This early docudrama uses dramatic reenactment, working models of early flying machines, and archival footage to trace man's attempts to fly from ancient times through the 1930s.

Aviators Amy Johnson and Jim Mollison, playing themselves, cause havoc in a small village when Mollison runs out of petrol and he is forced to land in a field. Their planes are quickly surrounded by inquisitive fans and, after refuelling, a woman and a young boy are taken for a flight.