Introduction to Flying

For the half-century after Cayley’s death, countless scientists, Petersburg across the waterway to Tampa. Benoist suggested flying enthusiasts, and inventors worked toward building using his “Safety First” airboat and the two men signed an a powered flying machine. Men, such as William Samuel agreement for what would become the first scheduled airline Henson, who designed a huge monoplane that was propelled in the United States. The first aircraft was delivered to St. by a steam engine housed inside the fuselage, and Otto Petersburg and made the first test flight on December 31, Lilienthal, who proved human flight in aircraft heavier than 1913. [Figure 1-4] air was practical, worked toward the dream of powered flight. A dream turned into reality by Wilbur and Orville Wright at A public auction decided who would win the honor of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903. becoming the first paying airline customer. The former mayor of St. Petersburg, A. C. Pheil, made the winning bid The bicycle-building Wright brothers of Dayton, Ohio, had of $400.00, which secured his place in history as the first experimented for 4 years with kites, their own homemade paying airline passenger. wind tunnel, and different engines to power their biplane. One of their great achievements in flight was proving the value of On January 1, 1914, the first scheduled airline flight was the scientific, rather than a build-it-and-see approach. Their conducted. The flight length was 21 miles and lasted 23 biplane, The Flyer, combined inspired design and engineering minutes due to a headwind. The return trip took 20 minutes. with superior craftsmanship. [Figure 1-3] By the afternoon The line, which was subsidized by Florida businessmen, of December 17th, the Wright brothers had flown a total of continued for 4 months and offered regular passage for $5.00 98 seconds on four flights. The age of flight had arrived. per person or $5.00 per 100 pounds of cargo. Shortly after the opening of the line, Benoist added a new airboat that afforded History of the Federal Aviation more protection from spray during takeoff and landing. Administration (FAA) The routes were also extended to Manatee, Bradenton, and Sarasota giving further credence to the idea of a profitable During the early years of manned flight, aviation was a commercial airline. free for all because no government body was in place to establish policies or regulate and enforce safety standards. The St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line continued throughout Individuals were free to conduct flights and operate aircraft the winter months with flights finally being suspended when with no government oversight. Most of the early flights were the winter tourist industry began to dry up. The airline conducted for sport. Aviation was expensive and became the operated for only 4 months, but 1,205 passengers were playground of the wealthy. Since these early airplanes were carried without injury. This experiment proved commercial small, many people doubted their commercial value. One passenger airline travel was viable. group of individuals believed otherwise and they became the genesis for modern airline travel. The advent of World War I offered the airplane a chance to demonstrate its varied capabilities. It began the war as a P. E. Fansler, a Florida businessman living in St. Petersburg, reconnaissance platform, but by 1918, airplanes were being approached Tom Benoist of the Benoist Aircraft Company in St. Louis, Missouri, about starting a flight route from St. Figure 1-4. Benoist airboat. Figure 1-3. First flight by the Wright brothers. 1-3