Albert Whitted Airport documentary showcases St. Pete legacy
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"Our City, Our Airport" chronicles the history of Albert Whitted Airport on the St. Petersburg waterfront. Photos: Courtesy of Friends of Albert Whitted Airport
St. Petersburg's Albert Whitted Airport and its nearly 100-year history take the spotlight in a new documentary premiering this week.
Why it matters: "It's such a public place, downtown in a metro city," says a voiceover in a preview for "Our City, Our Airport."
- "But so many people don't even know it's here, or they pass by and they don't know what goes on here."
State of play: The documentary by St. Pete-based Roundhouse Creative has been 2.5 years in the making, Friends of Albert Whitted Airport president Walt Driggers told reporters during a preview event last week.
- It premieres tomorrow night in a sold-out screening at the Palladium Theater. Another screening is scheduled for Wednesday.
The big picture: The 1.5-hour flick was built on interviews with 95 people, including Mayor Ken Welch and several of his predecessors. It covers four phases, Driggers said:
- The airport's early flights and the development of the hospitality industry in St. Pete;
- the airport's shift to a military air base in World War II and the city's post-war population boom;
- the present-day growth of the airport and how it has helped draw new developments such as 400 Central and the Waldorf Astoria Residences;
- and its role in emerging aviation technology, such as electric-powered aircraft.
Between the lines: The film also covers moments of turbulence for the airport, Driggers said, including efforts to develop the waterfront land into something else.
- That was Welch's goal when he first took over as mayor, but he's abandoned plans to study alternate uses primarily because of its utility in disaster recovery, the Tampa Bay Times previously reported.
- He noted that, should a storm wash out the bridges to Pinellas County, the airport could be a fly-in site for supplies and recovery resources.
Fun fact: St. Pete is known as the birthplace of commercial aviation because the first commercial flight took off from the waterfront on New Year's Day 1914.
- With thousands gathered to watch, pilot Tony Jannus successfully navigated across the bay and landed near the mouth of the Hillsborough River in Tampa.
- The journey took 23 minutes.
What they're saying: "Our goal with this documentary is to really take viewers on a journey," Roundhouse filmmaker Andrew Lee said.
- The narrative covers not only the history, Lee said, but "the many ways that this little airport has a really surprising impact on everyday life in St. Petersburg."