Flight One Gallery
Presented by
Flight One Gallery tells the story of how St. Petersburg became the birthplace of commercial air travel. On January 1, 1914, the world’s first regularly scheduled airline took off across Tampa Bay, connecting St. Petersburg and Tampa in a groundbreaking 23-minute flight. What began as a bold three-month experiment quickly made history, carrying more than 1,200 passengers and proving that air travel could be reliable, practical, and here to stay.
At the center of this story is aviation pioneer Thomas Benoist, whose aircraft made the service possible, and pilot Tony Jannus, who guided the first flight into the record books. Together with local businessman Percival Fansler, they launched the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line and helped usher in a new era of transportation.
The gallery’s centerpiece is a full-scale, working replica of the Benoist Model XIV flying boat, suspended overhead and capturing the imagination of visitors just as early flight once did. Surrounding it are artifacts, photographs, and interpretive displays that bring the story to life.
Sponsored in part by the Robert S. & Mildred M. Baynard Charitable Trust, the Flight One Gallery highlights a moment when innovation, risk, and vision came together, placing St. Petersburg at the very beginning of global commercial aviation.