"first flight" and "top flight"

[Sam Clements]

I presume that the American slang expression  "top flight" to mean "the best" comes from the British "first flight."

The OED cites from 1852 two things in connection with "first flight"

d. colloq. in the first flight: in the van, taking a leading place. 
1852 SMEDLEY L. Arundel xxxix, Fellows..that you're safe to find in the first flight. 1893 SIR G. CHESNEY Lesters III. II. xxi. 15 While his sisters..had all been in the first flight, he had come up with the ruck

and 

c. A set of rails or hurdles. [Possibly a distinct word, repr. OE. fleohta, = Ger. flechte hurdle.] 
1852 R. S. SURTEES Sponge's Sp. Tour lxviii, Eyeing Mr. Sponge clearing a stiff flight of rails. 1865 Pall Mall G. 9 Feb. 3 Some..would as lief have led a forlorn-hope as put a horse at a flight of hurdles. 1894 Daily News 14 Dec. 8/1 Rylstone started in strong demand for the Handicap Hurdle, but he died away at the last flight.

Surely there must me some earlier cites and a better explanation for this.
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The American "top flight" meaning the same is cited in MW11 from only 1939.

N'Archive has a cite from 1908 for the US "top flight"

12 July 1908.  The Galveston(TX) Daily News,  11/2

[talking about tennis players]

"Few of the top flight are under 30."

Sam Clements

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