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THE BRIEFING: News of Aviation, ALPA And Airline Pilots [[image - photograph]] ENJOYING STORIES by Igor Sikorski (center) at the Golden Anniversary celebration of the first scheduled airline flight are Ed Thackray, Trans Canada, and Mrs. Thackray. [[image - photograph]] DICK MERRILL, W.G Wood, Trans Canada, and Lt. Colonel John A. Powers, the voice of the astronauts, talk over the day's activities. Celebration Commemorates First Scheduled Airline Flight By Harold Gettins Just fifty years ago on January 1, Tony Jannus made the first scheduled airline flight from St. Petersburg to Tampa in a Benoist flying boat with the Mayor of St. Pete as his passenger. His Honor paid on auction as the highest bidder 400 dollars for the privilege of being the first paying passenger on a scheduled flight, which even in these days would be considered a lot of money for the fifteen minute hop. On the Golden Anniversary of this auspicious occasion the air transportation industry paid homage to this courageous individual. The chambers of commerce of these two cities along with the Florida development commission financed the building of a replica of the Benoist which would reenact this historic first flight. However, the gremlins of which the airline industry have long been cognizant, not wanting to be left out of the celebration sent some of their best agents for the occasion and prevented the Benoist from flying, according to Dick Merrill, who was standing by ready at any time to take her up. The F.A.A never gave him the nod. Dick as everyone knows is not one to be put off, so he swiped a Lake airboat, tucked in Herman Goldner, Mayor of St. Petersburg, and made the commemorative run to the delight of all the dignitaries and thousands of spectators assembled in both cities to witness the event. A banquet was held in Tampa in the evening attended by all of the top brass of the industry, at which Lt. Colonel John A. (Shorty) Powers, the voice of the astronauts, was the main speaker. Powers took his audience on an imaginary trip to the moon with a vivid description of each step and phase required to meet this goal. The Tony Jannus Award, which is to be awarded annually to the person who in the opinion of the judges has made outstanding contributions to scheduled airline service, was given to Senator Mike Monroney by Air Transport Association President Stuart Tipton, who termed Tampa to be the birthplace of scheduled commercial aviation. Monroney told of aviation's plans for the future of supersonic transportation that will beat the sun around the globe, saying, "you ain't seen nothing yet." Of all the Quiet Birdmen attending this gathering perhaps the quietest one of all was a kindly 75-year-old man standing near a display of early P.A.A. flying boat models. The identification card on his lapel read Igor Sikorsky. He obligingly posed for the pictures with almost all of the giants of the industry and governmental officials and accepted their praise and good wishes benignly. [[image - photograph]] BENOIST REPLICA pictured in the hangar where mechanics work on getting ready for the air. PAGE 18
