Canadian pilots out there will know that today marks the 100th anniversary of flight in our country. Back in 1909, Alexander Graham Bell created a team called the Aerial Experiment Association (AEA) with the intentions of designing and flying an airplane. With $45,000 of funding from his wife, Mabel Bell, the team included some legendary names in aviation, including Casey Baldwin (Canadian), Glenn Curtiss (American), Doug McCurdy (Canadian), and Tom Selfridge (American).
On Feb. 23, 1909, Doug McCurdy piloted the Silver Dart and became the first person in the British Empire to fly an airplane. The flight took place on the frozen Bras d’Or Lake in Baddeck, Nova Scotia and lasted 90 seconds. Today in Baddeck, former astronaut Bjarni Tryggvason was scheduled to fly a replica Silver Dart, but the weather is suggesting something else. He test flew the aircraft last night and a few weeks ago in Hamilton as well, but heres hoping the actual centennial flight will get off the ground tomorrow.
Below are some pictures from 1909 and 2009.
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