How a real-life ultralight pilot inspired a heartwarming 1996 cinematic migration fable

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The 1996 film Fly Away Home tells the story of a young girl guiding orphaned geese south using an ultralight aircraft. While the drama is fictional, the core premise is rooted in the actual experiences of inventor Bill Lishman, who pioneered the technique of training birds to follow his motorized gliders.

Directed by Carroll Ballard, the film follows Amy Alden, a young girl who discovers abandoned goose eggs after moving to Canada. Upon hatching, the goslings imprint on her, leading her father to use an ultralight aircraft to teach the birds their migratory route. This narrative mirrors the real-life work of Bill Lishman, who began training Canada geese to follow his aircraft in 1986 and successfully led a migration in 1993 through his Operation Migration program. Dr. William J. L. Sladen, a zoologist, also contributed his expertise to the project.

The production utilized two specific gliders: the UFM Easy Riser and the Cosmos Trike. To ensure the birds could keep pace, the aircraft were modified for safety and speed, with the Trike featuring a mock goose head and feather-patterned wings—a creative touch Lishman had envisioned for his own craft but never implemented. Principal photography took place in 1995, primarily in Ontario, Canada, with the film’s visual style earning a cinematography nomination for Joseph Caleb Deschanel at the 69th Academy Awards.

While the film was a modest success in theaters, grossing $36.5 million worldwide, it found a larger audience on home video. Beyond its commercial performance, the project sparked curiosity about its production, including rumors of animal mistreatment that inspired a theatrical performance. Despite such controversies, the film remains a celebrated fable about the bond between humans and animals, bolstered by critical praise for its performances and its visually stunning depiction of the geese in flight.

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