Ayling and Reid Flight National Historic Event
Wasaga Beach, Ontario
HSMBC plaque
© Parks Canada / Parcs Canada, n.d.
Address :
111 Mosley Street, Wasaga Beach, Ontario
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
1949-05-30
Other Name(s):
-
Ayling and Reid Flight
(Designation Name)
Importance:
First flight from mainland Canada to England; 1934
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: on cairn to right of Nancy Island VC entrance 111 Mosley Street, Wasaga Beach, Ontario
On 8 August 1934 J. R. Ayling and L. G. Reid, flying 'The Trail of the Caribou' a twin-engined biplane, the De Haviland 'Dragon', took off from the hard sands of Wasaga Beach headed for Baghdad. An icing problem led to a bent control rod and a throttle stuck wide open. This, in turn, increased fuel consumption by 70 per cent above that estimated and resulted in termination of the flight at Heston Airfield, London, England after 3,700 miles and 30 hours, 55 minutes of flying time. Despite failure in the main objective the aviators had accomplished the first non-stop flight from the mainland of Canada to England.
Original Plaque: 111 Mosley Street, Wasaga Beach, Ontario
From Wasaga Beach on the morning of 8th August, 1934, James R. Ayling and Leonard G. Reid took off in their plane "The Trail of the Caribou" headed for Bagdad. Due to adverse weather conditions and exhaustion of fuel supplies, they were forced to land at Heston Airfield, London, England, on the afternoon of 9th August, having flown 3700 miles in 30 hours, 55 minutes.