First Aeroplane Flying in Canada National Historic Event

The first aeroplane flying in Canada was designated as a national historic event in 1934.

Historical importance: flight of the Silver Dart in 1909, first in Canada.

Commemorative plaque : Alexander Graham Bell Museum, Chebucto Street, Baddeck, Nova Scotia ^Footnote1

The first airplane flight in Canada

On February 23, 1909, more than 100 people witnessed the first successful powered flight in Canada, as the Silver Dart lifted off the ice of Baddeck Bay and flew 800 metres. The biplane, piloted by J. A. D. McCurdy, reached a speed of 65 kilometres per hour and an altitude of about 9 metres before making a smooth landing. Designed and built by the Aerial Experiment Association, founded by Mabel and Alexander Graham Bell, the Silver Dart was the culmination of this group's pioneering aeronautical research. Their success heralded the age of aviation in Canada.