Vancouverites will get their first taste of FlyOverTM Canada this Wednesday, August 15 from 4pm to 8pm when the Vancouver filming for the coming $15 million virtual flight visitor attraction gets underway. A specially outfitted helicopter will take the crew of FlyOver Canada’s film team (Sherpas Cinema), soaring overhead to capture Canada Place’s iconic white sails, the humming activity of Canada’s busiest port and cruise ship terminal, as well as the City of Glass’s shimmering skyline.
The media and public are invited to come down to Canada Place’s West Promenade and North Point to watch the excitement, grab some dinner from one of the food vendors on hand for the event and maybe even take in a free yoga class, while the helicopter hovers and swoops to get footage of the city unlike anything else seen before. Please note that FlyOver Canada has been granted special permission to fly at a low altitude for the film shoot.
“We’re excited to start shooting the Vancouver segments from Canada Place, which FlyOver Canada will call home when it opens next spring,” says Andrew Strang, CEO of Soaring Attractions LP, the company developing and operating the attraction. “FlyOver Canada will be an exciting and memorable experience for everyone regardless of age and will appeal to both visitors and residents. There is nothing else like it in Canada.”
Soaring Attractions LP is a partnership involving two experienced Vancouver tourism entrepreneurs, Stephen Geddes and Andrew Strang, and the Aquilini Investment Group – the owners of the Vancouver Canucks. When it opens in Spring 2013, FlyOver Canada will take 60 guests at a time soaring coast to coast across Canada using the latest in virtual flight ride technology. It will be the only ride of its kind in Canada.
“The creation of this new attraction will be an exciting new addition to our local tourism industry and the perfect enhancement to both the national icon and Inspirationally Canadian Experience that is Canada Place,” says Andrew Mann, President and Chief Operating Officer of Canada Place Corporation.
Canada Place has recently undergone an extensive renewal and has launched the revamped Canadian Trail, an interactive interpretive walk along the West Promenade of the facility, showcasing the best of Canada’s history, geography, art, sport and innovation. FlyOver Canada will be located just past the final station of the Canadian Trail – the perfect culmination to the journey.
The acclaimed Whistler-based adventure film team Sherpas Cinema has been crisscrossing Canada for the past eight months, from Bella Coola to Niagara Falls, to capture breathtaking footage of Canada’s unparalleled natural beauty. Known for their cutting-edge filmmaking techniques and years of adventure film experience, Sherpas’ films have been recognized worldwide as being the best of their kind.
In the meantime, renovations at the site of the former IMAX theatre at Canada Place are well underway in preparation for FlyOver Canada to touch down in time to open to the public next spring. When completed, FlyOver Canada will give guests a truly Canadian experience as they soar over and through national landmarks that are among the most stunning in the world.