On January 1, 1914, a dashing young pilot flew St. Petersburg into history. Using the Central Basin as a runway, and cheered on by 3,000 spectators and international media, Tony Jannus lifted the Benoist XIV airboat into the sky at 10 am and turned towards Tampa. With former mayor A.C. Pheil as his passenger, the inaugural flight of the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line became the world’s first commercial airline flight. The world’s first airline was the brainchild of Florida businessman Percival Fansler who came up with the plan of flying people and cargo, from point to point, on a set schedule similar to that of a railroad. The flight covered the distance across Tampa Bay in 22 minutes. Without bridges connecting the two cities, the trip would take 7-9 hours by automobile and 6-8 hours by train. A working replica of the Benoist hangs in the St. Pete Museum of History’s Flight One Gallery, dedicated to the city’s role in the birth of aviation.
This historical image of St. Petersburg, and many more, are available in the Museum’s archives. For more information, visit HistoryStPete.org.
