Documentary chronicles aviation in SW Florida

Some of aviation's greatest achievements have ties to Southwest Florida. Know what they are? Well, you'll have to tune in to WGCU TV Friday, Nov. 30 at 8:30 p.m. for "Barnstormers to Blue Angels," the documentary's writer and producer won't tell.

"I want everyone to watch," said Libby Boren McMillan, a popular travel and features writer who spent two months researching and writing the history of civilian aviation in Southwest Florida.

Prodding couldn't convince McMillan to even hint at what the news was. She would only offer a tease; "One of the most significant events in aviation history has ties to our area."

The half-hour documentary is part of WGCU's "Untold Stories" series that chronicles the history of Lee, Charlotte and Collier counties.

One of the significant aviation events happened just north of Southwest Florida in St. Petersburg, McMillan said. It was 1914 when pilot Tony Janus took off in a Benoist Flying Boat and flew the first scheduled air route in the U.S., to neighboring Tampa.

But there's lots more, said McMillan, who has a communications degree in radio, TV and film from the University of Texas.

COURTESY PHOTO Libby Boren McMillan wrote and produced "Barnstormers to Blue Angles" for WGCU "There were some big surprises in how Southwest Florida affected aviation," she said. "Some of aviation's luminaries are tied to this area, such as Henry Ford."

Ford, a part-time Fort Myers resident, entered the aviation business during World War I, building Liberty engines. He also developed the first successful U.S. passenger airliner in 1926 with the production of the Ford 4AT Trimotor. Called the "Tin Goose" because of its corrugated metal exterior, Ford built about 200 Trimotors before discontinuing the program in 1933.

The documentary highlights the area's contributions to civilian aviation over the past 100 years, McMillan said, yet steers away from military air events. She used a variety of resources to complete the "Untold Story" including the Southwest Florida Museum of History, the National Air & Space Museum and the Truman Library.

"It gave us a chance to show off the accomplishments of the area," she said.

Other programs in the "Untold Stories" series produced by WGCU include: "The Fishfolk of Southwest Florida," "Cape Coral: Dreamers and Schemers," and the "History of Florida's Cattle Industry."