Woman Books Flight, Makes History

This being an anniversary issue, we’ve got one more to mention. This year marks the first time a woman took a scheduled flight, 110 years ago, right here in St. Pete. Sound easy? Take a look at that plane and spare a thought for how daring she truly was. The local news seemed to think so. 

Woman Will Fly with Jannus on Trip to Tampa. That was the headline in the paper on January 2, 1914. The article went on to report: “Miss Mae Peabody, of Dubuque, Iowa, will be the first woman to take a trip in an aeroplane on a regular run between two cities and will be the first passenger on the first regular trip of the St. Petersburg-Tampa All-air route. Miss Peabody will go to Tampa and return with Tony Jannus in the airboat Benoist on its regular run tomorrow morning. She arranged the trip with P. E. Fansler, manager of the company’s boat line.”

Peabody was described, unsurprisingly, as a “wealthy woman” from Iowa, “the guest of Mrs. Lew B. Brown.” While she was no stranger to Florida, it was her first trip to St. Petersburg, and upon hearing about Jannus’ airline, she leapt at the opportunity to ride in the open cockpit for what must have been the ride of a lifetime in 1914.  

“She is very much pleased with the Sunshine City,” the report continued. “She has been anxious to take a ride to Tampa in the airboat ever since she heard of the line being started and this morning bought her ticket for the first regular run.”

 Happy anniversary, Miss Mae Peabody. We celebrate your sense of adventure!