(Above) An audience reacts to the immersive FlyOver experience in a video by Pursuit, a Canadian company that is bringing the attraction to Chicago.

By Steven Dahlman

22-Aug-23 – Filming has started at iconic locations throughout Chicago for a new virtual flight attraction planned for Navy Pier.

FlyOver will combine drone and aerial photography with first-person narratives to create, says Pursuit, the Canadian company behind the project, “an immersive experience that transports guests to the planet’s most epic places through an exhilarating flying journey.”

The ride will launch about 60 people on a moving platform into a 65-foot-diameter spherical screen, using wind, mist, and scents to enhance the experience.

(Left) A camera mounted on a helicopter for aerial filming is checked in the Pursuit video.

Filming locations include Navy Pier, North Avenue Beach, Buckingham Fountain, Chicago Theatre, Bud Billiken Parade, Chicago Air and Water Show, and a helicopter stunt overlooking Lake Shore Drive.

“Our goal in creating this experience is to bring an entirely new way of understanding and appreciating this city and the people that make it truly unlike any other place in the world,” said Lisa Adams, COO and Executive Producer of FlyOver Attractions.

The Chicago ride will debut in March 2024 across from Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier.

Video: FlyOver in Chicago