The soaring movement of the flight scene is a signature effect of the current 3D cycle, with a number of recent films centering on birds or dragon-like creatures. Simulated flight has long been used to display the latest in cinematic spectacle. Analysis of the use of flight in Wings (1927), Avatar (2009) and How to Train Your Dragon (2010) demonstrates how film producers have employed tried and true schemata to make the attractional power of flight serve a narrative master.
Ross, Sara. "Invitation to the Voyage: The Flight Sequence in Contemporary 3D Cinema." Film History 24.2 (2012): 210-220.