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 two 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 feeling of flying.

History

The concept of panoramic flying theaters as it is understood today was introduced by The Walt Disney Company in 2001 in their Disney's California Adventure theme park as Soarin' Over California. 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

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
Taiwan Formosa E-DA Theme Park  Taiwan Brogent Technologies [zh] 2010 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
Batman Dark Flight Studio City Macau  China Kraftwerk Living Technologies GmbH 2015 Closed
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
Wings Over Washington Pier 57 Seattle  United States Dynamic Structures 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
Fly Over China Shang Shun theme park  Taiwan Brogent Technologies 2016 Operating
Krrish: Hero's Flight Bollywood Park Dubai  United Arab Emirates Unknown 2016 Operating
Voletarium Europa-Park  Germany Brogent Technologies June 3, 2017 Operating
Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon Universal Studios Florida  United States Dynamic Motion Rides Apr 6, 2017 Operating
Flying Dreams Ferrari Land  Spain Brogent Technologies April 2017 Operating [6]
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
i-Ride Kaohsiung Kaohsiung Software Technology Park [zh]  Taiwan Brogent Technologies 2017 Operating
Fly Over China Beijing Shijingshan Amusement Park  China Brogent Technologies Sep 2018 Operating
Beautiful Hunan Tongguan Kiln International Cultural & Tourism Center  China Cavu Designworks Oct 2018 Operating
i-Ride Taipei Breeze Nanshan Shopping Center  Taiwan Brogent Technologies 2018 Operating
The Flyer - San Francisco Pier 39  United States Triotech Jan 2019 Operating
Godzilla the Ride: Giant Monsters Ultimate Battle Seibu-en  Japan Brogent Technologies May 19, 2021 Operating
SkyFly: Soar America The Island in Pigeon Forge  United States Dynamic Attractions July 8, 2021 Operating [7]
Soaring: Fantastic Flight Tokyo DisneySea  Japan Dynamic Structures July 23, 2019 Operating
Sky Voyager Dreamworld  Australia Brogent Technologies August 23, 2019 Operating [8]
FlyOver Iceland Reykjavik  Iceland Brogent Technologies September 2019 Operating
Flying Over Indonesia Trans Studio Bali, Denpasar  Indonesia Dynamic Attractions Dec 12, 2019 Operating
Jiangsu in the Air Wuxi Sunac Land  China Simtec 2019 Operating
Masters of Flight Legoland Florida  United States Brogent Technologies 2019 Operating
Volarium Cinecittà, Rome  Italy Simtec 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  United States Brogent Technologies September 2021 Operating
RiseNY Times Square  United States Brogent Technologies December 2021 Operating
Flyover Chicago Chicago  United States Brogent Technologies 2024
Global Journey Quancheng Euro Park  China Unknown Unknown Operating [9]

List of companies

References

  1. ^ InPark Magazine - "Ride Systems of Flying Theaters"
  2. ^ blooloop - "Flying theaters: a soaring demand (and it's not just theme parks)"
  3. ^ Kraftwerk Living Technologies: Flying Theater
  4. ^ Wings Over Washington official website
  5. ^ Enchanted Kingdom official website - Agila the EKsperience
  6. ^ "Flying Dreams- Atracciones Ferrari Land" (in Spanish). PortAventura. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  7. ^ "SkyFly opens as main attraction at The Island in Pigeon Forge". Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Sky Voyager". Dreamworld. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  9. ^ "天空之城" (in Chinese). Quancheng Euro Park. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  10. ^ "Dynamic Motion Rides: Flying for all".
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flying_theater&oldid=1220078780"