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.
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.
| Name | Park | Location | Manufacturer | Opened | Status | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 8, 2001 | |||||||
| May 5, 2005 | |||||||
| Taiwan Formosa | E-DA Theme Park | 2010 | |||||
| Viaggio in Italia | 2011 | ||||||
| Brogent Technologies | June 29, 2013 | ||||||
| Fuji Airlines | Brogent Technologies | July 2014 | |||||
| Batman Dark Flight | Studio City Macau | Kraftwerk Living Technologies GmbH | 2015 | ||||
| Brogent Technologies | April 19, 2016 | ||||||
| June 16, 2016 | |||||||
| June 17, 2016 | |||||||
| Wings Over Washington | December 11, 2016 | [4] | |||||
| December 11, 2016 | [5] | ||||||
| L'Extraordinaire Voyage | Futuroscope |  France | Dynamic Structures | December 2016 | |||
| Fly Over China | Shang Shun theme park | Brogent Technologies | 2016 | ||||
| 2016 | |||||||
| Voletarium | Brogent Technologies | June 3, 2017 | |||||
| Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon | Universal Studios Florida | Dynamic Motion Rides | Apr 6, 2017 | ||||
| Flying Dreams | Ferrari Land |  Spain | Brogent Technologies | April 2017 | [6] | ||
| This is Holland | This is Holland | Vekoma & Brogent Technologies | October 2017 | ||||
| Washington Revelations | Museum of The Bible, Washington D.C. | Dynamic Motion Rides | Nov 17, 2017 | ||||
| i-Ride Kaohsiung | Brogent Technologies | 2017 | |||||
| Fly Over China | Beijing Shijingshan Amusement Park | Brogent Technologies | Sep 2018 | ||||
| Beautiful Hunan | Tongguan Kiln International Cultural & Tourism Center | Cavu Designworks | Oct 2018 | ||||
| i-Ride Taipei | Breeze Nanshan Shopping Center | Brogent Technologies | 2018 | ||||
| The Flyer - San Francisco | Triotech | Jan 2019 | |||||
| Godzilla the Ride: Giant Monsters Ultimate Battle | Brogent Technologies | May 19, 2021 | |||||
| SkyFly: Soar America | Dynamic Attractions | July 8, 2021 | [7] | ||||
| July 23, 2019 | |||||||
| Brogent Technologies | August 23, 2019 | [8] | |||||
| Brogent Technologies | September 2019 | ||||||
| Flying Over Indonesia | Trans Studio Bali, Denpasar |  Indonesia | Dynamic Attractions | Dec 12, 2019 | |||
| Jiangsu in the Air | Wuxi Sunac Land | Simtec | 2019 | ||||
| Masters of Flight | Legoland Florida |  United States | Brogent Technologies | 2019 | |||
| Volarium | Cinecittà, Rome |  Italy | Simtec | 2019 | |||
| Chongqing in the Air | Chongqing Sunac Land | Simtec | 2020 | ||||
| Flight of the Sky Lion | Brogent Technologies | May 2021 | |||||
| FlyOver Las Vegas | Las Vegas | United States | Brogent Technologies | September 2021 | |||
| RiseNY | Times Square | United States | Brogent Technologies | December 2021 | |||
| Flyover Chicago | Chicago | United States | Brogent Technologies | 2024 | |||
| Global Journey | Quancheng Euro Park |  China | [9] | ||||
| Timeless Flight Hong Kong | 11SKIES |  Hong Kong | 2024 | ||||
| Flying Over Uzbekistan | Tashkent City Park |  Uzbekistan |