The heat of the day begins early during a Florida summer. Students are off school and jumping right back into another lesson. Pilots hope their training is scheduled in the first hours of the morning before the heat settles over the ramp. Wait too long, and you’re either flying through the heat or watching afternoon thunderstorms roll in.
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You won’t forget the view on your first flight into Albert Whitted Airport. The water reflects the sky below you, and your eyes follow the Sunshine Skyway Bridge to the kiteboarders near Fort De Soto, then north along the beaches. Before long, the dome of Tropicana Field and the downtown high-rises come into view, guiding you back to Albert Whitted. No matter which runway you land on, your approach is over water and boats. Summer days are meant for the beach, but it’s worth seeing it all from above at least once.
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Just in time for hurricane season, Sol Relief’s annual Hurricane Relief Happy Hour fundraiser held at The Hangar Restaurant brought together pilots, friends, and supporters from across the airport community for a cause that becomes especially important this time of year.
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At Albert Whitted Airport, aviation programs are doing more than introducing young people to flight. Through Aerospace Day, Discovery Flights, and scholarships, Friends of Albert Whitted Airport is building a pipeline that guides students from their first aviation experience to careers in the industry.
One of the earliest entry points to the world of aviation in our city is Aerospace Day, a program designed for school-aged children. Throughout the day, students hear from astronauts, filmmakers, mechanics, pilots, and aviation professionals.
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Our City, Our Airport premiered last fall, and months later, the documentary continues to reach new audiences while gaining recognition throughout the aviation community.
Over the past two and a half years, Roundhouse Creative and Friends of Albert Whitted worked together to tell Albert Whitted Airport’s story.
Since its release, the film has continued spreading its message throughout St. Petersburg. With 21 screenings to-date, it has reached audiences beyond the aviation world. Showings at venues such as Green Light Cinema and St. Petersburg Museum of History have drawn strong community turnout, including more than 150 attendees at a single screening.
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Sun-soaked, satisfied, and with cameras full of photos, aviation enthusiasts have wrapped up SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo 2026. For six straight days at Lakeland Linder International Airport, fans were treated to nonstop airshows, vendors, and forums—capped off by a Thunderbirds performance on Sunday evening. With the expo over, let’s recap how the Albert Whitted Airport community showed up at SUN ‘n FUN.
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The City of St. Petersburg has wrapped months of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Task Force meetings, outlining how electric aircraft could soon be taking off and landing close to home.
eVTOLs, or electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, are not helicopters. They’re battery-powered, quieter, and designed for short, efficient trips. Built with simpler systems, they have the potential to lower training barriers and expand access to aviation. More importantly, they are designed for connectivity – short hops across the region, like St. Pete to Tampa or from downtown to the beaches.
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March is a month dedicated to celebrating women, including Women of Aviation Worldwide Week (WOAW). This is a great opportunity to recognize some of the women at Albert Whitted Airport who contribute to aviation in more ways than one.
The roar of the Grand Prix returned.
For three days, the streets of downtown St. Petersburg transformed into a racetrack, surrounded by fans and framed by water. In the days leading up to the weekend, concrete blockades locked into place, grandstands rose where traffic normally crawls, and luxury yachts lined the marina as sponsors, team owners, and corporate partners arrived for race week. Once again, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg reminded the country how this city opens the IndyCar Series.
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As we wrap up February and Valentine’s month, we wanted to take a minute to appreciate a love story that started right here at Albert Whitted Airport.
Long before Cheyenne and Ronald fell in love, the Methot family name was already a presence at Albert Whitted Airport. Humble beginnings, small circles, and a touch of kismet brought it all together. In the 1970s, Ronald’s father, Ron Methot, built his life at Albert Whitted — from pumping fuel to owning Bay Air Flight School and St. Pete Flying Service, the airport’s FBO. Even today, mention Albert Whitted around town, and someone is bound to say, “Oh, you know Ron? I took my first flying lesson at Bay Air!”
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