John Alexander Douglas McCurdy , (2 August 1886 – 25 June 1961) was a Canadian

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...

pioneer and the 20th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia from 1947 to 1952.

Early years

Son of inventor Arthur Williams McCurdy and born in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, McCurdy was known as "Douglas". He was schooled at St. Andrew's College in Aurora, Ontario and graduated from the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines and mechanism (engineering), mechanisms that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and engineering mathematics, mathematics principl ...

in 1907, where he had been a member of

Kappa Alpha Society The Kappa Alpha Society () is a North American social college fraternity. Founded in 1825, it was the progenitor of the modern fraternity system in North America. It is considered to be the oldest national, secret, Greek-letter social fraterni ...

along with his friend Frederick Walker Baldwin. The University of Toronto Year Book for his graduation year
Torontonensis
1907) shows that he was active in rugby and fencing. AEA Silver Dart

Aviation

In 1907, he joined

Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell (; born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born Canadian Americans, Canadian-American inventor, scientist, and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He als ...

's Aerial Experiment Association. In 1908, McCurdy helped another AEA member,

Glenn Curtiss Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) was an American aviation and motorcycling pioneer, and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle racer and builder before moving on to motorcycles. As early a ...

to set up the

Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company (1909–1929) was an American aircraft manufacturer originally founded by Glenn Curtiss, Glenn Hammond Curtiss and Augustus Moore Herring in Hammondsport, New York. After significant commercial success in ...

. McCurdy became the first British subject to fly an aircraft in the British Empire when, in February 1909, he piloted the Aerial Experiment Association's '' Silver Dart'' off the ice of Bras d'Or Lake in Nova Scotia. The Silver Dart was the first powered aircraft to fly in Canada. In 1910, he was the first Canadian to be issued a pilot's license and the following year, he made the first flight from

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

. For the next few years, he continued to set aviation records in Canada and North America, until 1916, when vision problems grounded him.

First World War

In 1915, McCurdy established the first aviation school in Canada, the Curtiss Flying School, operating from 1915 to 1919, and was the first manager of Long Branch Aerodrome, Canada's first airport. He was also instrumental in setting up Canadian Aeroplanes Ltd., an aircraft manufacturing company located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that built aircraft for the

Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...

during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Formed on 15 December 1916, when the Imperial Munitions Board bought the Curtiss (Canada) aircraft operation in Toronto (opened in 1916 as Toronto Curtiss Aeroplanes), Canadian Aeroplanes Ltd. manufactured the JN-4 (Can) Canuck, the Felixstowe F5L flying boat, and the

Avro 504 The Avro 504 is a single-engine biplane bomber made by the Avro, Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during World War I totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind ...

.Given, Robert A
"Long Branch."
''etobicokehistorical.com.'' Retrieved: 24 February 2011.

Interwar years

In 1928, McCurdy created the Reid Aircraft Company in Montreal and became its first president. After a merger, he remained at the helm of the Curtiss-Reid Aircraft Company, a position he held until the advent of war. The most notable product of the company was the Curtiss-Reid Rambler."Curtiss-Reid Rambler."
''Canadian Historical Aircraft Association''. Retrieved: 31 October 2010. McCurdy married Margaret Ball of Woodstock, Ontario, daughter of Margaret and Robert N. Ball, Queens Counsel for Sullivan Co, Ontario.

Second World War

At the beginning of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, McCurdy became Assistant Director General of Aircraft Production. He remained in that position until 1947.

Postwar

In 1947, McCurdy was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, a post he continued until 1952. He was awarded the McKee Trophy in 1959 on the 50th anniversary of the flight of the Silver Dart. He attended official ceremonies and sat in the replica Silver Dart built for the occasion. He was also named an

honorary air commodore Air commodore (Air Cdre or Air Cmde) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries which have historical British influ ...

at the time. After a lengthy illness, McCurdy died in 1961 in

Montreal, Quebec Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, and was buried the following month in Baddeck, Nova Scotia where a family home had been maintained.McDonald, Tom
"John McCurdy of Nova Scotia Dies, Ist in British Empire to Fly Plane_Jun 26, 1961."
''caperblogs.com.'' Retrieved: 18 August 2011.

Legacy

The McCurdy Award at

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

in Montreal was introduced in 1954 by the Institute of Aircraft Technicians. The award commemorates the contributions made by John A.D. McCurdy during the development of the aviation industry in North America. Following its creation in 1973, McCurdy was inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame. On 27 July 2009

Sydney Airport Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport — colloquially Kingsford Smith Airport, Sydney Airport or Mascot Airport — is an international airport serving Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district, in the subu ...

was renamed J.A. Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport in his honour."Sydney Airport."
''Sydney Airport Authority'', 2011. Retrieved: 24 February 2011. In 2012, he was inducted into the

Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame The Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame, was located at the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, honoured Canadians who have made outstanding contributions to society in science and engineering. It also promoted role m ...

Awards and recognition

References

;Notes ;Citations ;Bibliography
"Aerial Experimental Association (AEA)".
''Aerofiles.'' Retrieved: 19 May 2005. * Blanchard, H. Percy. "Family Tree Reference 2A73." ''The McCurdys of Nova Scotia: Genealogical Record & Biographical Sketches of the McCurdys of Nova Scotia''. Halifax: Hon. F. B. McCurdy, 1930. * Green, H. Gordon. ''The Silver Dart: The Authentic Story of the Hon. J.A.D. McCurdy, Canada's First Pilot''. Fredericton, New Brunswick: Atlantic Advocate Book, 1959. * Gunston, Bill. ''World Encyclopedia of Aircraft Manufacturers.'' Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1993. . * Harding, Les. ''McCurdy and the Silver Dart''. Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada: University of Cape Breton Press, 1998. .

''Canada's Digital Collections.'' Retrieved: 5 August 2005. * Milberry, Larry. ''Aviation in Canada: The Pioneer Decades, Vol. 1''. Toronto: CANAV Books, 2008. . * Molson, Ken M. and Harold A. Taylor. ''Canadian Aircraft Since 1909''. Stittsville, Ontario: Canada's Wings, Inc., 1982. * Taylor, Michael J.H. ''Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation''. London: Studio Editions, 1989. .

External links

CBC 1949 radio archive

J.A.D. McCurdy and the Silver Dart: Canada's First Aerial Navigator
at '' Nova Scotia Archives & Records Management''
Photograph of J.A.D. McCurdy memorial plaque by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCurdy, John Alexander Douglas 1886 births 1961 deaths Canadian mechanical engineers Canadian Presbyterians University of Toronto alumni St. Andrew's College (Aurora) alumni Canadian aviators Aviation history of Canada Members of the Early Birds of Aviation Lieutenant governors of Nova Scotia Canadian people of Scottish descent Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame inductees Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada) People from Baddeck, Nova Scotia Honorary air commodores Canadian aviation record holders Members_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire