Lakeland

by Lynn M. Homan and Thomas Reilly

Published 31 October 2001


Tuskegee Airmen

by Lynn M. Homan and Thomas Reilly

Published 1 November 1998

Key West

by Lynn M. Homan and Professor Thomas Reilly

Published 9 November 2000

Wings Over Florida

by Lynn M. Homan

Published 1 June 1999
Florida's contribution to aviation history cannot be underestimated. Wings over Florida chronicles the story of flying in the "Sunshine State," from the early pioneers in gliders and balloons, to the recent developments in the space program. The story of Florida in flight is even older than its statehood, with Colonel John Sherburne planning to use balloons as early as 1840 in the Second Seminole War. Not only was the first scheduled passenger airline (the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line) begun in Florida, but it is also home to the world's oldest international airline.

Many heroes and heroines of the air came from Florida. Even those who were not Floridians by birth spent time flying in the ideal conditions that Florida provided. Pioneers, such as Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Peter Sones, and Jacqueline Cochran, all took to the air over Florida.