Gallant Journey

In 1879, a young John Montgomery tells his girlfriend Regina Cleary about his ambition to fly. Despite opposition from his family, Regina believes in his dream and quietly supports his work.

By 1883 John conducts a test flight of his glider, which proves successful. He names his flying machine an 'aeroplane' as the dream becomes reality.

John's father, Zachary Montgomery, learns of his son's experiments and urges him to abandon flying to pursue clergy studies. He worries about his reputation and the family name being at risk.

Father Dick Ball becomes interested in John's work and offers support. He helps arrange a job for John at a Santa Clara workshop, giving him access to equipment and facilities.

Father Kenton, another priest, becomes an aviation enthusiast and lends his support to John's experiments. He helps connect John with resources that aid the project.

John develops a medical condition that causes dizziness and collapses, leading a doctor to warn that he may never fly safely. The diagnosis is a hard blow, but he remains determined to pursue his dream.

Parachute enthusiast Dan Mahoney offers to pull the glider into the air with a hot air balloon. The two fathers support this plan and help arrange the test.

With the families' backing, John completes a successful test flight using his new glider design. The achievement renews public interest in his work, though finances still threaten future development.

Despite growing interest, John's finances are insufficient to sustain his experiments. He must sell valuable belongings to fund the next steps, showing his perseverance.

During a test flight, Dan Mahoney dies in an accident, marking a severe setback for John. Simultaneously, an earthquake destroys his glider, compounding the misfortunes.

John marries Regina, yet a man emerges claiming ownership of an object John sold to fund his work. The dispute sparks a lengthy legal battle that drains his resources.

The judge rules in John's favor, resolving the ownership dispute. The victory relieves some financial pressure, but does not instantly revive his flying program.

With legal matters settled, John dedicates himself to a new glider design and builds it himself. He prepares to fly it solo, hoping to reclaim his dream.

During the final flight, John experiences a dizzy spell and loses control, crashing to the ground. He dies from his injuries a few hours later, bringing an end to his long pursuit of flight.