Farman, the son of British citizens living in France, was first a painter, then a racing motorist. With his brother, Maurice Farman (Farman, Maurice), he modified a Voisin pusher biplane, now known as the Voisin-Farman I, and in January 1908 won an important prize for the first circular flight of 1 km (0.6 mile). In 1909 he set a world record for endurance with a flight of 234.3 km (145.59 miles) in the Farman III. In 1912 the Farman brothers established a factory at Boulogne-sur-Seine, where they produced classic pusher biplanes for military and training purposes. The 1914 model was widely employed for reconnaissance and observation.

The Farman company remained an important manufacturer of aircraft following World War I. Farman Airlines used their Goliath aircraft in the first flight between European capitals, from London to Paris on Feb. 8, 1919, and then in the first regular international commercial flights, between Paris and Brussels, beginning on March 22, 1919. Farman became a French citizen in 1937.