FlyOver in Las Vegas officially opened on the iconic Las Vegas Strip in September 2021. The high-tech ride adventure takes participants on a multi-sensory journey over the United States’ most stunning destinations in an original flight ride film, “The Real Wild West.”
The latest addition to Pursuit’s cinematic ride brand, FlyOver in Las Vegas follows in the footsteps of the company’s successful FlyOver Iceland and FlyOver Canada operations.
To make the attraction a reality, the operator turned to several leading suppliers in the industry. Brogent Technologies provided its iRide System, while Kraftwerk Living Technologies was the AV integrator for this project, using six Christie D4K40-RGB pure laser projectors in the main FlyOver ride.
In addition, there is a pre-show by Moment Factory. Sound Sculpture Inc. lent its expertise in sound effect creation and in-field mixing.
Presenting FlyOver in Las Vegas
To find out more about the appeal of FlyOver in Las Vegas and the project’s creation, blooloop spoke to Lisa Adams, VP of FlyOver Attractions. We also talked to representatives of some of the suppliers involved.
Introducing the attraction, Adams says:
“FlyOver in Las Vegas is our third major flying ride attraction in the FlyOver group as owned by Pursuit Collection. We do have another FlyOver in Minnesota under the brand. However, since it’s not owned and operated by us, this is the third that we own and operate.
“It’s also our biggest. Our other attractions each have one ride; in Las Vegas, we have two. It is double the size of anything that we’ve done before, both in its capacity and in floor space, which is huge.
“It has a cool bar, and it’s connected to the Las Vegas Strip, which is great.”
An ideal location
The attraction was created by transforming the former United Artists Cinema complex. This wasn’t connected to the Strip but did have the requisite size.
“Cinemas which are changing their business model present really interesting opportunities in terms of locations for us,” Adams says. “We took a retail store off the strip, formerly a Famous Footwear outlet and punched a hole through the wall. This connected the two spaces.”
The venue now has a front entrance right on the Strip, as well as the old entrance off MGM Boulevard.
“We have 40 seats per ride, so we can take 80 guests,” she explains. “We typically have four to five shows an hour. The experience itself is roughly 25 minutes long, and the experience is broken down into three parts. That includes a boarding gate experience, a pre-show and then – the ultimate flying ride.”
An experience rooted in place
The flying part of FlyOver in Las Vegas lasts for around nine minutes:
“Each location has its anchor film. For FlyOver in Las Vegas, because we have two, we’re able to bring content from our other attractions to play two experiences. If you like one, you can go and see the other. The anchor film is The Real Wild West, and we’re also showing FlyOver Iceland, which is beautiful.”
In terms of The Real Wild West experience, she comments:
“It’s important for us to have a film rooted in the essence of the place where we are, physically. This is, of course, the Western part of the United States. When we go to a new location, we think about the story that we want to tell. We consider the experience that people might be interested in.”
The Real Wild West at FlyOver in Las Vegas
The anchor film, The Real Wild West, has a broad Western focus, says Adams:
“The ride covers multiple locations in the west. This includes San Francisco, Utah, Arizona – we do the Grand Canyon – and New Mexico, among other places. We look to focus on things that you’ve never seen before; things you may never have access to but can see from the air.
“We want it to be a point of familiarity which links into an emotion and a connection with you. But then also we want to help you discover something new. If you’re from the West, we want you to feel proud. Wherever you’re from, we want you to feel the sense of discovery.”
Some of the highlights of the flight include a solar eclipse over a volcanic peak in Oregon’s Cascade Volcanic Arc, a team of stallions in Yellowstone National Park in winter, potash pools in Moab, 65-foot waves at Lost Coast, Navajo horseback riders traversing Monument Valley, Arizona, and a once-in-a-decade dual floodgate release at Roosevelt Dam in Arizona.
Guests also witness water skiing in winter snow at Cascade Lake, the Bellagio Fountains and The Strip in Las Vegas, a Hualapai traditional “Bird Dance” in the Grand Canyon, a speed demon Streamliner soaring over Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, a wingsuiter’s vantage point as they descend Washington’s Stehekin Mountain, Western movie set action in Goldfield Ghost Town, Arizona, and fly fishing in the woods outside of Telluride, Colorado.
