| Thomas Wesley Benoist | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 December 1874 Irondale, Missouri |
| Died | 14 June 1917 |
| Cause of death | Trolley Accident |
| Relatives | Charles Benoist |
Thomas W. Benoist (1874–1917) was an American pilot who started the first scheduled aircraft service.[1]
In 1907 Benoist founded Aeronautic Supply Company (Aerosco) with his brother becoming the first aircraft parts distributor. Benoist's first flight was at the Kinloch Park Aero Club field in Kinloch, Missouri.[2]
Benoist founded the Benoist Aircraft Co. in St. Louis in 1908[3]
Benoist's first flight was 18 September 1910.[4] Later that year, Benoist started the Benoist Flying School employing pilot Tony Jannus.[5]
In 1912, Benoist had one of the leading aircraft companies in the world.[6]
In 1913, P.T. Fansler brought in Tom Benoist to start a service using his new airboats to create a service to connect the two cities that were a day's travel apart in 1913. A 3 month contract was signed with the St. Petersburg board of trade on 17 December 1913, subsidizing 50% of the costs for starting the airline. Benoist started the first scheduled airline service in the world with his SPT airboat line flying a Benoist Model XIV on 1 January 1914.[7]
Benoist Died in a streetcar accident in 1917 in Sandusky, Ohio when he was hit by a utility pole during a sharp turn.[8] His company stopped production shortly afterward.