tokyo DisneySea | Japan | Dynamic Structures | July 23, 2019 | Operating | |
Sky Voyager | Dreamworld | Australia | Brogent Technologies | August 23, 2019 | Operating | [6] |
FlyOver Iceland | Reykjavik | Iceland | Brogent Technologies | September 2019 | Operating | |
Godzilla the Ride: Giant Monsters Ultimate Battle | Seibu-en | Japan | Brogent Technologies | May 19, 2021 | Operating | |
The Flyer - San Francisco | Pier 39 | USA | Triotech | Jan 2019 | Operating | |
Volarium | Cinecittà, Rome | Italy | Simtec | 2019 | Operating | |
Beautiful Hunan | Tongguan Kiln International Cultural & Tourism Center | China | Cavu Designworks | Oct 2018 | Operating | |
Fly Over China | Beijing Shijingshan Amusement Park | China | Brogent Technologies | Sep 2018 | Operating | |
Jiangsu in the Air | Wuxi Sunac Land | China | Simtec | 2019 | Operating | |
i-Ride Taipei | Breeze Nanshan Shopping Center | Taiwan | Brogent Technologies | 2018 | Operating | |
Flying Over Indonesia | Trans Studio Bali, Denpasar | Indonesia | Dynamic Attractions | Dec 12, 2019 | Operating | |
Masters of Flight | Legoland Florida | USA | Brogent Technologies | 2019 | Operating | |
Chongqing in the Air | Chongqing Sunac Land | China | Simtec | 2020 | Operating | |
Flight of the Sky Lion | Legoland Windsor Resort | England | Brogent Technologies | May 2021 | Operating | |
FlyOver Las Vegas | Las Vegas | USA | Brogent Technologies | Sep 2021 | Operating | |
RiseNY | Times Square | USA | Brogent Technologies | Dec 2021 | Operating |
List of companies[]
- Dynamic Structures
- Triotech
- Falcon's Treehouse
- Soaring Attractions (acquired by Viad Corp in 2016)
- Dynamic Motion Rides[7]
- HUSS Park Attractions
See also[]
References[]
- ^ InPark Magazine - "Ride Systems of Flying Theaters"
- ^ blooloop - "Flying theaters: a soaring demand (and it's not just theme parks)"
- ^ Kraftwerk Living Technologies: Flying Theater
- ^ Wings Over Washington official website
- ^ Enchanted Kingdom official website - Agila the EKsperience
- ^ "Sky Voyager". Dreamworld. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Dynamic Motion Rides: Flying for all".
- Simulator rides