“The ride itself holds 40 people on two different levels. There are four ride vehicles, each holding 10 people. You sit down and put on a seatbelt. Then the ride vehicle rolls out in the dark so that your feet are dangling. You’re immersed inside the spherical screen, which goes all the way around you and underneath you. And then the story begins.
“You move in motion with the movie. There is wind, there are scents, mist, and an epic score. We want you to feel like you are on the wings of a bird. It’s that feeling of flight that all humans long for.”
Choosing the right technology
To create the ultimate flying theatre experience, the operators turned to Brogent Technologies Inc., a leading manufacturer of media-based attractions, for the ride system.
“We provided the gondola with the seats, the motion mechanism and the steel structure that carries the gondolas,” says Brogent Technologies’ Stefan Rothaug. “This is our “i-Ride” system, which moves in six degrees of freedom (with heave, surge, sway, pitch, roll, yaw movements). It is also equipped with our special effects system. This allows wind, mist, and scent effects to be precisely triggered to each seat.”
The AV system was provided by Kraftwerk Living Technologies (KLT), a leading-edge AV systems integrator,
“Kraftwerk Living Technologies (KLT) worked with the FlyOver Vegas team to provide all of the flying theatre audio-visual and specialist screen elements, working from the initial concept days, and looking at the theatre spaces through to completion and support post-opening,” explains Kevin Murphy, senior VP, sales & business development at KLT.
KLT was responsible for the design and supply of all projection systems, control, media players and sound systems for the twin theatres, along with the design and construction of the specialist screen structures and panelling.
Projection expertise behind FlyOver in Vegas
KLT chose to use six D4K40-RGB pure laser projectors from Christie, the global visual and audio technology company, in order to meet its goals with this project. The company has opted for Christie projectors on several previous projects, such as Europa-Park’s Voletarium.
“For this project, the first point to make is that Christie had the right product in terms of performance and specification along with pricing and lensing options. It suited the project and was available locally with good support. So we chose Christie and, in this case, the D4K40-RGB 4K projector,” says Murphy.
For the KLT team, colour was one of several key considerations when choosing the projection technology for the main FlyOver in Vegas attraction.
“Colour was a factor. We have used and tested the Christie D4K40-RGB before and we are happy with the colour performance. But other parameters are also important. We generally prefer to use true RGB laser projectors with a colour gamut that exceeds the DCI/P3 standard, and we look at optical characteristics and lensing, light levels, form factor. The D4K40-RGB is compact along with the overall cost of ownership.”
Meeting the demands of the project
“Providing the right technology is what we do, and the role of the systems integrator is often misunderstood,” continues Murphy. “We have access to and ‘know how’ to use equipment from many manufacturers and our core business is designing complete systems that meet the creative requirements, do the job well, and are easy to maintain.
“A systems integrator has to be relatively impartial and choose the right equipment for the job. In the case of flying theatres, we have many years of experience in getting it right. We study every new project’s requirements and design accordingly.
“We have to get the equipment choice right. Our success is based on the performance and reliability of our last project, big or small. We use professional equipment and have great relationships with most major manufacturers direct along with experience in using and supporting equipment in the field. It is this working in the field that makes a system integrator so invaluable. The specification is not just about the datasheet, but how the equipment performs in practice.”
“The most important thing for us is client satisfaction and the pleasure that their guests and visitors get from our installations. A good technical system should do the job well and allow guests to just experience the sights and sounds and thrilling experience they have paid for. In the case of this project, our client was delighted, so we are delighted.
“The many months of design, projection path calculations, screen and ride parameters and detailed technical design are all essential to deliver the right result.”
Doug Boyer, senior account manager, Christie adds:
“Christie D4K40-RGB pure laser projectors have been installed in some of the most spectacular themed entertainment projects around the world. We’re thrilled that our projectors met KLT’s specifications for the project, and are helping to immerse guests in the wild west in this dynamic new attraction.”
Creating The Real Wild West
The process of creating the content itself starts, says Adams, with a deep anthropological and geographical dive into the location’s history:
“How did people from all areas and walks of life come to be here? How did nature evolve? This, for instance, was once an ocean. Now, it’s a desert, but once it was an ocean with unique and interesting sea creatures.
“This, then, is the story of water; it’s the story of the spirit of people, it’s the story of the power of pursuit. It’s about ambition, it’s about challenge and resilience. All of these things that we think of as the essence and the spirit of all of the different people that have lived on the land in Nevada or the West of the United States.”
