Off to a flying start on the Singapore Flyer

Juniper Foo | Mar 03, 2008

Since the dawn of time, harking back to the Tower of Babel, man has felt the need to mark his technological prowess through taller and taller structures, each more gravity-defying than the last. Consider the ones in Asia, which include Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan, Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and now the Singapore Flyer in Singapore. Lucky for this CNETer, yours truly had a good headstart on the Flyer the night prior to its public launch on March 1, thanks to Volkswagen which was celebrating its first anniversary with a press party.

Out at Raffles Avenue, the wheel sits on top of a three-storey building which houses restaurants and a recreated rainforest in the atrium. At 165m high, it's taller than The London Eye (a.k.a. Millennium Wheel) by, well, a mere 30m. Upclose, the observation wheel isnt' as overwhelming as one would expect from all the hype. In fact, come 2009, the Great Beijing Wheel will shadow the Singapore Flyer at 208m tall, carrying up to 1,920 passengers and making it the largest Ferris wheel in the world.

Yours truly prior to embarkation

Back to the Flyer, the media had a taste of VIP feting in the VIP lounge, though one wit suggested that overeating might have disastrous consequences during takeoff. The actual "flight" was, however, a lot less daunting even for someone suffering from mild vertigo. In fact, the 28 air-conditioned cabins felt secure with only very slight vibrations felt throughout the 30-odd sedate minutes it took for one rotation. Each capsule holds about 28 passengers, with two benches inside, though ours had a cocktail corner, courtesy of Volkswagen of course.

And, yes, if guests in the nearby Ritz Carlton can see the Flyer through their bathroom picture window, you betcha we could do likewise--with a little help from a pair of binocs.

Having caught a 360-degree bird's eye view of the city-state's skyline, 2009 would make a far better date to mark in your Flyer calendar (from S$29.50 per adult). Since by then, all the construction cranes nearby would finally make way for the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort, waterfront promenade and Marina Barrage. Meanwhile, it's your call whether you prefer a night or day flight, as either one's an eye-opener for the first-time sky rider.