| Flyover | |
| Location: | Canada Place |
| Also Known As: | Flyover in Vancouver |
| Status: | Operating |
| Cost: | Can$16 million |
| Location2: | Mall of America |
| Altname2: | FlyOver America |
| Status2: | Operating |
| Cost2: | US$20 million |
| Location3: | Reykjavík |
| Altname3: | FlyOver Iceland |
| Status3: | Operating |
| Location4: | Las Vegas |
| Altname4: | Flyover in Las Vegas |
| Status4: | Operating |
| Opened4: | September 2021 |
| Location5: | Toronto |
| Altname5: | Flyover in Toronto |
| Status5: | Operating |
| Opened5: | 2024 |
| Type: | Flying theater simulator ride |
| Manufacturer: | Brogent Technologies |
| Vehicles: | 9[1] |
| Participants Per Group: | 61 (Vancouver), 62 (Mall of America) |
| Duration: | 10 minutes |
| Restriction In: | 40 |
| Restriction Cm: | 102 |
| Accessible: | yes, stationary |
| Transfer Accessible: | yes |
Flyover is a flying theater attraction. The first Flyover attraction opened in 2013 at Canada Place in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. The ride takes guests on a virtual flight across Canada, utilizing ride equipment for up to 61 people at a time into a 19m (62 foot) diameter spherical screen and employs wind, mist, and scents to enhance the experience.[2] [3] [4] It has since opened at the Mall of America in the US, and downtown Reykjavík, Iceland, and in Las Vegas with plans to open a ride in Toronto.
Flyover was created by entrepreneurs Stephen Geddes and Andrew Strang, who wanted to bring a new tourist attraction to downtown Vancouver. They were inspired by the Soarin' Over California ride located at Disneyland and Epcot. They wanted to create a ride that would attract a wide demographic and showcase the diversity of Canada.
In 2013, they, along with financier Aquilini Developments, formed a partnership called Soaring Attractions. The ride is located in a former Imax theatre at Canada Place.[5] [6] [7] [8] Soaring Attractions invested $16 million to develop the ride[6]
On June 29, 2013, the ride opened as FlyOver Canada.[9] The ride takes guests on a virtual flight across Canada, utilizing ride equipment that launches up to 61 people at a time into a 19m (62 foot) diameter spherical screen and employs wind, mist, and scents to enhance the experience.[6] [10] It became the largest new tourist attraction to open in the region at the time.[6]
Soaring Attractions then went on to open a similar ride in Bloomington, Minnesota's Mall of America with the title FlyOver America in 2016. The estimated cost for the second ride was $20 million US.[11] [8] The ride opened on April 19, and includes footage of Minneapolis, Lake Calhoun, Red Wing, Alaska, Hawaii, and Maine.[12] [13] Beginning in June 8, 2017, the FlyOver Canada film was featured as an alternating attraction at FlyOver America.[14] Currently, as of February 10, 2020, a FlyOver Hawaii film has occupied the alternating attraction slot.[15]
FlyOver Iceland was opened on September 1, 2019 in Reykjavík's Grandi Harbour District. FlyOver Iceland was Pursuit's first FlyOver attraction located outside of North America. FlyOver Iceland provides a similar experience to Flyover in Vancouver and Las Vegas with multi-sensory special effects and a 20-metre spherical screen. FlyOver Iceland showcases the film Legends of Iceland, along with a series of films available at the other locations.[16]
See main article: FlyOver in Las Vegas. On September 1, 2021, Flyover in Las Vegas opened. The ride's film, The Real Wild West, uses a moving platform with six degrees of motion as well as wind, mist, and location-specific scents to enhance the experience as the seats are suspended above landmarks across the United States.[17]
In December 2016, Soaring Attractions sold Flyover to the Phoenix based travel and events company, Pursuit, a subsidiary of Viad Corp.[3] [8] [4]
In 2017, Pursuit announced it would be developing a Flyover ride in downtown Reykjavík, Iceland in cooperation with Esja Attractions.[18] FlyOver Iceland opened in September 2019.[19] [20] [21]
In February 2019, Viad announced plans to develop a Flyover ride in Las Vegas,[22] which opened on September 1, 2021 with a Flyover The Real Wild West ride film with the Iceland film being an alternating attraction.[23] In July 2019, Viad announced plans to develop a FlyOver ride in Toronto.[24]
Strang and Geddes were previous winners of the Business in Vancouver Forty under 40 award.[3]