New VR attraction takes visitors flying over Paris by jetpack

lyView, a new virtual reality attraction, takes visitors soaring above the city of Paris. Image: FlyView

It took no less than three years to develop FlyView, an upcoming attraction in the French capital set to turn the dream of soaring over Paris into (virtual) reality. Buckle up from March 31, for a flight leaving from the city’s Opéra Garnier neighborhood.

While Paris offers many opportunities to view the city from up high — the Eiffel Tower, the Montparnasse tower, the Ferris wheel at Place de la Concorde or the Grande Arche de la Défense — this new attraction opening in the French capital is set to offer an experience like nowhere else. Visitors will slip on a jetpack to propel them through the air in a new virtual reality experience.

FlyView takes users on a virtual flight over Paris without even leaving the ground. Visitors to the simulator wear a virtual reality headset for a realistic and immersive flight, taking them soaring over Paris rooftops and the French capital’s famous monuments. Unlike other virtual reality attractions, FlyView doesn’t use a 3D simulated version of the surrounding environment. A drone and seven cameras filmed genuine footage of the Parisian panorama in 360° in order to create this virtual journey through the air. More than simply flying over the city, virtual pilots will turn in different directions, make lateral movements, and experience accelerations and stops-offs during their 13-minute ride.

FlyView opens March 31 near to the city’s Opéra Garnier. The attraction will feature 50 VR jetpacks in an 800 sq m two-floor location. Flights cost €15. NVG

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