Flying Over Canada While in Vancouver

A Vancouver attraction that has since become staple for visiting guests is the Flyover Canada.

It was launched in 2013 at a facility inside Canada Place. This “flying theatre” experience takes guests on a virtual flight across Canada via seats that are lifted high and that swing to immerse into a 20-meter spherical screen. The ride employs wind, mist, and scents to enhance the experience. The 4D flight simulation lasts only for eight minutes but it is considered the longest flight simulation ride in the world.

I saw the Flyover Canada show twice – the first one with my aunt, who was visiting from Manila, and my brother and his family, who were visiting from Los Angeles. The second one was with my husband and son when we visited Vancouver.

The ride is divided into three parts. The first part is called Uplift, an inspirational 10-minute pre-show projected on all four walls of a room presenting the diverse cultural communities of Canada. Next comes the humorous pre-flight safety briefing featuring cameos by the two creators. Finally, guests file into the multi-level theatre seating, are buckled up, and then lifted. The journey starts here…

As our seats were propelled, we flew in virtual reality over Canada from coast to coast to coast – from British Columbia to Newfoundland in various scenes that encapsulate the essence of Canada’s beauty, and spanning  locations from major urban centres to the glacial glory of our northern territories.

The high-definition footage was shot by helicopter over four seasons in 2012. With your feet dangling in mid-air, it would seem like you are in a wide-open aircraft looking down below and feeling every kind of sensation.

We felt the chill on top of the Canadian Rockies and accompanied skiers gliding down the slopes. We heard the thunderous clip-clop of a herd of horses galloping across the golden fields of the Canadian Prairies. We dipped down so low towards the canyons and squeezed between majestic gorges. We got close to the powerful rush of water at the Niagara Falls and felt the mists on our faces. We smelled the fragrant pines as we swept though the forest canopies and were mesmerized as they changed into a blend of autumn shades. We encountered gigantic icebergs in Atlantic Canada and saw polar creatures in the Arctic regions. We hovered above sailboats navigating the great oceans and saw the glittering lights of capital cities. We were mesmerized by the magical Aurora in the northern skies and were enchanted by the expanse of snow and ice in all their pristine glory.

At the end of the ride, I think we all felt exhilarated and we exited the theatre beaming with a sense of awe and wonder. For a few minutes, we realized we were given but a glimpse of this vast land.

Personally, I felt some sort of pride for the country I now call home. I live in this beautiful place, and I am proud to showcase it to everyone. I might not have been to every place this country, but I am working on it. Canada deserves to be explored in-depth for it has much to offer. The Flyover Canada experience served as a reminder to get on with the bucket list.

I learned that Flyover Canada had changed ownership and had gone through some rebranding, but this means improvements and upgrades both creatively and technologically.

The new management company released their new signature film, Awaken Canada that premiered in the summer of 2024 as an enhanced version of the original show. With the advent of drones, the new film features sights and places that helicopters cannot access. (As an example, I heard that the new visuals include going through an Arctic fishing hole and submerging into the deep ocean to see a pod of beluga whales.)

The new show also focuses on people, not just places and evoke a sense of “home” and that we all belong here.

The theatre has also started offering different shows throughout the year, apart from Awaken Canada. They feature other countries, or specific cities and regions. There are also seasonal feature shows for Halloween and Christmas.

One of the more recent additions to the Flyover rotation is Windborne: Call of the Canadian Rockies. The show includes stunning footage of the iconic mountain range along the border of British Columbia and Alberta. The scenes are full of snow-capped mountains, beautiful glaciers, picturesque lakes and more. I have to see this!

I am glad I did this adventure with the people closest to me. It’s like taking my family with me in this incredible journey of getting better acquainted with and appreciating my adopted country.

My husband reminded me that we did the Soarin’ Over California ride twice at the Disney California Adventure Park many years ago. It was a similar experience, but we obviously “flew” over California.

We heard that the Vancouver attraction was inspired by this ater the original owners experienced the California ride. But as Canadians, we are going to be biased and confidently say that they managed to make our version a lot better.