Phantasialand is opening a new rollercoaster soon: F.L.Y, the first flying launch coaster in the world. Although Phantasialand has not enclosed any details on the ride, it is likely that F.L.Y will become listed in the DRdb as a semi-dark ride.
Phantasialand closed their IMAX simulator ‘Race for Atlantis’ in 2016 to make way for a new themed area: Rookburgh. The main attraction of this steampunk themed area will be the flying rollercoaster F.L.Y. The rollercoaster was officially announced on June 20th, 2017 and will be the longest flying rollercoaster in the world and be the first one to have a launch. Phantasialand has not enclosed any details of the ride, but rumors about a dark ride section in the ride have going on since early construction. Photos clearly show sections that are suitable for a dark ride section.
The first video that shows a test run of the rollercoaster has been circling on the web since the beginning of March. Phantasialand is keen on its secrecy and often tries to take pictures and videos down. The video of the test flight is currently offline, but we can conclude that the opening of Rookburgh is close. See the official trailer of Rookburgh and F.L.Y below:
F.L.Y is a new type of flying rollercoaster, built by Vekoma. In traditional flying rollercoasters, the cars would flip in the station from a horizontal to a vertical position. In the new design, cars can rotate 90° to a sit-down position. Instead of the track above or underneath the cars, the track will be behind the cars. This position also makes the train very suitable for a dark ride section.
Rookburgh is designed by Phantasialand’s inhouse designer Eric Daman. Phantasialand has not announced a opening date yet.
