The Flying Dinosaur is a steel flying roller coaster located in the Jurassic Park section of Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. Built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, it opened to the public on March 18, 2016, giving riders a pterosaur’s-eye view of the park by locking them into a prone, face-down position before the lift hill.
Riders lie flat facing the ground from the moment the train leaves the station, and once it clears the chain lift the layout simulates flight as pterosaur-like vehicles swoop through a sequence of inversions. At its 2016 debut, The Flying Dinosaur became the world’s longest and fastest flying coaster. Phantasialand’s F.L.Y. overtook it as the longest flying coaster when it opened in Germany in 2020, but F.L.Y. is noticeably slower, so The Flying Dinosaur still ties Tatsu at Six Flags Magic Mountain for the fastest flying coaster in the world.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Universal Studios Japan
- Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard
- Opened: March 18, 2016
- Height: 151 ft (46 m)
- Top speed: 62 mph (100 km/h)
- Length: 3,687.7 ft (1,124.0 m)
- Inversions: 5
- Drop: 124 ft (38 m)
The Ride Experience
Riders board while seated, then are tilted forward into the prone flying position in the station before dispatch, so they climb the chain lift already face-down and staring at the ground below. The layout includes a half pretzel loop, a second pretzel loop with a small tunnel at its base, a corkscrew, a helix, an inline twist, and a distinctive “fly-to-lie” element that briefly turns riders to face the sky before returning them to the flying posture.
With four trains of eight cars each, arranged four across in a single row, the ride can move 32 riders through the circuit at once, helping it handle the long lines typical of Universal Studios Japan’s Jurassic Park area.
Records and Reception
When it opened in 2016, The Flying Dinosaur was recognized as the world’s longest and fastest flying roller coaster. Phantasialand’s F.L.Y., which opened in Germany in September 2020, later built a longer track and took over the length record, but its top speed of about 48.5 mph is well below The Flying Dinosaur’s 62 mph, so the Osaka ride still shares the world speed record for flying coasters with Tatsu at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
The coaster’s Jurassic Park theming, paired with the disorienting prone-flight sensation, has made it a signature attraction at Universal Studios Japan since its debut, drawing enthusiasts specifically for its size and intensity among flying-model coasters.
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The Flying Dinosaur FAQs
Who manufactured The Flying Dinosaur?
Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the Swiss firm known for pioneering the flying coaster model, built The Flying Dinosaur for Universal Studios Japan.
When did The Flying Dinosaur open?
It opened on March 18, 2016, in the Jurassic Park area of Universal Studios Japan in Osaka.
Is The Flying Dinosaur still the world’s fastest flying coaster?
Yes. Although Phantasialand’s F.L.Y. overtook it for longest flying coaster in 2020, F.L.Y. tops out around 48.5 mph, well below The Flying Dinosaur’s 62 mph, so it still ties Tatsu for the fastest flying coaster in the world.
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Photo: JoshEditz / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.