The Silver Dart on Baddeck Bay, February 1909. with JAD McCurdy at the controls (Library of Congress) On March 23, 1909, one month after the first powered flight in Canada, JAD McCurdy stood before a hometown crowd and described the nation’s earliest experiments with powered flight.   This speech is in McCurdy’s own words and gives us a unique first-hand view of the Aerial Experiment Association’s work as they explored manned flight. It is full of his own personal experiences