Filed under: Oddities | Tags: A Girl in the Sky productions, aerial, circus, Cognac and Sausages, Femme de Feu, Promise Factory, Rebecca Leonard
A really fun night of performances as a fundraiser to help send the Cognac and Sausages aerial theatre production to Montreal, followed by Promise Factory, temporarily moved from Cherry Beach.
Cognac and Sausage’s absolutely delightful, beautiful and comical aerial performance staring Rebecca and Athena (Aka Anastasia and Miranda Spitalotski.)
Very cool fire performance by Femme de Feu: the flames were coming from the ends of their fingers.
Lots of great performances and dancing, great night…must get some sleep…
Filed under: Oddities, Steampunk | Tags: aerial, Alexander Bell, Antique plane, Baddeck Nova Scotia, Canadian aviation, Canadian Centennial of Flight, flight, Silver Dart, Steampunk, Vintage plane
Backed by the passion of Alexander Graham Bell and the funds of his wife Mabel, the Aerial Experiment Association was formed. A year, four months, and many test flights later, Canada saw its first powered engine flight.
On February 23, 1909 a group of volunteers on skates pushed The Silver Dart out onto the ice of Baddeck Bay in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Piloted by Baddeck local, Douglas McCurdy, the plane rose almost 9 meters and flew for almost a kilometer and a half at 65 kph.
To mark the 100th anniversary of this first flight, a replica of the Silver Dart was constructed and flown on February 23, 2009. I wish I could have been there to check it out. The plane took and almost 5 years and a whole lotta cash to construct. Despite a couple of disappointing early test flights, the plane performed beautifully for the Centennial Celebration.
Here is a video of the replica flight last month
For a bit more on the historical flight The Canadian Centennial of Flight has posted an excerpt of their fabulous 9-part documentary On Canadian Wings.
For More information on the Silver Dart Flight, here is the official site.
curious oddities 