F.L.Y. at Phantasialand is one of the most awe-inspiring and impressive coasters ever built.
This prototype from Vekoma is the world’s first launched flying coaster. And more impressively,
it’s also the world’s longest flying coaster despite having just a 100 meter by 75 meter site
and height restrictions. And that site wasn’t just for the coaster. Phantasialand also built a brand
new hotel and the highly themed Rookburgh area around F.L.Y. This coaster is the complete package
and in this review I will explain why F.L.Y. is now Phantasialand’s signature attraction.
Vekoma is no stranger to flying coasters. Vekoma was the first company to offer a full-scale flying
coaster with their flying dutchman model. The first was Stealth and it went to Paramount’s
Great America in 2000. And then two additional Flying Dutchman followed in 2001. Then the model
died. While the flying dutchman coasters were ground-breaking, they were plagued with issues.
And most of them stems back to the system to raise and lower seats. On the original flying dutchmen,
you were loaded sitting down and then the seats were slowly lowered into a lie-down position
before being dispatched. And conversely, seats were raised back up into the seating position
upon returning to the station. The mechanism to raise and lower the seats was on the train itself
and prone to faults. And the need to wait for the seats to move into position
slowed dispatch times, which were already bad due to the cumbersome restraints.
These flying dutchmen coasters had vest restraints riders needed to slip into and a bulky lap bar.
Vekoma brought back the flying concept with the stingray model in 2009.
But the ride used the same restraints and mechanism to raise and lower seats as the
earlier flying dutchmen. Vekoma only sold one of these coasters to the Giant Wheel Park of Suzhou.
In the 2010s, Vekoma looked into revitalizing their flying coasters.
They realized the restraints and load procedure needed to be simplified for the model to take off.
These changes are what allowed them to get the contract for Phantasialand’s F.L.Y. And I think
F.L.Y. will forever change flying coasters. Like the Bolliger and Mabillard and Vekoma flyers
that preceded F.L.Y., this coaster loads riders sitting down. But unlike prior flyers, you are not
moved into the flying position into the station. Rather than wasting time in between dispatches,
this process occurs on the course itself. Not only is this a boon for capacity,
but the delayed reveal of the flying position is a real wow moment.
There is no footage of F.L.Y.’s station due to Phantasialand’s strict loose article policy,
but the trains are sideways as you load them. This makes it easy for the operators to travel
down the length of the station checking all the rows in one fell swoop. On the old Vekoma and B&M
flyers, operators have to weave in between rows to check harnesses, which is another time sink.
The restraints are also simplified. Riders slide into a leg restraint when they enter the vehicle
and then you just have a ratcheting vest, which lowers in a similar fashion to a traditional
over-the-shoulder restraint. F.L.Y.’s load procedure transformed a ride type that is
among the worst out there for dispatches to one of the most efficient. It was incredible to see.
F.L.Y. also has a much different layout than prior flyers and a lot of that comes back
to the train design. F.L.Y. has long 10 row trains with 2 across seating.
Compare that to the Vekoma flying dutchmen or B&M flyers that have 4 across seating and just 6-8
rows of seats. The narrower trains allow F.L.Y. to complete tighter elements, which was a necessity
given how little land Vekoma had to work with. While the lack of land is usually a detriment,
it became a strength for F.L.Y. In a similar style to Taron at the same park,
F.L.Y. has more crossovers than one can count. Not only is this twisted mess of track overwhelming to
see in person, but it makes the ride experience unpredictable. I rode F.L.Y. seven times
and still couldn’t memorize the layout in full. This kept the ride experience fresh.
Phantasialand also themed F.L.Y. to the nines. The coaster is the lone attraction in Rookburgh,
which is a steampunk and aviation themed area. Saying this area is stunning is an understatement.
The area almost doesn’t look real because of how much theming it is.
It looks like one of those GCI backgrounds in a movie. Except Rookburgh is 360 degrees of ornate
architecture and sounds, and those compliment the kinetic energy of F.L.Y. seamlessly.
Rookburgh engulfs you and you’re isolated from the rest of the park and outside world,
which is insanely impressive given how this ride is mere feet from the road into the park
and the Berlin area of the park. And part of that theming is the brand
new Hotel Charles Lindberg. In a similar fashion to what they did with Black Mamba,
Phantasialand built a massive hotel around the coaster. The hotel doubles as a sound barrier,
but it also grants guests the best views of F.L.Y. My room was less than 10 feet from F.L.Y.
One of the biggest perks about this hotel is that it helps you skip the line for F.L.Y. a few times.
Phantasialand opens its gates an hour before most rides open. But one attraction that
does open with the park is F.L.Y. due to Rookburgh’s proximity to the main entrance.
