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747-237
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 Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 12:41 am Post subject: 100 Years of Commercial Flight & World's First Airline |
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January 1, 2014 marks 100 Years of Commercial Flight, which stared right here in the Tampa Bay Area.
Centennial Celebrations of the World's First Airline, and First Flight Reenactment begin at 9AM, Wednesday, New Year’s Day, January 1, 2014 at the St. Petersburg History Museum.
Hopefully I'll be able to make it up there in the morning for the event. If I do, pics will be posted here. If not, then more details / watch it live at http://www.airlinecentennial.org
More info is also available here :
http://www.tampabay.com/topics/specials/centennial-jannus-first-commercial-flight.page
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sumantra
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| Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 8:30 am Post subject: Re: 100 Years of Commercial Flight & World's First Airli |
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| 747-237 wrote: | | Hopefully I'll be able to make it up there in the morning for the event. If I do, pics will be posted here |
We know you will  Thank you for keeping us abreast with the latest, the earliest, and the regular goings-on in aviation!
Cheers, Sumantra. |
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747-237
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| Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 10:22 pm Post subject: Re: 100 Years of Commercial Flight & World's First Airli |
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| sumantra wrote: |
We know you will Thank you for keeping us abreast with the latest, the earliest, and the regular goings-on in aviation!
Cheers, Sumantra. |
Thanks to your enthusiasm, I made the trip. It was rainy & cold in St. Petersburg, FL this morning, but I was glad to be there. Having been soaked in rain, I can be sure of catching a cold.
On a personal side note, my aviator father shared his birthday with that of the industry. Thanks to your motivation and this opportunity, I was able to mark both occasions in the best way possible.
Pictures to follow.
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sumantra
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| Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 10:44 pm Post subject: Re: 100 Years of Commercial Flight & World's First Airli |
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| 747-237 wrote: | | On a personal side note, my aviator father shared his birthday with that of the industry. |
Amazing, Sir - amazing...we really look forward to this sheer dedication to the hobby, and wow, are we AI.netters not lucky to have a person like you on the forum?
Thanks, Sumantra. |
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747-237
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| Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:11 am Post subject: Re: 100 Years of Commercial Flight & World's First Airli |
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| sumantra wrote: | and wow, are we AI.netters not lucky to have a person like you on the forum?
Thanks, Sumantra. |
Who do I make the check / cheque payable to ?
- One Man Show (Off)
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747-237
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| Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:17 am Post subject: |
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The view of the St. Petersburg pier and the bay area on a dull, overcast & cold new year's morning at about 0730; the event site. I even turned on my date imprint (which I usually refrain from) for the occasion.
Having lived in St. Petersburg, I am used to a much better view of this place.
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747-237
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| Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:30 am Post subject: |
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747-237
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| Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 5:17 am Post subject: |
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The 2013 replica of the original 1913 Benoist XIV Air Boat, the world's first true airliner.
She was to have flown today, but the builder / pilot (Kermit Weeks) was unable to get her airborne during test flights this past week. They planned to taxi her around the bay, but rain & winds put paid to that as well. She was put on static display.
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sumantra
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| Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 6:37 am Post subject: Re: 100 Years of Commercial Flight & World's First Airli |
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| 747-237 wrote: | | Who do I make the check / cheque payable to ? |
``There are some things money can't buy. For everything else, there is....a master-stroke'' Thanks for the lovely pictures. At what point did the organisers decide to cancel the taxi'ing around, and which bay was it? Was it at the starting point at St Petersberg, or was it at the final destination at Tampa bay? Second, has the plane flown before, and is it that the machine played truant only during the last week? Third, does the plane have an actual registration number, or was it the one in the original bird painted on here as well?
Thanks, Sumantra. |
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747-237
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| Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 7:14 am Post subject: Re: 100 Years of Commercial Flight & World's First Airli |
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| sumantra wrote: | | Thanks for the lovely pictures. |
You're welcome ... more to come.
| sumantra wrote: | | At what point did the organisers decide to cancel the taxi'ing around, and which bay was it? |
After the weather reports this morning. This was St. Petersburg Bay, which is a part of the greater Tampa Bay area.
| sumantra wrote: | | Was it at the starting point at St Petersberg, or was it at the final destination at Tampa bay? |
It was actually a round trip - from St. Petersburg to Tampa, and back ... just like the original route. I didn't stick around in the rain for the air boat to come back to St. Petersburg.
| sumantra wrote: | | Second, has the plane flown before, and is it that the machine played truant only during the last week? |
No, this one hasn't flown yet. Hence they had a substitute aircraft fly (more to come later with pics).
| sumantra wrote: | | Third, does the plane have an actual registration number, or was it the one in the original bird painted on here as well? |
Yes, this is the actual registration of this (the replica) particular bird (1913 for the year of the original plane), B for Benoist (the original builder of the original plane).
Here is a great report on the happenings of the day, from local newspaper, the Tampa Bay Times.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/from-st-petersburg-to-tampa-a-flight-of-the-human-spirit/2159235
My favorite part of the article is the last few lines
| Quote: | Hoffman's father also built the Benoist replica that hangs from the ceiling at the St. Petersburg history museum. Hoffman carried pictures of his father with him on Wednesday's trip and held up the soggy photos for the crowd afterward.
Did he ever consider not taking the flight in those conditions?
"It was like, what would my father do?" he said. "Dad would have gone." |
More pics coming soon ..........
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747-237
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| Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 7:19 am Post subject: |
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Historical actor Michael Norton, dressed as original pilot Tony Jannus.
