Today in Aviation History: First Non-Stop Flight from Canada to England

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.

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.

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.