Success Stories
FMS Flight Motion Simulators Inc. “DreamFlyer”
City: Kelowna
British Columbia Regional Science & Technology Network Council: Okanagan Science and Technology Council
A B.C. inventor and pilot who created a non-motorized, full-body flight simulator has turned his invention into a business with the help of the Okanagan Science and Technology Council’s OkanaganMentors program.
 George “Doc” Holloway’s Kelowna-based company, FMS Flight Motion Simulators Inc., manufactures the DreamFlyer, which mimics flight using standard flight simulator software. The virtual pilot sits in a suspended cockpit and “flies” the simulator using a realistic control stick which transmits motion information to computer software. This software then matches the pitching and rolling motions of the simulator in real time.
Before the DreamFlyer, home-based flight simulation was limited to a two-dimensional experience – images shifting on a computer screen – that lacked the movement and excitement of real flight. Holloway believed he could do better.
Starting with the popular “Joyrider” application, Holloway developed a series of prototypes that resulted in the DreamFlyer, which combines a patent-pending gimbal-mounted frame system with controls that mimic flight.
 To enhance the flight experience, the DreamFlyer pilot can combine the basic simulator with a screen, overhead projection system, the “Buttkicker” vibration system, and surround sound speakers tied into the flight simulation software. A flat screen monitor serving as the “dashboard” and scenery rolling on the screen beyond the dashboard completes the illusion of real flight. The lightweight, compact DreamFlyer will fit in a living room or family games room.
Business coach Vern Nielsen also helped the DreamFlyer get off the ground. Rahul Lakhote, the new CEO of FMS Flight Motion Simulators, recently launched the DreamFlyer at the EAA AirVenture airshow in Wisconsin, to rave reviews. The DreamFlyer has also been featured on numerous television programs, including a segment on the Discovery Channel.
For more information, please visit http://www.mydreamflyer.com/.
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