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A flying roller coaster is a type of steel roller coaster meant to simulate the sensations of flight by harnessing riders in a prone position during the duration of the ride. The roller coaster cars are suspended below the track, with riders secured such that their backs are parallel to the track.
Vekoma expanded upon the 'Flying Dutchman' prototype with two other installations in 2001, Batwing for Six Flags America and X-Flight for Geauga Lake. All three Vekoma Flying Dutchmans are no longer operating, following Batwing's closure in 2025. Stealth was relocated to Carowinds where it operated as BORG Assimilator from 2004 to 2007, and later as Nighthawk until its closure in 2024, while X-Flight operated at Kings Island as Firehawk until its closure on October 28, 2018. Vekoma's flying roller coasters had a 54-inch minimum-height requirement.
In 2009, Vekoma debuted a new, more compact flying roller coaster model nicknamed the 'Stingray', which used the same seating configuration as the original Flying Dutchman but with Vekoma's new track style as well as a vertical lift hill. Its first installation was at the Suzhou Giant Wheel Park in Suzhou, China, which opened on August 18, 2009. The ride was removed in 2018.
In 2014, Phantasialand in Brühl, Germany contracted Vekoma, to design and build a new flying roller coaster to be the center piece of a new immersive themed area of the park which would also include the park's third hotel. Noting previous design limitations and issues with other flying coaster models, particularly in regard to capacity as loading procedures were slow and complex. Phantasialand pursued two objectives for the design of their new flying coaster; a simplified and streamlined loading process, and custom layout designed to fit in the limited space (100m by 75m) available as well as height restrictions imposed upon the park. Vekoma spent the next few years designing and testing a prototype system at its factory in Vlodrop, with construction on the new coaster beginning in 2016 and finishing in 2019. In 2019, Phantasialand began a teaser campaign for the new coaster, announcing the name F.L.Y. (Flying Launch Coaster). On September 17, 2020, F.L.Y. officially opened to the public.
F.L.Y. features a completely brand new loading procedure never before seen on any flying coaster model. Upon entering the station, the track and trains rotate from a prone position 90 degrees onto the side, while the seats, which are two abreast, rotate at the same time so that the passengers move from a prone "flying" position to an upright position. The passengers load into a standard seated position and pull down the over-the-shoulder vest harness. Once secure, the train is dispatched out of the station and proceeds in the upright position through a short dark ride section before the track, train, and seats rotate into the prone flying position.
In addition to the new loading procedure, F.L.Y. is also the first flying roller coaster to utilize a launch system rather than a lift system. F.L.Y. features two separate LSM launches that launches trains up to a top speed of 48.5 mph (78.1 km/h) over 4,055.1 feet (1,236.0 m) of track making it the world's longest flying coaster.
Since opening, F.L.Y. has been met with overwhelmingly positive reception for its innovative design, riding experience, operations, capacity, and theming that have won the coaster several industry awards.
The first Volare debuted as a prototype in 2002 as Flying Coaster at Elitch Gardens, where it operated until 2007. It faced numerous technical issues that were corrected on subsequent models produced by Zamperla. After closing, Flying Coaster was returned to Zamperla, where it was refurbished and installed at Coney Island as Soarin' Eagle.
Notably, the Volare model is often not met with particularly positive reviews. Roller coaster enthusiasts often describe the model as uncomfortable or rough due to the 'claustrophobic' cage-like nature of the restraint system.
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