Orville cared so much for his sister Katharine that when she did marry at the age of 52, he was inconsolable. He refused to attend the wedding and didn't speak to her for two years.

Wright died in 2004 of congestive heart failure, a side effect of chemotherapy and radiation treatments she was receiving for breast and bone cancer.

Preserving the history of two internationally admired pioneers in aviation, and perpetuating their story for the next generation, are the lifework of Amanda Wright Lane and her brother Stephen Wright, great-grandniece and great-grandnephew of Wilbur and Orville Wright.

The Wright family – Wayne and Chloe (Chloe Wright died late last year) and their children – comprise the majority of trustees of both the foundation and their family trust. The family is assessed as being worth $400m by the National Business Review, with the majority of their wealth derived from the Best Start sale.