Avionics News April 2016 - 68

CENTRAL FLORIDA AEROSPACE ACADEMY
Continued from page 67

"Among other things, he funds our student flight training scholarships. As long as they keep a 2.75 GPA and perform 100 hours
of service during the annual Sun 'n Fun Fly-In event, they are
eligible for the James C. Ray Flight Scholarship, which pays about
95 percent of their flight instruction costs to earn a private pilot's
certificate.
"To date, we've had about 80 students solo. Of those, 45 have
gone on to earn their private certificates. Every student that solos
gets a brick with their name on it placed in front of the school. It's
something the students are quite proud of."
Another notable donation came the school's way in 2013 when
FedEx donated a 727-200 to the Polk County education program.
The aircraft is now used as an interactive aviation classroom.
While flight training is an extra cost option, Garcia pointed out
that like other high schools in Florida, there is no cost for students
attending the academy. He also added that he sits on the Polk State
College Board of Trustees, and as part of the overall plan for the
Central Florida Aerospace Academy, graduates also have access to
an affordable path to a college degree at the PSC campus.
"Polk State College is the only public college in Florida that
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currently offers bachelor's degree programs in aerospace administration, aerospace science and an associate degree in professional
pilot science," Garcia said. "We've tried to create an affordable and
attainable path for CFAA graduates to continue their aviation education close to home."
Just like high school, but better
Smith stressed that while theirs is an aviation academy in the truest sense, the school does not require students to have any interest in
aviation as a prerequisite to attend.
"We hope to foster interest so that aviation will rub off on them
and they will continue in the industry in one form or another," he
said. "But that being said, more than half of our students come here
because of an interest in an aviation career."
Smith explained that CFAA has four tracks in place for the students to choose: the pilot track, the avionics track, the engineering
track and the A&P track.
"The students have to declare a track of study, but they are not
limited to just classes in that track," he said. "An engineering student
can take some pilot track classes or A&P classes if they want. We try
to keep it flexible to match their interests."
Continued on page 70

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