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FlyOver Las Vegas flight-ride experience set to soar on the Strip this fall

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FlyOver will take riders over a virtual Las Vegas Strip but that’s only the beginning.
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A new Las Vegas Strip attraction set to open in early fall will bring a multi-sensory journey over the most iconic locations and natural wonders in the American Southwest, including the Strip itself.

FlyOver, a division of Arizona-based Viad Corp’s Pursuit attractions and hospitality company, is getting ready to open its third location at Showcase Mall on Las Vegas Boulevard, across from Park MGM and next to the Hard Rock Cafe. The attraction will take over the renovated spaces that formerly housed the United Artists movie theaters and Famous Footwear retail store and contains two flight-ride theaters that accommodate 46 riders per showing, along with pre-show entertainment areas and a full-service bar.

Lisa Adams, vice president of FlyOver, describes the experience as friendly for all ages and unique to Las Vegas, even on the Strip where countless other attractions serve tourists every day.

“The spherical screens are 52 feet high and they even go underneath you. Guests sit on one of two ride levels in a ride vehicle seat, put on a seatbelt, and it rolls out so you are suspended over and inside the screen,” Adams says. “No matter where you look, it’s up, down, all around you, so it really does feel like you’re flying. And it’s pretty smooth. I tell people to imagine you’re on the wings of a bird, not like you’re on a roller coaster.”

FlyOver’s moving platform has six degrees of motion to create that gliding feeling, and the visual aspect is a high-definition film created specifically for this experience using video shot in the last 14 months with front-mounted helicopter cameras.

And while riders will get to FlyOver the Las Vegas Strip, that’s just the beginning of the presentation, which also includes the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Zion and Arches National Parks, Lake Tahoe and other natural wonders. There are even special effects like wind, mist and location-specific scents adding to the immersive experience.

“One of our key goals is being authentic to place and understanding the diversity that’s in the area,” Adams says. “It would be a disservice to the region if it didn’t showcase so much more than what’s on your doorstep. It’s all about being more than just a ride, unlocking your mind and showing you what’s out there.”

FlyOver, which has similar place-specific attractions in Vancouver, Canada and Reykjavik, Iceland, first announced its Vegas plans in 2019. Adams says the pandemic delayed construction for about four months until the project resumed work in September, and the film crew was able to continue its work in the region during quarantine.

The company has long sought expansion in Las Vegas, and Adams says FlyOver will be a great fit on the Strip since guests can customize their experience, spending as little as 45 minutes or as long as a few hours at the attraction.

“Las Vegas is the center of entertainment and we’re very confident it’s going to get back there,” she says. “When we look for places, we think, is it iconic, is it inspiring, is it unforgettable, and is the region diverse? Vegas checks all those boxes and we’re really excited to be able to launch here.”

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Brock Radke

Brock Radke is an award-winning writer and columnist who currently occupies the role of managing editor at Las Vegas Weekly ...

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