Miami Into the Wild Blue

There is a famous scene in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" that, to me, captures the excitement, energy, and adventure that aviation has come to define for Greater Miami: From a unique geographical location, the ability to fly to exotic destinations for business, adventure and, in many cases, fortune.

As you will remember, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is given the task of finding the Lost Ark of Antiquity. He departs, not from a major airport, but from the water on a Pan Am World Clipper. The plane is filled with businessmen, spies, and various ne’erdo-wells, all wealthy individuals because, at the time, flying (in the late 1930s and early 1940s) was not yet mainstream.

My first thought was, good Lord, this could be Dinner Key in Miami. It looked identical. I have come to think of that scene as a metaphor for what Miami was and has become due to the aviation industry: An amazing challenge filled with intrigue, danger, awe, and huge reward.

Aviation and Miami are close relatives. Those who pioneered modern-day aviation as an industry have Miami roots and displayed the same qualities we write about in each issue of Global Miami: innovators willing to take risks. Their efforts worked with the ultimate result being present-day Miami International Airport, which traces its origins back to the birth of modern-day aviation in early part of the 20th century.

Then, like now, the city fathers knew how to promote. The “A” list of famous aviation folks enlisted to champion Miami included: Glen Curtiss, The Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, and Eddie Rickenbacker, to name just a few. They would perform at “Air Meets,” the first of which was produced by Everst G. Sewell, who was president of the Merchants Association in 1911 and later became mayor of Miami. Thousands would show up in open fields to get a glimpse of a plane, a famous pilot, an amazing woman aviator, and, of course, the brothers who created the first flying machines. Some even bought $100 tickets for a 15-minute ride.

Miami International Airport got its start a few years later, when Pan Am shifted operations from Key West (for flights to Cuba – we were international even then!) to Miami, purchasing 116 acres in Miami Springs. Pan Am Field, as it was called, started operations in 1928 with the first modern passenger airport in the U.S., complete with terminal building, two runways, and two hangers. In the early 1930s, Pan Am sold the facility to the city, and moved its operations to Dinner Key. There it used the Pan Am Clipper seaplanes featured in Indiana Jones.

Eventually Pan Am stopped flying from Dinner Key, which became Miami’s City Hall. It returned to Pan Am Field, which became Miami’s 36th Street Airport in 1932, and Miami International Airport in 1948. The rest, as they say, is history.

In this issue, we look at the current state of aviation at MIA, as well as the world of private aviation that caters to the global business community. As an economic driver, the airport remains critical, creating jobs, spurring investment, and securing our economic future. Without it, Miami would not be a global city.

PUBLISHER

Richard Roffman

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

J.P. Faber

SENIOR VP INTERNATIONAL

Manny Mencia

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Monica Del Carpio-Raucci

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Gail Feldman

DIRECTOR, SALES AND PARTNERSHIPS

Sherry Adams

Amy Donner

Gail Scott

MANAGING EDITOR

Kylie Wang

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Yousra Benkirane

WRITERS

Doreen Hemlock

Joe Mann

Katelin Stecz

Harriet Mays Powell

Natalia Clement

Amy Poliakoff

ART DIRECTOR

Jon Braeley

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Rodolfo Benitez

Tiege Dolly

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Toni Kirkland

CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTION

CircIntel

BOARD OF ADVISORS

Ivan Barrios, World Trade Center Miami

Ralph Cutié, Miami International Airport

Gary Goldfarb, Interport

Bill Johnson, Strategic Economic Forum

David Schwartz, FIBA

Bill Talbot, Beacon Council

EDITORIAL BOARD

Alice Ancona, World Trade Center Miami

Greg Chin, Miami International Airport

Paul Griebel, World Strategic Forum

Jerry Haar, Florida International University

James Kohnstamm, Beacon Council

John Price, Americas Market Intelligence

TJ Villamil, Enterprise Florida

RICHARD ROFFMAN PUBLISHER GLOBAL MIAMI MAGAZINE

Global Miami Magazine is published monthly by Global Cities Media, LLC. 1200 Anastasia Ave., Suite 217, Coral Gables, FL 33134. Telephone: (305) 452-0501. Copyright 2023 by Global Cities Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photograph, or illustration without o\prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Send address changes to subscriptions@ globalmiamimagazine.com. General mailbox email and letters to editor@globalmiamimagazine.com