F.L.Y Phantasialand Review

F.L.Y is regarded as one of, if not the best flying coaster in the world. This next generation Vekoma soft opened in September 2020, and I was lucky enough to ride it that month when road tripping from the UK to Germany during the pandemic.

I previously wrote a review over on Coaster Breaks you can find here, and this was just after only experiencing the coaster 6 times. Now I have been on the ride close to 100 times, my opinion has significantly changed as you would have suspected when you ride any coaster this much.

Quick Overview:

This is in my opinion the best themed coaster in the world, sorry Taron!

You enter via a small tunnel from the main street in the Berlin area of the park and with no warning, Rookburgh opens out and hits you in the face. It is stunning, it is jaw dropping and it is overwhelming for anyone’s first visit.

The attention to detail is ridiculous, themed as steam punk Germany and a new form of transportation. In the centre of the area is a giant swing bridge which doesn’t move, it is just a part of the huge theming with the first launch and a train on top because… Phantasialand!

Every inch of this area is themed, even the sinks in the toilets, the candy machines in the Chocolate shop, the colour of the metal paths in the queue were specifically chosen to fit the theme. The reason why Phantasialand offers such immersive experiences is due to their noise restrictions. The area is covered in a hotel one side and giant themed sound barriers the next which capsulate the ride to create the one-of-a-kind experience.

Getting in the extremely long queue that circles around the entire area before getting into the station. All items must be removed and secured in a locker just before you board. First time this can be a stressful task as the queue behind keeps pushing through but then airport security style scanning and you are in. I will not talk about anything from here until the ride as to me it is very important not to be spoiled and to experience this yourselves.

The Ride:

The launches are not strong, they are there to get you up to speed, I couldn’t imagine this with a lift, it would not even be close to being the same ride. I think how I will describe this coaster is continuously graceful. You are here for the whole experience, and this is what Phantasialand gives you. You will have overbanks, two inversions, some amazing positive GeForces, and some strange pops of airtime. You fly over the crowds, below the ground, against the walls and all over Rookburgh.

Because of the length of the ride, explaining a step-by-step guide of the track would do this injustice as now to the left, and then to the right sounds very boring. Stand out moments for me is going down the helix towards the second launch always builds anticipation, the airtime at the top after the second launch is very cool as this is the highest part of the coaster by the hotel balconies and then the awesome helix you notice when walking in the area on the right side.

If I had to pick favourite row, it is easily the front as the pop up after the second launch is best experienced from here. Other noticeable things I really like is the lights when hitting the brake run resembling a landing strip at an airport, steam coming out the manholes in the ground, the train design is amazing, I could go on, but you have to experience this and see these things for yourselves. Check out a YouTube short below and hit subscribe to support our Extended Tours.

Conclusion

Now it is time for me to get in trouble… F.L.Y currently sits at number 29 in my top list! I know, after writing such praising words, why is it so low. Well, it is in the top 10% of coasters I have ridden which is amazing but also let’s place this same coaster in a car park, now it is nothing in comparison to what the whole experience is and unfortunately when riding a coaster so much, there is only so many times I can be amazed with the area. I have written this updated review after experiencing Rookburgh another 19 times since my first visit in 2020 which saw the coaster as a top 5.

However, I will always remember that first ride, that first time entering the area and how amazing the whole package is. I love seeing faces of people who experience this for their first time and how it has jumped to number one on so many lists including a top 5 for Gabby.

P.S What does F.L.Y stand for? Flying Launch… Yes? Let us know in the comments below and if you have ridden this coaster with your thoughts.