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HISTORIC DISTRICT

1905-1920

Miami’s early Air & Sea spectacles

Speed on water and daring in the skies are put on display in Miami

Long before Miami’s All-American Air Maneuvers (1929-1952) attracted thousands of aviation enthusiasts to Miami every winter, Miami was thrilling winter crowds with regattas that combined speed on water with daring in the skies.

Two vintage aircraft in flight over a body of water, with buildings in the background.
Richard B. Hoit photo, courtesy UM Richter Library digital collections. Reverse side of photo reads “Curtiss F. Boat & Curtiss ‘Jenny.’ Harold Kantner, pilot. Phil Rader, pilot. Hoit in plane with movy [sic] camera shooting at Regatta #1, Miami Beach, Fla. March 1916. Belle Isle, Miami Beach homes.”
A vintage black and white photograph of a seaplane flying above the water, with a boat in the foreground and a tree line in the background.
Speedboat versus seaplane race at one of the early annual regattas (image courtesy Nixon Smiley, “Yesterday’s Miami”).

The first winter regattas (1914-1916)

The city’s first major winter regatta, celebrating Biscayne Bay’s boating culture, was held in 1914 and seasonally thereafter. By 1917, due largely to the promotional efforts of Glenn Curtiss and instructors from his flying school, aircraft had joined the fun. Newspapers reported that “aeroplanes racing with each other in the ethereal blue and motorboats racing in the aquatic blue will form a combination attraction most unique.”

Curtiss pilots take to the air

Visitors could watch hydroplanes, Curtiss flying boats, and daring Curtiss pilots like Phil Rader and Roger Jannus performing loops, stunts, and altitude feats—sometimes reaching over 8,000 feet. An estimated crowd of over 5,000 lined the shores and filled yachts, cheering as water and air records were broken.

Aviation as attraction and opportunity

These early “Air & Sea” shows weren’t just thrilling—they helped showcase aircraft as more than experimental novelties. They filled the gap between the early days of flight and the era of scheduled Air Mail and passenger transport, enhancing Miami’s image as a city where aviation could grow.

At left: The program for the February 1917 Regatta. Clipping courtesy Miami News, February 14, 1917.

Vintage advertisement for Sewell Brothers offering sport coats, neckwear, flannel trousers, and sport hats with prices ranging from 50 cents to $25.
Local shops catered to the public’s interest in putting a best foot forward for these “see and be seen” events.
Miami Herald, February 15, 1917

Bigger crowds, bigger stakes (1920’s)

By 1924, attendance had grown to over 30,000. In addition to a Miami Chamber of Commerce race open to civilians and private aircraft operators (with a First Prize of $500), it featured a Curtiss Marine trophy race, a Flamingo handicap trophy race and last but definitely not least a Royal Palm bombing contest, where Army and Navy fliers vied to see who could most accurately drop bombs on a hypothetical battleship by making four passes over the target within a ten minute time frame.

Image of two aviators from the Miami Air Races: on the left, Lieutenant V. F. Grant in a VE7H aircraft, and on the right, Harry Rogers in a Curtis Seagull aircraft.
The 1924 meet drew an estimated 30,000 spectators. Harry Rogers (at right), a popular member of Miami’s early aviation fraternity, was the winner of the Miami Chamber of Commerce Trophy for the civilian free-for-all race (all privately owned aircraft). Chalk’s Flying Service founder, Arthur Chalk, not pictured here, came in 5th place in the same race. Photo courtesy Aviation Week archives, March 1924.
A collage depicting thrilling moments at a hydroplane event, featuring boats on the water and aircraft in the sky.
More images from the Miami Regatta and Air Races, March 1924. That year, the event was held off Miami Beach. A station was set up for judges in the tower of the Flamingo Hotel. As the Herald reported the following day, “From the opening bomb at 12:30 o’clock yesterday afternoon, until the climax and end of the meet at 5:30 o’clock events crowded conveniently one after the other, and it was with difficulty that the spectators summarized the sights of the day.” Image courtesy Miami Herald, March 9, 1924.

From Regattas to the Air Maneuvers

In the late 1920s, the annual Regatta and Air Race was replaced by the All-American Air Maneuvers, which took advantage of Miami’s new airport facilities in Opa Locka. But the regattas had already carved out a special place in the city’s history—proving that Miami was ready to soar, on water and in the air.

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