Hotel Charles Lindberg guests get their own entrance into Rookburgh
that allows them to beat the rope drop crowd. This allowed me to get on the first train of the day
both days and get back in line while the wait was still 15-20 minutes.
The second perk for guest of Hotel Charles Lindberg is a one-time skip-the-line pass for
F.L.Y. And that definitely comes in handy since this rivals Taron daily for the longest line at
Phantasialand. On the days I visited, F.L.Y.’s line usually hovered around the 50-70 minute mark.
And because of this, Phantasialand was closing F.L.Y.’s line an hour before closing
so you can’t hop in line right before close like you do at many parks.
F.L.Y. has a long queue line that winds its way all around Rookburgh.
The queue has some flight related theming, but the highlight of the queue for me
are the incredible vantage points of F.L.Y. Like the hotel, the track comes mere feet from you.
Towards the end of the queue line, there’s an option to wait specifically for the front row
or every other row. This was closed due to the pandemic, but when this option does open,
the extra wait time for the front will likely be significant since the split
point occurs so far back in the queue line. Right before you reach the station, guests are
given an RFID wristband and are instructed to put everything in a free locker. Phantasialand
is super strict about this and you must pass through a metal detector afterwards to board.
And for those visually impaired such as myself, glasses are allowed only if you have an athletic
strap to secure them. The strict policy makes sense given F.L.Y.’s positioning over the midway
and Phantasialand’s system allows guests to keep their belongings as long as possible.
And the lockers are double sided so there’s no log jam between guests boarding and exiting.
After the metal detector, you are assigned a row. And my favorite seat by far was the back row.
I lucked into the front for my first ride, but I requested the back on all my subsequent rides.
F.L.Y. is amazing in all rows, but the coaster was significantly more forceful
back there due to how long the trains are. Once dispatched, you head through this
short dark ride segment. The music that plays during this section is perfect and whimsical.
You pass some futuristic hologram advertisements for flight equipment and then a screen depicting
a workshop. This section is brief, but it’s a solid appetizer and it leads into the grand reveal
when you’re gracefully rotated into the flying position. The transition is fluid and flawless.
You slowly roll into the first launch. The launch is more suspenseful in the
front since you have a delay as you wait for the back to rotate into the flying position.
The launch is more predictable in the back since you take off almost immediately after
you get into the flying position. For many years, a launch on a flyer was an enthusiast pipe dream.
So how does it feel? It didn’t feel too different from a standard launch in my opinion. The initial
kick wasn’t anything special, but 2/3 of the way down the launch track, F.L.Y. hits a second gear
and has an abrupt burst of power. I was surprised an LSM launch had two stages like this. Typically
that’s something you only see on a hydraulic launch, but it gave the launch character.
You then whiz around a large overbank that skims across the balconies of the hotel.
And to prevent sounding like a broken record, nearing every element on this coaster has
amazing visuals. The clearances on this coaster are insane. Every element is either diving over,
under, or next to something- whether it be a building, pathway, or F.L.Y. itself. So even
if I say an element doesn’t have much force, it’s still an incredible element due to those visuals.
The first overbank is one such element in the front. However, those in the back are whipped
through the second half of the element and get some strong positive Gs. In this row,
there are many elements on F.L.Y. where it feels like the coaster is trying to slam dunk
you through the vest restraint. I could see that being an unnerving sensation for some,
but I loved the ride’s power. The back row is one of the best seats on any coaster for positive Gs.
You then glide through the first inversion- an elevated corkscrew that feels more like a
zero-G roll. This is a very floaty element and it’s one of the few elements on the ride where
you realize how high you are, so the visuals are a neat contrast from the rest of the ride.
F.L.Y. then traverses this bunny hill over the ride’s entrance. And this is an
element that makes you realize how different F.L.Y. will be from other flying coasters.
You get some decent floater airtime throughout the train. It’s exceedingly rare to get airtime on a
flying coaster, but F.L.Y. has 7-8 airtime moments depending where you sit. The airtime obviously
isn’t on the level of an RMC, but weak pops of airtime or standard floater is way more exciting
when you’re in the flying position. It feels unnatural, novel, and exciting at the same time.’
The pullout from this bunny hill winds upwards and offers decent positive Gs throughout the train.
There’s then this small dip that offers a tiny pop of airtime towards the back of the train.
You then navigate this twisting drop that dives below the hotel entrance.
And because of how long the train is, the back gets another tiny pop
of airtime before being blasted with strong positive Gs on the pullout.
It’s shocking how much stronger the Gs are in the back compared to the other rows.
