Name/Title
Pilots James R. Ayling and Leonard Reid, Collage with SignatureEntry/Object ID
2020.435.1Scope and Content
Pilots James R. Ayling and Leonard Reid, Collage with SignatureContext
In early years, the beachfront at Wasaga Beach was not only a main roadway it was also a natural runway for airplanes. In 1933, Captain James Mollison and his wife Amy Johnson attempted to fly their plane, the Seafarer II, from Wasaga Beach to Bagdad, Iraq in an attempt to break the long distance record. On the day they attempted to take off from the beachfront, high crosswinds made it difficult to take off. On their third attempt, the undercarriage of the plane was damaged preventing any further attempt to take off. The Mollison's sold the Seafarer II to James Ayling and Leonard Reid who restored and renamed the plane “Trail of the Caribou”. Ayling and Reid also planned to attempt to break the record for the longest flight. On the morning of August 8th, 1934, Ayling and Reid took off from Wasaga Beach in the Trail of the Caribou and made it to England. They encountered heavy fog and winds and used more fuel than they had anticipated. Although they did not break the world record they made the first direct non-stop flight from Canada to England.
As noted in the caption included in the collage, the photos show James Ayling and Leonard Reid and the Trail of the Caribou on the beach at Wasaga Beach, August 8, 1934. Also included is a small piece of paper with the signature of James Ayling. It is not known if the signature is original.Acquisition
Accession
2020.435Source or Donor
UnknownAcquisition Method
Gift
