The Duluth Aviation Institute’s replica of the world’s first “commercial” airplane, The Lark of Duluth, is being featured at EAA AirVenture 2014 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. From July 28t-Aug. 3, more than 500,000 visitors will witness history as it was when commercial aviation began in 1914. The Lark of Duluth Benoist Type XIV Flying Boat will be featured in front of the Vintage Red Barn the entire week.
Duluth Aviation Institute’s Board of Trustees President Sandra Ettestad, stated, “2014 marks the 100 year anniversary of commercial aviation. It is fitting that exactly 100 years later the replica of the world’s first commercial airplane, The Lark of Duluth, will remind us of how primitive aircraft of that era were and yet how profound the vision of aviation pioneers was to set a course for the future.”
The Duluth Aviation Institute’s Lark of Duluth was five and a half years in the making, under the leadership of Duluth’s aviation craftsman, Mark Marino, with volunteer labor contributions from fellow Institute trustees and local Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) members.
The original Lark of Duluth was owned by two visionary Duluthians, Julius Barnes and W. D. Jones, who foresaw the advantages aviation could offer to the evolution of society and economic development. The original “Lark” made the historic first commercial flight with one paying passenger, across Tampa Bay, from St. Petersburg to Tampa, Florida, on Jan. 1, 1914.
Paul D. Young says
“The Lark of Duluth, will remind us of how primitive aircraft of that era were”
Poor writing which connotes a rather smug superior attitude. It was NOT primitive to people of that era, just the opposite, as it represented a giant leap forward in aviation and transportation systems. The word “comparatively” should have been inserted prior to the word “primitive” because it is obviously primitive when compared to the advancements made in aviation technology 100 years hence.