F.L.Y. then dives below the launch track and riders are hit in the face with a puff of smoke.
As I mentioned earlier, the twister layout is extremely disorienting and this moment just adds
to the confusion of riders. You then wrap around a tight turn that again gives good Gs in the back.
You then go through this quick s-bend before diving underground for the second launch.
And this drop delivers some very strong positive Gs in the back of the train.
It feels like the train wants to throw you out and leave you behind. And this is a cool moment
off-ride since it runs alongside the queue. The second launch occurs in total darkness and
I suspect this is where the coaster hits its top speed of 49 mph or 78 kph. The darkness definitely
augments the speed, but the second launch doesn’t have much of a kick to it- at least at the start.
The acceleration on this speed boost feels fluid and reminds me of a rolling launch on a Mack.
But then you emerge into the daylight and the launch continues uphill. Most of the acceleration
is done on the flat section, but the inclined section does induce some light positive Gs.
The train really slows down as it crests the following hill,
but not before the front gets the strongest airtime on the ride.
The strength of the floater airtime atop this hill is shocking for a flying coaster.
It caught me completely off-guard. This is one of the few elements that was better up front.
Meanwhile, the back gets a tiny bit of floater airtime as the train is pulled down the twisting
drop. But what’s more noticeable is the whip. The back gets pulled down this drop hard.
And it’s super disorienting since you’re again passing by the hotel balconies,
which are a blur at this point. You then navigate an overbank,
which yet again offers only mild force towards the front but the back really gets pulled through this
element and treated to some great positive Gs. After diving under the launch track yet again,
you pop up into this banked drop that offers good floater airtime throughout the train.
You then dive between two buildings, which gives some solid positive Gs.
You then hop into this helix. And this transition again offers a weak pop of
airtime throughout the train. The way Vekoma was able to make all these transitions on F.L.Y.
offer airtime and/or positive Gs is one of the most impressive things about this coaster.
There are basically no dead spots on this ride. As for the helix, it’s one of the ride’s
most forceful elements. It delivers good Gs up front, but the sustained
positive Gs in the back are incredible. The exit from this helix jumps up and dips
below the launch track yet again. Up front, you get a tiny pop of airtime into this element,
but those in the back really get pulled down the drop and get some great floater airtime.
It’s the strongest airtime moment in the back of the train on the ride.
F.L.Y. then navigates the second and final inversion, yet another corkscrew that again
feels like a zero-G roll because of how much float it provides. And the positioning of this element
is perfect. You can’t see it coming on-ride so it really catches you off-guard after all the turns.
F.L.Y. then finishes with one last turn. This is the tightest turn on the ride and it delivers
crushing positive Gs throughout the train. This element is even better since it occurs mere feet
above the water and there are synchronized fountains that trigger next to the train.
It’s a theatrical moment like the picturesque turn on SeaWorld Orlando’s Manta.
F.L.Y. then dives underground and one small touch I missed on my first rides was that this tunnel
has lighting similar to a runway at an airport. You then flip back into the seated position
and I found it surprising this is visible to those in the queue line. Considering how secretive the
station itself is, I figured this moment would be invisible to guests but that wasn’t the case.
You then hit the separate unload station, which ends the world’s longest flying coaster.
The exact track length hasn’t been divulged by Phantasialand, but best estimates have it
around 4100 feet or 1250 meters in length, which is a good 400 feet longer than Flying Dinosaur.
And lastly I just need to say that this coaster is glass smooth. There isn’t any hint of a rattle or
any bad transitions. If you told me 2 decades ago Vekoma would create a flyer like this,
I wouldn’t have believed you. So what would I rate F.L.Y?
This coaster easily earns a perfect 10 out of 10. This coaster is a masterpiece. I returned to the
station speechless after each ride. I expected F.L.Y. to be great given the extreme level of
theming. But I thought the coaster’s layout may have some dead spots similar to Taron.
But that wasn’t the case. F.L.Y. has perfect pacing. Every element and transition delivers
top notch visuals and many of the elements delivered shocking forces, particularly in
the back. This coaster kept me on my toes since it kept switching from positive to negative Gs,
which is unheard of for a flying coaster. And that twisted layout made it near impossible to memorize
the layout, which probably augmented the forces since I couldn’t anticipate them even after many
rerides. F.L.Y. is the best ride at Phantasialand and it may be the best coaster in all of Germany.
That is how incredible this coaster is. So those are my thoughts on F.L.Y.,
the ground-breaking launched flying coaster from Vekoma. What are your thoughts on F.L.Y? Have you
ridden this coaster? I would love to hear what you think about this ride down in the comments.
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