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Today in Aviation History: First Non-Stop Flight from Canada to England
Ninety-one years ago, on August 8, 1934, pilots James Ayling and Leonard Reid made the first non-stop flight from mainland Canada to England. Flying the de Havilland DH.84 *Trail of the Caribou*, they covered the distance in 30 hours and 55 minutes—an unplanned record that paved the way for future transatlantic routes.
James Ayling and Leonard Reid in 1934 took off from the sandy shore of Wasaga Beach and made the first overseas flight from Canada, aiming for Baghdad, but landing in London, England. Photo
Town of Wasaga Beach Archives Association of Ontario
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On this day in aviation history, 91 years ago (August 8, 1934), the first non-stop flight from Canada to England was completed—marking not only a transatlantic milestone but also the first overseas flight from mainland Canada. The story began a year earlier, in 1933, when English aviation pioneers James Mollison and his wife, Amy Johnson, flew to Wasaga Beach, Ontario, in their de Havilland DH.84 Dragon Seafarer II. From there, they planned an ambitious flight to Baghdad, Iraq, in pursuit of a world distance record. Despite three attempts, unfavorable weather conditions forced them to turn back each time.
Leonard Reid with “Trail of the Caribou” (CASM Image 11478)
By 1934, Seafarer II had changed hands. Pilots James Ayling and Leonard Reid acquired the “well-traveled” Dragon, renaming it Trail of the Caribou. On August 8, they departed Wasaga Beach, once again aiming for Baghdad. However, throttle problems mid-flight forced them to abandon the record attempt. Instead, they pressed on across the Atlantic, eventually landing at Heston Aerodrome in Middlesex, west of London.
Photo Archives Association of Ontario
After 30 hours and 55 minutes in the air, Trail of the Caribou had fallen short of Baghdad—but achieved something remarkable nonetheless. Their flight became the first non-stop crossing from mainland Canada to Britain, setting a precedent for future transatlantic routes. Though born from an aborted record attempt, Ayling and Reid’s achievement was a landmark moment in international aviation history.
Original HSMBC plaque
Commercial Pilot, CFI, and Museum Entrepreneur, with a subject focus on WWII Aviation. I am dedicated to building flight experience so I can fly WWII Fighters, such as the P-51 Mustang, for museums and airshows, and in the USAF Heritage Flight. I lead and run the Pennington Flight Memorial, to honor local MIA Tuskegee Airman F/O Leland “Sticky” Pennington.
On this day in aviation history, 91 years ago (August 8, 1934), the first non-stop flight from Canada to England was completed—marking not only a transatlantic milestone but also the first overseas flight from mainland Canada. The story began a year earlier, in 1933, when English aviation pioneers James Mollison and his wife, Amy Johnson, flew to Wasaga Beach, Ontario, in their de Havilland DH.84 Dragon Seafarer II. From there, they planned an ambitious flight to Baghdad, Iraq, in pursuit of a world distance record. Despite three attempts, unfavorable weather conditions forced them to turn back each time.
