FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:       DECEMBER 15, 2000 

Contact Patrick Tremblay, ptremblay@asomf.org (910) 483-3003 ext. 229                          

MUSEUM SIMULATOR TAKES OFF

FAYETTEVILLE NC.  The Airborne & Special Operations Museum will premier its specially designed motion simulator on DECEMBER 20, 2000.  The Pitch, Roll and Yaw Vista-Dome Motion Simulator promises to bring added excitement to the new museum and to bring visitors a closer perspective on the capabilities of today’s airborne and special operations forces.

Breathtaking Footage

Filmed on several Army instillations including nearby Ft. Bragg, footage for the new motion simulator includes downhill skiing, high-speed off-road vehicles racing through a variety of terrain, a high-altitude military free-fall parachute jump and a low level helicopter assault.  Filmed with the help of the Rangers, Special Forces, Golden Knights Parachute Team and the 160^th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the motion simulator lets visitors join the Army’s special operations soldiers doing what they do best.   

Vistascope Technology

Visitors slide into the specially contoured seats and secure their lap belts, the side rails slide away and the ride begins.  The 24-seat platform comes to life, moving in concert with the special film projected on the 16-foot high 180-degree spherically curved screen.  Vistasonic six-channel digital surround sound fills the air, and visitors experience 18 degrees of movement as they pitch, roll, and yaw their way through the four minutes of action.  Designed and built by Vistascope, an Atlanta-based wide-screen production company, the motion simulator brings an added dimension to the Airborne & Special Operations Museum experience.

Admission

There is no charge for the museum’s Exhibit Gallery.  The motion simulator is $3.00 per person, with children 8 and under free when accompanied by a paying adult (limit 2 children per adult).  There is a 44-inch height requirement to ride.  Please contact the museum for information on group rates. 

Located at 100 Bragg Boulevard in downtown Fayetteville, the Airborne & Special Operations Museum is part of the U.S. Army Museum System and tells the story of Army airborne and special operations units from 1940 to the present.  Museum hours: 10am – 5 pm, Tuesdays through Saturdays, Noon – 5 pm Sundays, Closed Mondays.  For more information call the museum at (910) 483-3003 or visit the website at www.asomf.org.