National Aviation Day 23-February
On February 23rd each year, Canada celebrates National Aviation Day, we commemorate the past, celebrate the present and advance the future of aviation in Canada.
It’s recognized every year on February 23, the day in 1909 when J.A.D. McCurdy piloted the first powered flight in Canada.
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.
You can learn more about the AEA and the Silver Dart by visiting our Silver Dart exhibit webpage here: https://canadianaviationmuseum.ca/museum/aircraft/aea-silver-dart/
