Benoist Flying Boat Replica being built.

Holedigger · **Posted:** Wed Jan 06, 2010 3:29 pm

Saw in a recent article that Fantasy of Flight/Kermit Weeks has committed to building a Benoist Flying Boat replica to help commemorate the 100th anniversary of Commercial Flight. Regular service started in 1914 between Tampa and St Petersburg. Will be watching this for developments and will pass along info as I see, hear or read it. A group built one for the 75th anniversary and flew it. That one is in a museum in St Pete now. I'll post a pic when I can dig one out.

Pogo · **Posted:** Wed Jan 06, 2010 7:41 pm

So how do you pronounce 'Benoist'...? I'm serious. :rolleyes:

airknocker · **Posted:** Wed Jan 06, 2010 7:49 pm

Ben-wah or Ben-weest

Pogo · **Posted:** Wed Jan 06, 2010 8:11 pm

Thanks. Same as 'Benoit' then?

Dang, no wonder people rag on the French. I once had a Cajun tell me "the name's BRO, spelled just like it sounds". Check, B-r-e-a-u-x.

Holedigger · **Posted:** Wed Jan 06, 2010 8:26 pm

When I have heard it around here, I believe the most common pronunciation has been Ben-O-Wist, then again, I have heard several slaughtered versions as well. If I catch the curator down at the museum, I will check with him.

airknocker · **Posted:** Wed Jan 06, 2010 11:35 pm

Well, being of Irish/German descent the only French I understand is the kiss!

Pogo · **Posted:** Thu Jan 07, 2010 10:26 am

Roger the German/Irish heritage. I'm still chuckling at Holedigger saying "several slaughtered versions" ..... that was pretty funny, especially since we 7th generation Texans mangle our very own German name. It's Maurer, German for Mason, and the way we pronounce it rhymes with 'power'. But in Germany it's more like "mawd-druh", with a roll of the tongue in the middle I couldn't make happen if I were sweating it out at gunpoint. At any rate, I'm glad to see a bit of interest in this, I'm always wanting to ask how names are pronounced.

Holedigger · **Posted:** Thu Jan 07, 2010 10:30 am

Here are a couple snapshots of the existing replica in the Historical Museum St Petersburg, it was built and flown for the 75th anniversary. Please excuse the quality, it was dark and my camera phone just doesn't do it justice!

astixjr · **Posted:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 1:17 am

There are still quite a few members of the Benoist family here in St. Louis. As far as I know, they pronounce it "Ben-wah". I think he would have gone on to design some significant aircraft had he not died so young. Not long after the flying boat airline shut down, he leaned out of a street car as it was going around a corner and got bonked on the head by a pole or a sign or something. I think by that time Benoist was in Ohio or Indiana. I've heard that the original certificate for the Tampa-St. Petersburg airline route is actually a steamship certificate with the words steamship crossed out and the words airline written in. I'm not sure if that's a true story but I've heard it from a few people and read about it in "City of Flight" by James Horgan. This sounds like a cool project, I hope Kermit can make this happen.

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 9:07 am

astixjr wrote:

There are still quite a few members of the Benoist family here in St. Louis. As far as I know, they pronounce it "Ben-wah". I think he would have gone on to design some significant aircraft had he not died so young. Not long after the flying boat airline shut down, he leaned out of a street car as it was going around a corner and got bonked on the head by a pole or a sign or something. I think by that time Benoist was in Ohio or Indiana. I've heard that the original certificate for the Tampa-St. Petersburg airline route is actually a steamship certificate with the words steamship crossed out and the words airline written in. I'm not sure if that's a true story but I've heard it from a few people and read about it in "City of Flight" by James Horgan. This sounds like a cool project, I hope Kermit can make this happen.

We lived in Tampa when the "ben-wah" was being build for the 75th, we would go to the hangar all the time to check out there progress. What a piece of work. I was only 10 at the time and I remember seeing the chain drive system for the prop and going "no way would I ride in that!!!"

Holedigger · **Posted:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 10:18 am

I know we used to have one of the folks from FoF post in once in a while. That would make for a very interesting thread to follow along (if permitted). I think it was Paul Stecewycz. On a related note, FoF was going to fly their Stinson tri-motor over to St Pete for New Years, after getting her ready to make the trip, weather foiled the plan. The Stinson Tri-motors were regulars at Albert Whitted Field, St Pete back in the day. National Airline IIRC. Watching for news of the new flight schedule. THAT I want to see!

Holedigger · **Posted:** Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:31 am

A good News Article talking about the planning for the Centennial Celebration of commercial flight, Kermits comments on it, and the history behind it.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/a ... ht/1062355

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