Postal History Corner

1959 50 Years of Powered Flight

Canadian flight pioneer J.A.D. McCurdy made Canada's first powered flight in the Silver Dart at Baddeck, N.S., on February 23, 1909. Fifty years later, on the anniversary date of McCurdy's historic flight, the Canada Post Office Department issued a 5 cent commemorative stamp featuring the Silver Dart and the silhouettes of three modern delta-winged jets resembling the AVRO Arrow interceptor whose controversial cancellation by the Diefenbaker government had just been announced on February 20, 1959.

Archival Photographs

National Archives of Canada

Essays

National Archives of Canada

Approved Models

Designer : Harvey Thomas Prosser

National Archives of Canada

Trial Die Proof

Issued Stamp

National Archives of Canada

First Day Covers

Baddeck, N.S., February 23 1959
A reconstruction of the Silver Dart was built by volunteers from the Royal Canadian Air Force between 1956 and 1958 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first flight. The aircraft flew over Baddeck Bay on the day of the anniversary with the original pilot J.A.D. McCurdy in attendance, but the plane crashed due to high winds.