The vast open spaces of Australia may never have been conquered without the aeroplane.

This is the story of the visionaries and daredevils who put their money and their lives on the line in pursuit of the dream of air travel. They built Australia's airline industry to link the nation, to defy geography and develop communication unknown to earlier generations.

We see the rise of icons such as Qantas, of monoliths such as ANA, upstarts like Ansett, Guinea, BAT and MMA, and the groundbreaking innovations of TAA. All these are driven by names such as Fysh, McGinness, Brearley, Holyman, Levien, Robinson, Ansett, Butler, Miller, and the team that created TAA.

It is the story of aircraft: the wire and wood of the DH.9 and DH.86, the great flying boats, the ever-faithful DC-3, the prestigious Super Constellation, the revolutionary Viscount, the globe-spanning 707 jet, and the 747 that ushered in the era of mass travel.

Australia's airlines — the force that linked the nation.