How many remembered the anniversary or even knew about this?
Canada’s First Flight
On February 23, 1909, J.A.D. McCurdy lifted the Silver Dart off the ice on Bras D’Or Lake, Baddeck, Nova Scotia and made aviation history when he began the first controlled power flight of an aircraft by a British subject anywhere in the British Empire. He was 23 years old.
He flew ½ mile at heights between 10 and 30 feet and reached a speed of 40 miles per hour. McCurdy went on to be a founding member of the RCAF in 1924 and was inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame in 1973.
The Silver Dart was funded by Alexander Graham Bell as part of his Aerial Experimentation Association that was formed to test the feasibility of powered flight.
Wing Span: 49 ft 1 in (15 m)
Length: 39 ft 4 in (12 m)
Height: 9 ft 7 in (2.9 m)
Weight, Empty: 610 lb (277 kg)
Weight, Gross: 860 lb (390 kg)
Cruising Speed: 43 mph (69 km/h)
Max Speed: 43 mph (69 km/h)
Rate of Climb: Unknown
Service Ceiling: 70 ft (21.4 m)
Canada’s First Flight
On February 23, 1909, J.A.D. McCurdy lifted the Silver Dart off the ice on Bras D’Or Lake, Baddeck, Nova Scotia and made aviation history when he began the first controlled power flight of an aircraft by a British subject anywhere in the British Empire. He was 23 years old.
He flew ½ mile at heights between 10 and 30 feet and reached a speed of 40 miles per hour. McCurdy went on to be a founding member of the RCAF in 1924 and was inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame in 1973.
The Silver Dart was funded by Alexander Graham Bell as part of his Aerial Experimentation Association that was formed to test the feasibility of powered flight.
Wing Span: 49 ft 1 in (15 m)
Length: 39 ft 4 in (12 m)
Height: 9 ft 7 in (2.9 m)
Weight, Empty: 610 lb (277 kg)
Weight, Gross: 860 lb (390 kg)
Cruising Speed: 43 mph (69 km/h)
Max Speed: 43 mph (69 km/h)
Rate of Climb: Unknown
Service Ceiling: 70 ft (21.4 m)
