Canadian Wings

Lavishly illustrated and richly told, this stunning tribute to the pioneers of northern aviation and their daredevil feats puts Canadian achievements in their rightful place on the world stage. From the first, tentative flight of the Silver Dart in 1909 to the world-beating specifications of the Avro Arrow and Bombardier’s revolutionary q-series turboprops, Canada has produced more than its fair share of aerial innovation. The daring of its pilots, from the skies over war-torn Europe to treacherous landing fields on the Arctic tundra, has become a part of Canadian legend. Canadian Wings, drawing on the full resources of the Canada Aviation Museum, provides a full and copiously illustrated account of how powered flight developed in Canada. Vignettes and anecdotes bring famous Canadian flyers to life, from J.A.D. McCurdy and Alexander Graham Bell to the aces of World War I, from bush pilots “Wop” May and “Punch” Dickins to boardroom executives Grant McConachie, Gordon McGregor and Max Ward. Featuring paintings by Robert Bradford, cm, and photographs by Dan Patterson, this compelling history details how aviation helped to build, defend and explore this vast nation, and to project its image abroad.