PIE airport

Fresh Art at PIE Airport

Two new murals now greet passengers at Florida’s St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport (PIE).

Both murals are visible to passengers arriving and departing from Gates 7-11 and Gate 12.

Leo Gomez’s mural “GO EASY” features a dreamy Tampa Bay sunset, with welcoming colors, bold text, and silhouettes that evoke travel and nature. 

Laura “Miss Crit” Spencer’s mural is inspired by Florida native flowers and is inhabited by a variety of bees, butterflies, and pollinators.

These new murals join the other amenities we love at PIE airport, including a great art collection, the PIE Pups animal therapy program, and the outdoor Bark Parks animal relief areas.

PIE Airport is also a great place to learn some aviation history.

PIE airport’s location on Tampa Bay, north of St. Petersburg lays claim to being the birthplace of commercial air transportation. 

On January 1, 1914, barely a decade after the Wright Brothers’ pioneer flight at Kitty Hawk, the first ticket for air travel was sold by the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airport line to a fare-paying passenger. 

St. Petersburg mayor A.C. Phiel (center in the photo below) paid $400 to be the first passenger on the St. Petersburg Tampa Bay Airport Line. That flight marked the beginning of commercial air transportation. 

Courtesy Courtesy National Air and Space Museum Archives

A replica of the Benoist amphibious airplane flown on that inaugural flight is on display in the PIE baggage claim.

Except where noted, all photos are courtesy PIE Airport.

PIE: 5 Things We Love About St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport

The ‘5 Things We Love About…” series on Stuck At The Airport celebrates features and amenities at airports around the country and the world.

Today we land at Florida’s St. Pete – Clearwater International Airport (PIE).

Originally named Pinellas International Airport – that’s where the airport call letters PIE come from – the airport was renamed St-Pete Clearwater International in 1958 to capitalize on the airport’s location on tourist-friendly Tampa Bay, north of St. Petersburg.  

© James Borchuck 2010 (727) 420-5867

5 Things We Love About St. Pete – Clearwater International Airport (PIE)

Photo by James Borchuck

1. The art at PIE

The public art collection at PIE includes the 45-foot blown glass wall, SunSkySea, by Guy Kemper (above), glass vessels by Duncan McClellan, terrazzo floor tile inserts by Kelly Taaffe Noto and lots more.

2. PIE PUPS

The PIE PUPS program brings therapy dogs to the airport to help de-stress travelers. PIE also has new Bark Parks in the parking lots.

3. Family-Friendly Amenities

Bonus amenities at PIE includes a kid’s play zone designed by the Great Explorations Children’s Museum that features simulated flights and a lego table with airplanes. 

4. Local favorite Mazzaro Italian Market

Local favorite Mazzaro Italian Market has a branch at PIE featuring Italian hot and cold sandwiches and flatbreads and signature cocktails.

5. Aviation History

PIE airport’s location on Tampa Bay, north of St. Petersburg is credited as being the birthplace of commercial air transportation. 

On January 1, 1914, barely a decade after the Wright Brothers’ pioneer flight at Kitty Hawk, the first ticket for air travel was sold by the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airport line to a fare-paying passenger. 

St. Petersburg mayor A.C. Phiel (center in the photo below) paid $400 to be the first passenger on the St. Petersburg Tampa Bay Airport Line on a flight that marked the beginning of commercial air transportation. 

A replica of the Benoist amphibious airplane flown that inaugural flight is on display in the PIE baggage claim.

Courtesy Courtesy National Air and Space Museum Archives.

Free pie at PIE Airport to celebrate Pi Day

PIE airport

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) is celebrating Pi Day a day early this year by handing out free individual-sized strawberry and Key Lime pies on Friday, March 13 from 1:30 to 3:14 p.m.

Pie will be served both curbside (drive-by pie) and inside the terminal.

Why free pie?

The Greek letter “π” (Pi), is the symbol that represents the mathematical constant that is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter and has been calculated to over a trillion digits, the first of which are 3.14.

And, of course, free pie is a great way to celebrate PIE airport, which gets its identifier code from its original name, Pinellas International Airport.

pie osu

Pie-eating contest at CVG airport

pie osu

Like pie?

Allegiant Air is launching service between Tampa Bay/St.Pete (PIE) and Cincinnati /Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) on Thursday, May 15 and to mark the day the airline is hosting a pie eating contest at the Cincinnati airport.

The winner of the pie eating contest will receive two round trip tickets on the first flight to PIE and a hotel stay at the Postcard Inn from May 15 – May 18, 2014.

To enter the contest, you’ll need to register and get a raffle ticket. Five pie-eating contestants will be drawn from those raffle tickets and the person who eats their pie the fastest will win the contest.

The prize gets awarded right away, and the winner has to be prepared to leave on the inaugural flight to Tampa Bay/St. Pete, departing CVG at 5:25 pm on May 15.

If you’re intent on winning, we suggest you bring along a change of clothes so  you don’t have to board the flight with pie-stains on your shirt.

Full contest rules can be found here.

PIE airport celebrates Pi Day with free pie

pie osu

OSU Special Collections via Flicker Commons

 

March 14 is Pi Day, a day set aside to celebrate the mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter and is approximately equal to 3.14159… (it has been calculated to 1 trillion digits).

Pi Day will be also celebrated this year at Florida’s St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, which has the airport code PIE.

From 1 p.m. until 3:14 p.m. the airport will be handing out pieces of strawberry and Key Lime pie to passengers, meeters and greeters and anyone who happens to be passing by.

PIE