Author Archives: Kartik Krishnaiyer
Farewell AirTran
AirTran Airways which prior to its 2011 purchase by Dallas-based Southwest Airlines was headquartered in Orlando flew for the last time on Sunday. The airline has now been fully integrated into Southwest. The final flight was between Atlanta and Tampa. AirTran’s lower cost structure and non-union workforce has now been integrated into higher-cost and heavily […]
President Obama, national Democrats and Charlie Crist’s defeat
Charlie Crist’s defeat November 4th along with the loss of three other cabinet races mean that Florida Democrats have now lost 17 of the last 18 races for state office. This record is unmatched for futility anywhere east of the Mississippi River. But unlike past election cycles, Florida’s Democrats actually performed equally if not better […]
Cuba’s terrorist state designation and Florida politics – cynicism at its finest
Cuba has been designated a state sponsor of terror since 1982 by the US Government. The nation is one of four that remain on the State Department list of state sponsors of terrorism. When you click on the link it is obvious the case against Cuba is exceedingly thin and flimsy compared to the other […]
Pan Am, political influence and the growth of Florida’s international tourism economy
Following last week’s feature on Eastern Airlines return it made sense to look back at the history of Pan Am and its impact on the state of Florida. Before we begin let me recommend the book, Skygods: The Fall of Pan Am which is one of the finest narratives I have ever read about the aviation industry. […]
Qatar Airways making Miami flights daily
Qatar Airways who are currently the only Middle Eastern airline to serve the state of Florida is bumping its service to Miami up from 5 times weekly to daily beginning in the winter of 2015. The carrier is a state owned and funded airline. The Emirate of Qatar boasts the world’s largest reserves of natural gas, […]
Smithsonian Channel to show “Aerial America – Florida” tonight at 8pm ET
The Smithsonian Channel’s Aerial America series stops in Florida tonight with an airing tonight at 8pm ET/7pm CT. I have already seen the program having watched it when it debuted late last year. As a fan of the Aerial America series, I was thrilled the Florida version was so contemporary and versatile. Unlike previous programs […]
Flashback Friday: Apollo 8
This week in 1968 one of the most important space missions in history launched from Cape Canaveral. Apollo 8 was the first ever space mission to leave the earth’s orbit and to circle the moon. In the process they became the first humans to see the earth as a whole planet from space. It took […]
Could the Tampa Bay Rowdies become South Florida’s team?
The Tampa Bay Rowdies have had a big week. Coming off a season where the team struggled, new management has quickly made several moves including a raid on the rival Fort Lauderdale Strikers who were inches away away from winning the NASL title last month. The Rowdies announced five new signings between Monday and Wednesday. […]
How many historical sites does your county contain?
The above map shows the distribution of officially designated National Historical sites by Florida county. Not surprisingly, Miami-Dade which has been home to Florida’s most metropolitan city for a hundred years has by far the most with 172. However, somewhat surprisingly Volusia County has the second most designated sites with 101 and Sarasota is third […]
Thursday Bookshelf: A Land Remembered
In the event you are scrambling for a late Florida-themed Christmas gift, I have a suggestion. A Land Remembered is perhaps the most fascinating historical fiction book about the state of Florida. No book describes old Florida and the transformation to modern state quite like A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith. The author who was […]
The Florida Squeeze 