As a celebration of movement and mechanics, Ipswich’s Planes, Trains and Autos festival puts a spotlight on the innovation and ambition behind things that take people from A to B.
But there’s one attempt at transport advancement being explored as part of the festival program which is in the history books for the wrong reasons.
In 1912, Franz Reichelt, an Austrian tailor, plummeted to his death from the Eiffel Tower during an unsuccessful of test of his flying suit.
It’s a story that captivated emerging Brisbane composer Nicholas Hargreaves, writer of new musical Flight! being showcased at Studio 188 on the evening of Saturday, 2 May as part of the 2026 Planes, Trains and Autos program.
“Franz Reichelt is a lesser-known historical figure I’ve always been fascinated by. He was an Austrian tailor who one day decided, ‘I may as well be an adventurer, I’ll give it a shot’,” Nicholas said.
“He invented this flying suit and tried to test it off the Eiffel Tower.
“It ended terribly. It didn’t work at all.”
While still only a teenager some years ago, Nicholas was inspired to write a song about Reichelt, which was the catalyst for Flight! the musical.
“That kind of opened the flood gates, for all these other people from flight history I had never heard of before,” Nicholas said.
“And I got really interested in this idea of characters from aviation history who have made these contributions that you feel today, but they have been forgotten or somehow misremembered in history.
“That’s really where it all started.”
Flight! is a musical exploration of aviation through the stories of eight historical figures.
The story focuses on Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut in space, and features others including aviator Amelia Earhart and hot air balloon pioneer Jacques Charles.
Directed by Ipswich resident Timothy Wynn, the show at Studio 188 on 2 May is a selected one-hour showcase of the full musical, which is still under development ahead of premiering later this year.
“The main character is Sally Ride. The show is from her perspective, right before her first space flight,” Nicholas said.
“As NASA’s first female astronaut, she’s thinking to herself, this is the defining moment of her life, how is she going to be remembered.
“Then she’s visited by the spirit of Amelia Earhart who introduces her to all these other people from flight history who’ve felt the same thing.
“They’ve been afraid, worried about how they’re going to be remembered, and yet they made these magnificent contributions anyway.
“The show follows each of these characters sharing their stories as Sally Ride learns the difference between recognition and contribution.”
Flight! is included in a Planes, Trains and Autos program featuring main event Fully Charged at Queensland Museum Rail Workshops in North Ipswich on Saturday, 2 May.
Tickets to the Flight! showcase are free but require an RSVP via the Ipswich Civic Centre website.
Other events throughout the May long weekend include Retro Picnic, 2 Days of Thunder, Monster Machine Day and Diesel Assault, to name a few.
For the full Planes, Trains and Autos festival program, visit IpswichFestival.com.au. Planes, Trains and Autos is presented in partnership with Metal Biz Recyclers.
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