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FIRST PASSENGER REACHES WELLAND BY AIR PLANE
Capt. Reilly Makes Trip From Aviation Camp at Beamsville
Machine Landed in a Buckwheat Field North of Billings & Spencer Plant
[Welland Telegraph, 7 August 1918]
Capt. J.R. Reilly, though he had already some records to his credit, made a new one on Saturday when he came to Welland from the aviation camp at Beamsville by airplane. Capt. Reilly is the first passenger ever landed at Welland from the air (exclusive of course, of these small passengers brought by the stork).
Inspector Godfrey, who is in active service, felled a number of Hun planes and two observation balloons, was in charge of the machine. They rose 500 feet above the Beamsville camp and were then able to see the smoke cloud of Welland twenty miles away. The highest altitude they reached was 3000 feet, from which vantage point they could see Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and the shining waters pouring over Niagara Falls.
Reaching Welland, difficulty was found in getting a place to land. Ball’s farm, northwest of the city was tried, but did not present a favorable spot. The aviators next hovered over the fair ground, but so many poles are on the grounds that they thought it best not to risk a landing.
Finally they found an area on the White farm, north of Billings-Spencer plant. They came down in a nice soft field of buckwheat.
Capt. Reilly got out and later Instructor Godfrey rose to the heavens and made a bee-line for Beamsville.
In the days when we all travel by airplane, and when out mail, express and freight are brought that way, we must remember that Capt. Reilly was the first passenger of the skies to reach this city.
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