Planning my trip to Singapore I was going through the best places to go and to see. Among the attractions were: Gardens by the Bay, Sentosa Island, Zoo and the largest observation Wheel in Asia — Singapore Flyer. Today I will try to convince you, that the Flyer in Singapore is worth your time and the 33 $S you pay for 30 minutes of happiness.
Facts about Singapore Flyer
- Height: The Flyer is 165 meter high, which is more than enough for a professional skydiver to open his parachute.
- Diameter: The huge circle of Singapore Flyer is 150 meters in diameter — a 50 store building.
- Capsule size: Each capsule is 4 meters x 7 meters – about the size of a city bus. There are 28 capsules. Each can carry up to 28 passengers.
- Speed the Flyer floats: 0.24m per second, or 0.76km/h — very slowly.
- Total capacity per revolution: 784 passengers.
- Rotation: Each round is about 30 minutes.
- Smooth Rotation: Singapore Flyer is designed and built to rotate smoothly under various wind conditions at high altitudes – thanks to precision wind engineering.
30 minutes of flight over Singapore in video
While sitting in a cabin of Singapore flyer with my eyes wide open I managed to film a short time-lapse with fantastic views of the city. So if you still hesitate, this video from the flyer will absolutely motivate you.
How did they build the flyer?
Such ambitious projects like Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay and Singapore Flyer are very typical for local engineers and investors. The story of this huge Ferris wheel began in 2005. Investors gave Singapore the sum of 240 million. It took 3 years to complete the construction of the Flyer. The first rotation for public was made on the 15th of April 2008.
There are 28 capsules capable of carrying 748 people inside. All the cabins are air-conditioned and huge glass windows give the 360 degrees view of iconic and historical landmarks such as Singapore River, Raffles Place, Merlion Park, and Empress Place.
I found a very interesting video on youtube about the process of construction. The movie was made by National Geographic channel and fully reflects the challenges and difficulties the engineers faced while building Singapore Flyer.
Today the Sky wheel in Singapore is a symbol of economic power and success of the nation. Therefore this attraction should be among the place in your bucket list with no difference whether you plan a single day tip or a longer stay in Singapore.
Life hacks
I hope that you won’t follow the mistakes I made when going to the Flyer. Most of them are referred to photo and video taking, but for sure these life hacks will make your 30-minute journey in a capsule more interesting and memorable.
1Best time
Look at the calendar to pick up the best time to go for a ride in Singapore Flyer. The most epic is the sunset. You will see how the sun dives behind the city. I was a bit late for it, but even though the pictures I took look amazing.
2Gadgets
Charge all the batteries in your devices: phone, camera, go-pro. Everything should be prepared for in advance, because you will have 30 minutes in the cabin of Singapore Flyer to observe and shoot. Believe me, there are amazing opportunities for a masterpiece.
3Photos
If you have a long lens for DSLR camera, bring it. If you have a tripod, bring it as well. You can make single pictures as well as to record a time-lapse.
4Alone in the cabin
To be alone in the cabin in Singapore Flyer or with your company only (it is comfortable, because no-one disturbs you) look around and either hurry up or slow down on the boarding. In case there is a queue, ask the assistants and fellow tourists to let you be alone, because you plan to make a video.
5Water
Take a bottle of water to the flyer. Though the cabinet are air-conditioned, you might have thirst. Moreover there have been a few cases when Singapore Flyer was stopped and people got trapped for some time. So to be on the safe side, put a bootle in to your bag.
General information
Singapore Flyer is a child-friendly place with a lot of interesting rooms where kids can have fun and learn knew things. Ok, grown-ups will also discover amazing solutions implemented in the construction.
Tickets: adults 33$ (over 13), children 21$ (3-12), Senior 24$ (over 60)
Open: daily from 8.30am – 10.30pm
