Fly over Paris in a high-tech jetpack, past the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Champs Elysees and other famous landmarks and sites. It’s a dream come true, and the latest bit of travel technology to appeal to both tourists and residents of the City of Lights.
The jetpack is real, as are the 360-degree views of Paris monuments and scenery, and the VR headsets that make it all posssible.
But the actual FlyView flight is virtual.
While everyone has the same 13-minute itinerary, each person will see different things because of the immersive, 360° view, in which virtual travelers decide by where they look to see more. So if you want to linger on the famous Nortre Dame gargoyles, you can. Or not.
This sophisticated device synchronizes your movements with the jetpack’s movements-taking off, flying forward, stopping for panoramic views, moving sideways, and dropping down next to a monument-to create an immersive experience over Paris with ultra-realistic flying sensations designed to appeal to time travelers of any age.
The FlyView experience begins with a virtual take Off from a Launch Area at Place de l’Opéra in Downtown Paris. It’s designed to resemble an airport lobby, with check-in counters, flight attendants and screens announcing upcoming flights.
The launch area has 50 jetpacks, making it one of the world’s largest virtual reality installations.
And the entire trip is a bargain at only 15 Euros, or about $18.
“FlyView is my childhood dream of flying and seeing the world from above come true. I hope to share this incredible experience with as many people as possible. This experience brings together poetry and innovation to create another high-quality cultural activity in Paris. I want to offer Parisians and visitors to Paris an exhilarating adventure that is both accessible and unforgettable,” says Arnaud Houette, FlyView founder.
FlyView Paris opened March 31st.
It took about 10 people working for three years to create the FlyView experience, which included first-time approval to film over Paris in close proximity to monuments, and designing and testing the jetpack simulators that were custom-designed and built in France.
If it’s successful, it could be expanded to additional top cities for international tourism and with world-famous skylines.
What city do you predict will be next? New York City? London? Shanghai? Agra and the Taj Mahal?
The possibilities are limitless, and that’s not virtual reality.
Photos and video courtesy FlyView.
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