In the remake, Kokichi tells Max of some of his early childhood, and how it had been his dream to fly ever since he was a child. He mentions that some of Dr. Crock's inventions served as an inspiration to him when designing the engine for his flying machine. It's worth noting that the flying machine he fights with is not the first flying machine he has built, but it is the most successful one. Especially considering many of his previous attempts were deemed unsafe, unreliable, uncontrollable, and worse. One such invention's test flight lasted almost a full year because of how off-course it lead him (that is to say, the actual test flight didn't last very long, the trip back home did, however).