8 January 1914

Mrs. L. A. Whitney, wife of the Secretary of Commerce of St. Petersburg, FL, was the first female passenger on a regularly scheduled airline. On January 8, 1914 Mrs. Whitney flew from St. Petersburg to Tampa on the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line. Her flight was not without incident -- Pilot Tony Jannus was forced to land the aircraft on Tampa Bay some distance from land because of engine trouble, but he soon repaired it and successfully completed the flight.