Yesterday's rain and stormy weather has thankfully departed, leaving a few clouds and warm temps.
New to SUN'n FUN this year is the new Central Florida Aerospace Academy Building. Officials from the show, Florida Air Museum (FAM), Polk County School Board (PCSB) and their “partners in education” cut the ceremonial ribbon today on the new $7.5 million, state-of-the-art building which is now the new home for an aviation-oriented high school/career academy already located on the SUN ’n FUN campus.
The new 58,000-square-foot facility, which will house up to 500 high school students at CFAA when it reaches full enrollment, broke ground during last year’s SUN ’n FUN Fly-In and began actual construction in August 2010. The CFAA, which was formerly housed in existing Florida Air Museum (FAM) facilities on the SUN ’n FUN campus, included a renovated building and several portable classrooms and was approaching its maximum capacity of 175 students.
The new CFAA building was made possible by a $7.5M grant to SUN ’n FUN from the Aviation Education Foundation, a Naples-based not-for-profit organization founded by James C. Ray. The Aviation Education Foundation donated additional funds to PCSB toward the purchase of furniture, fixtures and equipment for the new CFAA building.
“It is my belief that teaching young people the discipline required to learn the science of flight builds character and confidence,” Ray said in regard to the new building and its curriculum. “The experience of solo flight teaches them that they are independent and free-thinking individuals who are fully capable of being in control of their own life. I hope this building serves as a launching pad for CFAA students to become more actively involved in aviation and, in doing so, build a pathway for successful careers and successful lives.”
Ray, a pilot with 70 years of flying experience, is a successful businessman with a background in ranching, oil and gas exploration, real estate development and investing. A B-17 “Flying Fortress” pilot and Major in World War II, Ray has provided start-up funding for more than 300 businesses, including aviation enterprises such as Eclipse Aviation and Cirrus Design.
The Aviation Education Foundation and Mr. Ray have a long history of philanthropy, especially to aviation-oriented youth education programs and institutions that, in addition to SUN ’n FUN, include the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) in Oshkosh, Wis., and EAA’s “Young Eagles” program; the University of North Dakota Aerospace programs; the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Wash.; and the Future of Flight Aviation Center and Boeing Tour in Everett, Wash.
“SUN ’n FUN is ecstatic to have such significant and inspirational support for an educational facility of this magnitude that underscores our organization’s core values and is in lock step with our educational focus and mission,” said SUN ’n FUN Board Chairman Bill Eickhoff. “We sincerely appreciate Mr. Ray’s generosity as much as we admire his vision for our nation’s young people and his commitment to building and supporting aviation-oriented youth education programs like those that we offer here at SUN ’n FUN and at the CFAA.”
Eickhoff recognized the efforts of the SUN ’n FUN team who helped coordinate details of the grant, including Board Treasurer Rick Garcia, Executive Committee member Gene Strickland, General Counsel John Wendel and President John Burton. He also expressed thanks to SUN ’n FUN’s “partners in education,” especially the PCSB, former Superintendent Dr. Gail McKinzie, current Superintendent Dr. Sherrie Nickell, Senior Director of Workforce Education John Small, Assistant Principal of Kathleen High School and CFAA Headmaster Chad Smith, Kathleen High School Principal Cecil McClellan and administration and members of the CFAA staff.
Eickhoff also identified additional members of a consortium who have been working on CFAA-related issues since the idea for the CFAA was formulated three years ago by Small and Gulf Coast Avionics owner and President Rick Garcia, including the Florida Air Museum (FAM), Polk State College, University of South Florida Polytechnic, Central Florida Development Council, FAA Safety Team and Production Studios, Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, Traviss Career Center and Workforce Education.
Garcia said the creation and growth of the CFAA is the realization of a dream.
“I share Mr. Ray’s dream of giving young people the opportunity to experience flight in order to ignite the passion and confidence within each one of them to change their life,” he explained. “It is a dream come true for me and can come true for these students.”
PCSB Superintendent Dr. Sherrie Nickell emphasized the many benefits of such partnerships and the advantages they offer for area students.
“We are excited to be part of bringing together private-public partnerships that enhance the educational experience for young people in Polk County,” Nickell said. “Satellite school programs like this provide high school students specialized training and experience in a host of life career fields. That experience – combined with the cooperation from Polk State College in providing dual enrollment and college credit for approved coursework – offers these students a significant advantage in an increasingly competitive academic environment.”
Small and CFAA Assistant Principal Chad Smith emphasized the educational advantages of the CFAA experience.
“We see improved student attendance and academic performance at the existing Academy,” Small explained. “Students who come to school here don’t want to leave at the end of the day!”
“This new building will enable us to triple our enrollment capacity,” Smith added. “It will also provide more students with an opportunity to learn the mathematics, physics and sciences of aviation in a stimulating environment.”
The former CFAA facilities, located on the SUN ’n FUN campus and operated by PCSB, were in their second year of operation and housed 130 high school sophomores and juniors. Within five years, PCSB estimates enrollment to grow to between 400 and 500 students. The former facilities could not accommodate this kind of growth so the need for a new facility became painfully apparent. With PCSB budgets being cut each of the past several years, funding for a new facility was not likely. The $7.5 million Aviation Education Foundation grant changed that.
SUN ’n FUN applied the donated funds toward the new CFAA building on land adjacent to the Florida Air Museum. SUN ’n FUN will lease the building, constructed to meet local and state requirements for educational facilities, to PCSB for 25 years. At the end of the initial 25-year period, the building will become the property of PCSB. PCSB can then lease the site for up to five additional five-year terms.
Ninety percent of the lease fees from PCSB to SUN ’n FUN will, in turn, support flight-related activities offered through the Florida Air Museum or third party providers that include ground school instruction, flight training and, ultimately, the experience of solo flight.
Beechwood Development, LLC, served as the Developer of the new CFAA building and Rodda Construction, Inc., was the General Contractor. Jonathon Kirk of SCMH Architects was the Architect/Designer.
