The first commercial flight in history took place on January 1, 1914, when Tony Jannus piloted a two-seat Benoist XIV from St. Petersburg, Florida, to Tampa, Florida. Jannus and his lone passenger, former St. Petersburg mayor Abram Pheil, traveled 21 miles in 23 minutes. Pheil bid $400 to be the passenger.
100 years of commercial air travel —
The first commercial flight in history took place on January 1, 1914, when Tony Jannus piloted a two-seat Benoist XIV from St. Petersburg, Florida, to Tampa, Florida. Jannus and his lone passenger, former St. Petersburg mayor Abram Pheil, traveled 21 miles in 23 minutes. Pheil bid $400 to be the passenger.
floridamemory.com
Later in 1914, American pilot Lawrence Sperry demonstrated an automatic gyrostabilizer in Hammondsport, New York. This device would keep aircraft level and traveling in a straight line without aid from a pilot.
100 years of commercial air travel —
Later in 1914, American pilot Lawrence Sperry demonstrated an automatic gyrostabilizer in Hammondsport, New York. This device would keep aircraft level and traveling in a straight line without aid from a pilot.
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Two years after Sperry demonstrated the automatic gyrostabilizer, his father, Elmer, added a steering mechanism to produce the first "automatic pilot."
100 years of commercial air travel —
Two years after Sperry demonstrated the automatic gyrostabilizer, his father, Elmer, added a steering mechanism to produce the first "automatic pilot."
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The Handley Page Pullman was a British-built passenger plane designed to compete with other London-to-Paris luxury services. A similar Handley Page plane, the HP-16, crashed December 14, 1920, just after taking off from London. Four of the eight people on board were killed in what is believed to be one of the first known crashes involving a commercial passenger plane.
100 years of commercial air travel —
The Handley Page Pullman was a British-built passenger plane designed to compete with other London-to-Paris luxury services. A similar Handley Page plane, the HP-16, crashed December 14, 1920, just after taking off from London. Four of the eight people on board were killed in what is believed to be one of the first known crashes involving a commercial passenger plane.
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In 1922, Aeromarine Airways established the first airline ticketing office in the United States.
100 years of commercial air travel —
In 1922, Aeromarine Airways established the first airline ticketing office in the United States.
Wings of America
From left, U.S. aviators Henry Ogden, Leigh Wade, Erick Nelson, John Harding, P. Leslie Arnold and Lowell H. Smith worked together to make the first flight around the world. The tour of planes started in Seattle on April 6, 1924, and arrived back September 28 that year.
100 years of commercial air travel —
From left, U.S. aviators Henry Ogden, Leigh Wade, Erick Nelson, John Harding, P. Leslie Arnold and Lowell H. Smith worked together to make the first flight around the world. The tour of planes started in Seattle on April 6, 1924, and arrived back September 28 that year.
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On September 15, 1926, the first flight landed at Candler Field, which would later become Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Hartsfield-Jackson is now the world's busiest airport.
100 years of commercial air travel —
On September 15, 1926, the first flight landed at Candler Field, which would later become Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Hartsfield-Jackson is now the world's busiest airport.
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The Spirit of St. Louis is surrounded by spectators after its pilot, Charles Lindbergh, completed his historic trans-Atlantic flight in May 1927. Lindbergh flew nonstop from Long Island, New York, to Paris.
100 years of commercial air travel —
The Spirit of St. Louis is surrounded by spectators after its pilot, Charles Lindbergh, completed his historic trans-Atlantic flight in May 1927. Lindbergh flew nonstop from Long Island, New York, to Paris.
AP
In 1933, passengers fly on the first modern commercial airliner, a Boeing 247. The twin-engine plane could carry 10 passengers, and its top speed was 200 mph.
100 years of commercial air travel —
In 1933, passengers fly on the first modern commercial airliner, a Boeing 247. The twin-engine plane could carry 10 passengers, and its top speed was 200 mph.
United Airlines/AP
After a 3,728-mile flight from Berlin, a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor lands August 11, 1938, at Floyd Bennett Field in New York City. The plane, developed by a German manufacturer and flown by Lufthansa, was making the first nonstop trans-Atlantic commercial flight.
100 years of commercial air travel —
After a 3,728-mile flight from Berlin, a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor lands August 11, 1938, at Floyd Bennett Field in New York City. The plane, developed by a German manufacturer and flown by Lufthansa, was making the first nonstop trans-Atlantic commercial flight.
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The Concorde, a supersonic jetliner, takes its first flight on March 2, 1969. Twenty Concordes were built between 1966 and 1979. All were retired in 2003.
100 years of commercial air travel —
The Concorde, a supersonic jetliner, takes its first flight on March 2, 1969. Twenty Concordes were built between 1966 and 1979. All were retired in 2003.
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In 1973, Emily Warner became the first female pilot hired by a U.S. airline.
100 years of commercial air travel —
In 1973, Emily Warner became the first female pilot hired by a U.S. airline.
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A Boeing 747, similar to the one pictured, set the Guinness World Record for most passengers on an aircraft when an El Al Airlines plane carried 1,088 Ethiopian Jews from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Israel on May 24, 1991. Two babies were born on the flight.
100 years of commercial air travel —
A Boeing 747, similar to the one pictured, set the Guinness World Record for most passengers on an aircraft when an El Al Airlines plane carried 1,088 Ethiopian Jews from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Israel on May 24, 1991. Two babies were born on the flight.
Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images
A US Airways airplane, center, is flanked by American Airlines jets at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on February 14, 2013. The two airlines merged in December 2013 to create the world's largest airline.
100 years of commercial air travel —
A US Airways airplane, center, is flanked by American Airlines jets at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on February 14, 2013. The two airlines merged in December 2013 to create the world's largest airline.
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