The Story of Canada's First Flight
A silver plane, flying over the frozen landscape
The story of Canada’s first flight begins with one of the most famous Canadians in history, Alexander Graham Bell. For years, he had been doing experiments to develop motor-powered heavier-than-air aircraft in Nova Scotia and New York since 1891.
On Sept. 30, 1907, under the leadership of Bell, the Aerial Experimental Association was established. Mabel Bell, Alexander's wife, gave $35,000 of her own money to help finance the organization.
The AEA began to develop several design aircraft in succession, eventually culminating with the Silver Dart in 1908, the AEA's fourth flying machine.
Built in Hammondsport, New York, the plane was constructed with steel tube, bamboo, friction tape, wire and wood. The wings were covered with silvery balloon cloth, giving it the silver look that gave the aircraft its name.
The propeller was made from a single block of wood.
The Silver Dart had a 14.9 metre wingspan and a weight of 390 kilograms with the pilot.
Once the aircraft was finished, it was dismantled and shipped to Baddeck Bay, Nova Scotia, the Canadian home of Bell.
On Feb. 23, 1909, the aircraft was pulled out onto the ice of Baddeck Bay by a horse-drawn sleigh. The first attempt to fly failed but on its second time, piloted by the future Lt. Governor of Nova Scotia, John McCurdy, the plane took to the air.
In that first flight, the aircraft flew 800 metres at three to nine metres above the ground, moving at 65 km/h. In that moment, Canada had taken to the air for the first time.
The next flight took place on March 10, 1909. That time, the Silver Dart completed a circular course of 35 kilometres.
Suitably interested with the aircraft, the Canadian Army requested a demonstration at Camp Petawawa.
During that demonstration on Aug. 2, 1909, the first passenger-flight in Canadian history occurred when two people flew in the plane.
On another flight that day, as the plane came in for a landing, one wheel struck a rise in the sandy ground. While there were no injuries, the plane was wrecked and never flew again.
Between 1956 and 1958, in honour of the 50th anniversary of the first flight, a replica of the Silver Dart was constructed by Royal Canadian Air Force volunteers. The plane flew over Baddeck Bay on Feb. 23, 1959 but crashed soon after.
In 2009, a replica of the Silver Dart, built by the Aerial Experiment Association, took flight off Baddeck Bay to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first flight.
