Saturday, June 20, 2009

Silver Dart







The nice weather didn't last long, it poured most of the day. But the rain didn't hold us back from a little road trip to see a replica of the Silver Dart. This year is the Centennial Celebration of Flight in Canada. There is a rich history of flight that has been neglected, numerous contributions by Canadians bringing flight to where it is today.



The Silver Dart is one piece of that history. An aircraft I had never heard of before. I was amazed at this flimsy looking, 250 lbs. pedal operated, open, bicycle wheel aircraft. The first pilots must have been incredibly brave to even have thought this was a safe idea! (The kids all said they would give it a whirl- so maybe its just me!) The rain meant everything happened in the hanger, which gave it a very authentic feel. The men who have been travelling across the country with the replica where dressed in 1909 costumes, as this was the last time the plane flew. There have been paper planes, goggles and caps, a new list for the library and designs on the go. I love how that inspiration manifests itself.








1 comment:

Karen said...

This is very cool - any idea where it is going next?

Your weekend and ours - both included horses and planes.
There's a joke in there somewhere.
:P