A planned feature film about Wilbur and Orville Wright has reached a new milestone with Delta Air Lines joining the project as a partner and sponsor, according to filmmaker Allen Farst. The production, titled The Flying Machine, aims to tell the story of the Wright brothers ahead of the 125th anniversary of powered flight in 2028. Farst announced the project in 2024 with the goal of producing what he describes as the first major feature-length motion picture focused on the Wright brothers. The film is intended to explore not only their achievement in aviation but also their lives, family, perseverance, and the circumstances that led to their historic breakthrough. “We needed something big to happen,” Farst said. “We were at a tipping point.”
While the extent of Delta’s involvement has not yet been disclosed, Farst said details of the partnership are still being finalized. When the project was first announced in August 2024, Farst estimated that approximately $50 million would be needed to produce the film. At that time, about $1 million had been raised. He now estimates that fundraising has reached approximately $15 million and said a broader fundraising campaign is expected to begin in the near future, including efforts in the Dayton area. The production is timed to coincide with the 125th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first successful powered flight, which took place on December 17, 1903, at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.
The screenplay is planned to be based on aviation historian Tom D. Crouch’s biography The Bishop’s Boys, for which Farst has secured the film rights. Farst’s previous work includes the documentaries Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man and Triangle Park, which chronicles the site of the first National Football League game. The Tree Man has been featured on Delta’s in-flight entertainment system and has also been streamed on Amazon Prime Video. Farst is a member of the Directors Guild of America and has received several filmmaking awards. Fundraising remains a central focus of the project.
Members of the Wright family have continued to support the effort. Amanda Wright Lane, great-grandniece of Wilbur and Orville Wright, and Stephen Wright, their great-grandnephew, are serving as partners on the project. When the film was first announced, Wright Lane noted that several filmmakers had approached the family over the previous decade with proposals for Wright brothers films, but none had advanced into production. The Flying Machine remains in development as fundraising continues, with the goal of bringing the Wright brothers’ story to the screen in conjunction with the upcoming 125th anniversary of powered flight. Supporters can learn more or contribute through the film’s official website, www.flyingmachinemovie.com, where merchandise is also available to help finance production.
