Ready For Takeoff? Top Questions Answered About Flying With Upright

Who? What? When? Where? How?

Part of keeping the UFLY experience thrilling, and not scary, is knowing what you’re in for before you commit. We wanted to take the time to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about our Aerobatic UFLY Thrill Ride. Consider this the thrill seeker’s guide to the who, what, when, where, and how of the UFLY experience! 

Is It Safe?

The first question we are most often asked is: Is it safe? 

The answer is yes! Great, but how safe is it? 

Our pilots have years and in some cases decades of experience in aerobatic and competition flying. We are certified by Transport Canada as a flight training unit and undergo intense annual training as well as internal and external audits from Transport Canada. We pride ourselves on a strong safety culture in aviation with a commitment to highly trained professional pilots and impeccably maintained planes, well beyond commercial standards. Not just any pilot can perform aerobatic flights, it takes specialty training, which our pilots have, and which we also provide in our academy. 

Upright Aviation Academy was established with the vision of enhancing pilot training and safety. We teach safety in the Academy portion of our business, it’s our top priority. 

What Do You Mean By Thrill Ride? 

The term "aerobatic flight" combines the words "aeroplane" and "acrobatic." The pilot of an aerobatic plane in flight performs maneuvers such as rolls, high-speed turns or spins, much like what you’d see at an airshow. 

As to “UFLY,” that means that, during the flight, you’ll have the opportunity to put your hands on the controls under the supervision of a highly trained expert. 

To pull it all together, the UFLY Thrill Ride experience is an opportunity for thrill seekers to get up in the air and know what it’s like to be in the airshow, not just watching it.

Am I a Good Candidate for a UFLY Experience?

You don’t need any special knowledge or skills to fly with our pilots, but despite our desire to accommodate everyone, there are some restrictions on who is eligible to participate.  

Due to plane capacity, we have weight and height limits of 225 lbs and a height of approximately 6'3". 6'3" is not a firm limitation, however, taller individuals will need to test out whether they’re able to fit into our plane by ensuring that their head fits with the canopy closed. 

Regarding issues of disability, we ask that you contact us to discuss what accommodations you require. There are a variety of accessibility needs, and we cannot guarantee that we can meet them all, but we will certainly do our best. Jason’s story is one example of how our flights can be accessible. 

There may be some health states that would not lend themselves to a UFLY experience, such as pregnancy or heart conditions. We ask our prospective passengers to disclose any such health concerns and to check in with their doctors before engaging in this experience if they have concerns.

Where Will The Flight Happen? 

According to Canadian aviation laws, we have a limited area within which to offer our thrill rides, it’s referred to as an “aerobatic box.” This is the three-dimensional space in which we are allowed to operate, so, no, we probably can’t fly over your house (we get that request a lot). In Canada, there are strict rules around altitudes required for flight over built-up areas.

Upright Aviation operates within Toronto Pearson airspace. If we fly over a thrill seeker’s house, it’s because it’s within our portion of that space. 

Pre-Boarding the UFLY Experience

When thrill seekers sign up for a UFLY experience, we give them all the address details and provide instructions on how to find us. We’re located at 5351 Appleby Line, in Burlington, Ontario, and 5342 Bell School Line, Burlington.

Our Facilities & Friends and Family Involvement

If you want to bring someone along to watch you board the Extra 300L and help pump you up pre-thrill ride, please do. We hope they’ll be comfy in our 8000 sq foot facility, which is equipped with washrooms, while you enjoy the thrill of a lifetime. Also available for their use are lounges and a boardroom. Your companion is free to look at all of the cool airplanes while they wait for you to land. 

Your companion will be able to see you take off and land, but not much else due to airspace constraints.

We’re often asked if passengers can go up together. Our planes can only accommodate one passenger at a time. Of course, if one of our other planes and pilots is available at the same time, we may be able to send them up with your friend or family member so that they can observe from a separate plane or experience their own thrill ride in tandem with you. 

How About That Weather?

There is one thing out of our control for our flights, and that’s the weather. In order to safely provide a thrill ride, we need: 

• The clouds to be at least 4000 feet above ground 

• 6+ miles of forward visibility 

• Winds below 23 knots 

• No precipitation 

If these conditions are not met, we can’t go up and will have to reschedule for a different day. 

What Happens During My UFLY Thrill Ride?

When you get into the plane, you’ll be given a headpiece that keeps you in communication with your pilot at all times, followed by being strapped in to your seat. Next, we will take a 6-minute flight west so as to enter our designated aerobatic flight area, and then the fun can begin. 

At some point, we’ll discuss what a thrill-ride means to you; however, if you get up in the air and the definition changes, please communicate that. Communicating with your pilot is key and will help ensure you have fun. For instance, let us know right away if you’re starting to feel unwell. When one of our passengers is feeling less than 100%, we have mitigation techniques we can use to help get them back to baseline. These include flying straight and level for a bit, or giving the passenger some control, this is often enough to support people feeling better. 

Our goal is to avoid nausea or anxiety altogether by starting the flight easy, and building up to more complex aspects of the ride slowly. Advanced maneuvers happen by consent, when the passenger is ready and enthusiastic. We’re seeking thrills, not tears.

How Can I Document My Experience?

Cellphones, cameras, and other loose items are dangerous during a UFLY ride, which means that you won’t be able to video yourself during your experience, not even if you bring your own mount. 

We do offer a package where our specially mounted cameras will capture the entire experience for you! We have 3 cameras that will film every aspect of the flight without you having to do a thing. 

They are mounted:

• On the left wing, capturing the airplane and the background 

• Forward facing, over your shoulder. This one also captures cockpit audio

• Facing towards you, so we can immortalize all of your various expressions! 

If you’ve chosen to purchase the video package, you will be given the memory cards at the end of the flight.

Flying High With UFLY

Now that we’ve cleared up some of the unknowns for the Aerobatic UFLY Thrill Ride, it’s time to take action. Either reach out to us on our contact page if you have more questions or let us know when you would like to book your experience. 

Whether you’re a trained pilot, an aviation enthusiast, or an adrenaline junkie, Upright Aviation Academy offers one-of-a-kind opportunities for clients. We’re conveniently located between Toronto and Niagara Falls at Burlington Airport, CONTACT US for Safety Courses, Aerobatics Training, or a Thrill Ride with our Certified Pilots.