Tammie Jo Shults Joins First Airline Monument Project's Honorary Advisory Board

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Tammie Jo Shults, the heroic Southwest Pilot who successfully landed Southwest Flight 1380 earlier this year after the plane lost an engine and experienced uncontrolled decompression, has joined the Honorary Advisory Board of the First Airline Monument Project. Shults began her career in aviation by becoming one of the first female fighter pilots in the U.S. Navy before retiring to pursue a career as a commercial pilot.

"We welcome Tammie Jo Shults' support and advice in our journey to erect a monument commemorating the first commercial airline, which took off from St. Petersburg, a little over 100 years ago," said Will Michaels, President of Flight 2014. "Tammie Jo Shults is a pilot in the best tradition of pioneer flyer Tony Jannus who was the chief pilot for the world's first airline which flew from St. Petersburg to Tampa, in 1914. That airline was the beginning of today's multi-billion dollar commercial aviation industry."    

The First Airline Monument Project has raised approximately $290 thousand from private donors towards financing a destination monument commemorating the first airline. Some notable donors to the project to date include Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Airlines for America, the International Air Transport Association, the Airlines Reporting Corporation and the Abe Pheil Family of St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg Mayor Abe Pheil was the first passenger on the first airline.

About The First Airline Monument Project
The First Airline Monument Project is sponsored by Flight 2014, Inc. Flight 2014 was organized to celebrate the Centennial of the First Airline in 2014. Flight 2014 is composed of a number of aviation-related organizations in Tampa Bay. More information may be obtained from the Flight 2014 website at http://www.airlinecentennial.org.

SOURCE First Airline Monument Project