Josiah Vaughan had no intention of flying his entire crew to Georgia to complete his senior thesis film. But there he was, standing in a hangar that housed the 1952 C-45H aircraft that was going to propel his lifelong dream of bringing his grandfather’s legacy to the big screen.
“Flight Worthy,” the 21-minute historical drama depicting the life of mail delivery pilot Tim Vaughan, was once a lofty goal that existed in the back of Josiah’s mind, reserved for the future when he felt equipped for such an ambitious undertaking.
But each time he sat down to write his original script, he couldn’t ignore the persistence of his grandfather’s stories, completely overshadowing his initial plan. Many knew Tim as Dr. Jerry Falwell’s pilot, but to Josiah, he was just Grandpa — a man who triumphed over opposition with a radical faith.
In the 1970s, Tim’s flight skills were refined through dangerous conditions. When the company he worked for neglected aircraft maintenance to cut costs, Tim often found himself the captain of outdated, defective planes that forced him to navigate countless near-death experiences. All of the engine failures, onboard fires and landing gear collapses pushed his expertise to the limit. Despite the obstacles he faced, Vaughan used these lessons to strengthen his faith.
These challenges also modelled the narrative’s hopeful message on what it looks like to trust God, even when circumstances don’t make sense. Not only did researching this project encourage Josiah spiritually, but the aim was to encourage others with an honest display of a faithful life.
“I wanted people who were maybe at that same type of crossroads in their life to see an example of God being faithful to someone so that they would know that God was going to be faithful to them as well,” Josiah said.
Similar to Tim’s testimony, “Flight Worthy” had its fair share of turbulence. Halfway through filming, Josiah discovered that the plane they were scheduled to film with was unavailable due to hurricane relief efforts in Georgia.
In reviewing the previously shot content, Josiah also discovered major plot holes hindering his script’s message. With a defunct script and no aircraft, Josiah felt as though the movie’s emergency brakes had been activated.
“It was like God hit pause on the production and said, ‘Go figure this stuff out and when you’re ready, then we’ll come back and finish it,’” Josiah said. “So that was probably the lowest point and also ended up being one of the greatest blessings.”
With the rest of shooting postponed for two months, Josiah and his team worked tirelessly to revise the script as supporters prayed fervently behind the scenes to bring this project to fruition. During that time, the camaraderie between the team and each member’s individual skills sharpened.
But long before the crew came together to work on this 70s pop-rock scored film, Josiah’s inclination to pick up a camera started during childhood. It wasn’t until his teenage years when he decided to pursue film as a career, leading him to study film production and creative development at Liberty University. His grandfather’s intellect and wisdom lent many valuable life lessons to Josiah, but it was a passion for storytelling that they both shared.
“The times that I’ve heard God’s voice the most clearly have been when I’m watching films,” Josiah said. “It’s different for different people, but God knows how my brain works, and he knows that I understand stories. So, he can get my attention through that medium really well.”
Throughout this cinematic journey, Josiah learned about the blessings that can result from the pursuit of God-inspired endeavors. With a surrendered confidence, this project pushed his creativity and technicality to the limit, driving him to a tenacity rooted in his grandfather’s example.
“It really scares me to think how many Christians are out there just living their life and not really asking God ‘What specifically do you want me to do with my life?’” Josiah said. “Because I think that God gives us all these very specific experiences and passions for a reason, like he wants to use those for something. I think if we’re not looking for that we could miss it.”
Post graduation, he’s now pursuing a master’s degree in script and screenwriting while working as a graduate student assistant, encouraging other young filmmakers looking to make their mark.
“At that time, I was so mentally and physically exhausted,” Josiah said. “… It was one of the first times in my life I had experienced giving God literally everything I had not just mentally, but physically … I got to the point where I was like ‘I don’t know if this is going to get done, but I could promise to God I’ve given everything I have.’”
In the spring of 2025, Josiah sat with family and friends in the Cinema Theater to premiere “Flight Worthy” in all its glory. After months of putting his head down and working tirelessly, he could finally look up and see what God had done. While the audience engaged with Tim Vaughan’s legacy for the very first time, Josiah marveled at God’s faithfulness with every frame.
Visit josiahvaughan.com/flightworthy to get notified when the film is released publicly.
Hagen is the feature editor for the Liberty Champion.