She describes the process:
“We dropped a pin in the map of Nevada and drew a circle around a region to see where it would take us. Of course, we could have told a story about all of the USA, but we thought that spirit was interesting. We came up with The Real Wild West because the connotations are interesting. ‘Wild West’ might automatically make you think of John Wayne. We wondered how we could lift the lid and unveil what the real Wild West is.”
Building anticipation
Accordingly, the boarding gate experience begins the process of preparing the guests.
FlyOver in Las Vegas’ lobby transports guests from The Strip through an ‘endless hallway’. This detaches them from the distractions of the outside world.
“This is the place where you first go into a little bit of a darker zone. We call it the ‘deceleration point’. This is the moment we want you to calm down, take a step back. It’s a quieter, curated space. This helps you start to disassociate from the Strip, from the hotel, from the delayed flight. It prepares you for the story.”
Visitors then move into a pre-show, created by Moment Factory, the multimedia studio specialising in the conception and production of immersive environments.
Adams says: “Charting the American West from the Cambrian explosion through Gold-Rush ghost-towns and beyond, this sets the stage for the flight experience on three different surfaces for projection and storytelling including a dynamic 360-degree video wall. Having built up anticipation and learned a little in the preshow, guests then move on to the flying ride.”
Creating the atmosphere for FlyOver in Las Vegas
The film is accompanied by GRAMMY-nominated composer Tom Holkenborg’s phenomenal musical score. Sound Sculpture Inc. leading sound artists focused on conceptual development and sonic creation for extraordinary places, created sound effects and provided in-field mixing services to director Rick Rothschild and filmmaker Dave Mossop.
“Our creative director is former Walt Disney Imagineer Rick Rothschild, who established his consultancy, FAR Out! Creative Direction, in 2008. He has been with us since day one on the FlyOver creations. Our film director is the Cannes Lion Award-winning film director Dave Mossop of Sherpas Cinema. He has also been with us since day one for the first FlyOver.
“It’s a bunch of really impressive, fun, creative people who have come together. It’s very, very cool.”
The appeal of flying theatre attractions
The first iteration of a flying theatre was Soarin’ Over California. This opened, along with Disney California Adventure, on February 8, 2001. It showcased several locations in California and included a pre-show on the history of California’s aviation industry. The attraction was also installed at Epcot in Walt Disney World as Soarin’ in 2005.
“That was pretty much the prototype,” she says. “Rick Rothschild was the lead creative guy on Soarin’ Over California. From the stories he tells me, it was both a story about California and a homage to his dad and his life. It was also one of Disney’s most successful rides.”
“The first FlyOver was in Vancouver. We opened in 2013. At that point, there were two flying rides in Disney – Epcot and LA. There were also two flying rides in theme parks in Asia. So, only four, in total, all in theme parks.
“The two founders of FlyOver, whom I worked with, Andrew Strang and Stephen Geddes, contacted Rick and Dave. Vancouver hosted the Olympics back in 2010, and the country came together with this sense of national pride. The idea behind FlyOver Canada was to create something that connected to national pride; something really fun that would reach across all demographics.”
In the event:
“Our oldest rider was 104. She had never seen the Northern Lights. To be able to give her that experience was amazing. Our youngest rider was about four years of age.”
Driving positive change
The FlyOver experience is, Adams says, a powerful vehicle with the capacity to create a strong emotional impact.
“I read a Google review of FlyOver in Vegas last night. Someone said they had come out of The Real Wild West ride with tears in their eyes, weeping because it was so beautiful and moving.
“As we evolve FlyOver in our storytelling, I’m looking forward to digging a little deeper and telling really important stories about the planet, the earth, the environment. Stories about coming together, but in an entertaining way. It’s a cool format.”
In Vegas, the show running in parallel to The Real Wild West is on Iceland:
“It’s just as popular because Iceland is magical.”
FlyOver in Las Vegas cost in the region of $45 million to create.
“We are expecting between 700,000 to a million guests to come through annually,” she says. “That’s only one of our locations, of course. If you can impact 5 million people a year, entertaining them while telling a story that we think is important, a story about coming together, about how beautiful our planet is, then perhaps we can open a little crack in the door. We want people to have fun first and foremost. But if we can make them think, we can positively drive change a little bit too.”
Images kind courtesy of FlyOver Attractions unless otherwise stated. Header image by In Color Studios