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sumantra
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| Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 7:29 am Post subject: |
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Ah...that clears up quite a bit: I wish the weather at St Petersberg had cleared up, too! I'd love to see pictures of the substitute flying plane. I somehow seem to remember seeing a picture of this flight when I was quite young, hence my interest in the same. I have been to the Tampa bay area once (2008), but never to the Florida's Leningrad/Petrograd 
Cheers, Sumantra. |
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747-237
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| Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 7:42 am Post subject: |
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The substitute flying boat, the Hoffman X-4 Mullet Skiff (which is in itself a replica of a 1913 era airboat), built & flown by Eddie Hoffman Jr arrives.
First, she does a fly-by.
And then comes in for a smooth water landing.
There were dolphins in the waters of the bay, to greet her.
Eddie Hoffman taxiies his Mullet Skiff into the basin.
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sumantra
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| Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 9:53 am Post subject: |
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Really interesting! Wonderful to see your pictures of the flying boat which came in, and Dolphins being around, so close to the shore, in such a busy place!
Cheers, Sumantra. |
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Nimish
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| Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 4:29 pm Post subject: |
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Lovely pictures - and we are lucky to see this part of aviation history! I might be in the Tampa Bay area in April - will try and make a trip down to this place...
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747-237
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| Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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| sumantra wrote: | | and Dolphins being around, so close to the shore, in such a busy place! |
Yes, dolphins are a big part of the St. Petersburg bay and you can practically see them at the short line..
| Nimish wrote: | | I might be in the Tampa Bay area in April. |
Let me know.
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747-237
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| Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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One of the many news choppers covering the event.
And then .... comes the rain, sending people scurrying under the tent that housed the Benoist replica.
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747-237
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| Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 7:28 pm Post subject: |
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So in the rain the activities continue - a guard of honor by the US Civil Air Defense Patrol.
And speeches by the organizers, welcoming (what I think was marvelous), the descendants and families of the original pilot (Tony Jannus), the original aircraft builder (Benoist) and the original passenger (former mayor of St. Petersburg, Abram Pheil).
Of course, "Tony Jannus" (actor Michael Norton) has a few words to share and enthrall the crowd !
Eddie Hoffman, who will be flying his Mullet Skiff for the reenactment tells the crowd about how his father built and flew the replica of the Benoist Air Boat (which is now in the St. Petersburg Museum of History) from this very spot in 1984. Today, it's his turn.
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747-237
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| Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 12:53 am Post subject: |
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Eddie Hoffman gets on a boat to board the Mullet Skiff. It's not too often you get to see a pilot board an airplane using a boat.
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747-237
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| Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 6:50 am Post subject: |
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Finally, Hoffman taxiies his Mullet Skiff off to the edge of the basin ......
...... and begins his take off run ......
...... lifting off over the open bay
And so there you have it, folks ...... 100 years of Commercial Civil Aviation, and of the Airline Industry.
I was privileged to be a part of the Centennial ..... here's looking forward to the next 100 !
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747-237
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| Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 9:00 am Post subject: |
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News coverage of the event in today's (Jan 02) Tampa Bay Times (formerly the St. Petersburg Times, for over a century until 2012), just like they did a hundred years ago.
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sumantra
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| Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 10:24 am Post subject: |
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What a magnificent coverage of the event: I loved every bit of it. From the take-off in murky weather, to the newspaper articles. Thank you very much!
Cheers, Sumantra. |
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Nimish
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| Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 4:55 pm Post subject: |
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The shots of that amphibian take off were stunning even at this day and age, I can't imagine the kind of awe when it actually happened 100 years ago!
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HAWK21M
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| Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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Amazing pics
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747-237
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2014 5:57 am Post subject: |
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| sumantra wrote: | ...but never to the Florida's Leningrad/Petrograd
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Sumantra, I was back in St. Petersburg and thought you might like this FYI in relation to "Florida's Leningrad/Petrograd" ....
(no Aviation pun intended on "Landing", BTW).
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747-237
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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As part of the centennial, the St. Petersburg Museum of History is having an event later this month.
I received my "boarding card" invitation in the mail earlier this past week.
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sumantra
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 10:52 pm Post subject: |
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| 747-237 wrote: | | I received my "boarding card" invitation in the mail earlier this past week. |
Do you plan to attend it? The fees (as with most American `events') look quite steep (or is that just me?)
Cheers, Sumantra. |
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747-237
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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| sumantra wrote: | | Do you plan to attend it? The fees (as with most American `events') look quite steep (or is that just me?) |
No, it's not just you. It is ridiculously overpriced. I am not in town that weekend so I will not be attending regardless.
Interesting side note - you will see a National Airlines logo on the back of that "boarding pass". The "historic hangar 1" is where National Airlines started back in 1934, and the hangar has remained in operation since. Today it houses the offices of St. Pete Air. Here is a pic of the place.
On another interesting side note - the flying boat image on the front of that "boarding pass" is perhaps a Pan American one. The first international airline service in the US operated from Key West to Havana (rather than from St. Pete) in 1927. The original building that housed the Pan American office still stands in Key West. Here it is, as seen on my last visit to the Florida Keys. "Kelly's Bar & Grill" now operates out of the property - Kelly being Kelly McGillis, of "Top Gun" fame.
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Last edited by 747-237 on Mon Nov 03, 2014 6:54 am; edited 1 time in total |
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sumantra
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, these are indeed the Pan Am Clipper flying boats from Boeing. Thank you for the pictures of the hangar, and the Pan Am original office! My my...you are one history fan!
Cheers, Sumantra. |
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747-237
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| Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2024 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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110th Anniversary today; and 10 years of my post about the centenary.
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