They also have a gift shop. My little ones love it. NFA Alumni headed to the United States Naval Academy, National Flight Academy devastated by extended shutdown. Their exhibits are always being updated and added to. Captures over 100 years of naval aviation history. And my oldest loves learning about the aircraft! If you have any interest in aviation or naval history, then this is a must see. The Foundation also maintains the Hall of Honor and Charter in Memoriam displays in the Naval Aviation Museum, as well as the National Flight Log. Participants live for 6 days in a multi-story, 102,000 square foot facility experiencing theme-park style thrills surrounded by advanced technology, flight simulators, and virtual reality games that ignite imagination and encourage learning. Excellent museum. Easily can spend two days Being a retired Air Force officer, I'm a bit biased to the whole AirPower scene. ), Director of Education: Captain JJ Coonan, USN (Ret. "That's a longer-term initiative," Cozad said. The IMAX is a good value, even though the movies were a little short in length. I could spend the whole day reading the information provided. The Naval Aviation Museum Foundation is the non-profit educational and fundraising arm of the National Naval Aviation Museum. His Blue Angels glider lasted about 2 weeks before the blue veneer literally peeled off the styrofoam. It was founded in 1966 and has raised over $65 million for the Museum. There is a "boneyard" outside that can be seen with a quick 25-30 minute tour, our tour guide was great. ), Chief Financial Officer: Captain Morris Hayes, USN (Ret. "We are investigating methods to be able to open the museum back up to the public through a central reservation system," Cates said. The kids had a great time and stayed entertained all day. Being a retired Air Force officer, I'm a bit biased to the whole AirPower scene. And it's free to enter! Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information. Past speakers have included President George H. W. Bush, Governor Jeb Bush, Senators John Warner, Jake Garn, Connie Mack and John McCain, Secretaries of the Navy Lehman, Webb, Garrett, Danzig and Winter, and many other dignitaries. From Pensapedia, the Pensacola encyclopedia, https://www.pensapedia.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Naval_Aviation_Museum_Foundation&oldid=12678, About Pensapedia, the Pensacola encyclopedia, President and Chief Executive Officer: Vice Admiral, Chief Operating Officer: Captain Earle Rogers, USN (Ret. They even have a very nice archive so that you can do a little of your own research. The quality of the exhibits and aircraft is top notch, everything is inside with air conditioning. Interesting history for the adults as well. read more, Excellent museum. A little pricey, ($20), but I had a ball on it! website disclaimer. Cozad said the museum went from 724,000 visitors in 2019 down to 50,000 visitors last year. They do an amazing job of incorporating history into their displays, and the aircraft are beautifully restored. Practice schedule:Blue Angels' 2021 practice schedule released. more. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. I brought my 10 year old son and the selection of planes and displays was second to none. Malerie Cates, a spokeswomanfor the museum, told the News Journal that discussions about a reservation systemare still in the early stages, and no final decision has been made on whether a reservation system will be set up for the public. "Our goal is to reach the desired amount of money so that we can start the capital project by the end of this year, but again, it's not an overnight project.". Jim Little can be reached at jwlittle@pnj.com and 850-208-9827. Retired Rear Adm. Kyle Cozad, president and CEO of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, told the Escambia County Tourist Development Council on Tuesday that museum staff are hoping to create a reservation system in which members of the public can undergo a security screening to get access to the museum and other historic attractions on the base. That's down from 156 employees in 2019. Great way to spend the Day Rain or Shine. read more. Great American Defense Communities:NAS Pensacola, Whiting Field named 2021 Great American Defense Communities. And I got to thinking to myself, if it was good enough for the White House, why can't we apply kind of the same mechanism to the base here?". It was first held in 1987 and attracts nearly 3,000 guests annually. It's great for families, kids seem to love it and being educational, you can't go wrong. 1 Fetterman Way, NAS Pensacola, FL 32508, website privacy policy If you like extreme roller coasters, then check out the Max 360 Simulator. That said, anything you buy in the gift shop should be bought in the spirit of donating to the museum. The National Naval Aviation Museum is in the very early stages of talks to set up a system that would allow the general public back through the gates of NAS Pensacola. The National Flight Academy, a program of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, Inc., is authorized but not endorsed or funded by the US Navy or the US Government. "It vetted you through a security system to make sure you didn't have any outstanding warrants. During his comments to the TDC on Tuesday, Cozad said if such a reservation system was approved, people would want to come back to the museum. We go to Florida for the sun, but if it is raining this is a great way to spend the day. Since the 2019 terrorist attack at NAS Pensacola, access to the base has been limited to holders of Department of Defense ID cards and their guests. It was raining one day of our trip so we decided to go to the Naval Museum. Cozad also said that any reservation system would be a temporary solution to balance the security needs of the base and the public attractions on Navy property. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Over 450 volunteers donate their time to the Museum by hosting tours, providing security, participating in restoration, and helping at special events. And plan to spend a whole day, I actually went 2 days, there's that much. IT WAS A BLAST!!! "The central reservation system would require visitors to do a pre-security screening, and then they would get confirmation from us. NAS Pensacola, Whiting Field named 2021 Great American Defense Communities. ), Flight Adventure Deck Coordinator: Sam Shilling, Foundation Managing Editor: Christina Sherry, Top Gun Air Combat Simulators: Natasha Moreau, Museum Reservations: Diane Bell and Lenore Taylor. The cafe was OK, but not a reason to go there. Source: The Griffin Daily News By: Jennifer Reynolds Local student headed to the United States Naval Academy Gabriella Hand, a [], Source: Pensacola News Journal For roughly the past seven months, the National Flight Academy at Naval Air Station Pensacola has [], 850-458-7836 | 877-552-3632 The Foundation has over 9,000 dues-paying members and supports itself through revenue-generating operations at the Museum, including the IMAX Naval Aviation Memorial Theatre and the Flight Deck Store. I would highly recommend this rain or shine. And then they would get clearance to come on to the base for an allotted amount of time on a specific day.". Copyright 2022 National Flight Academy. There's a lot of exhibits and free cockpits to climb into, I'd say a family can do 4 or 5 hours, no problem. info@nationalflightacademy.com The museumcurrently has 38 employees working, with the rest on furlough. The Cafe is a great place to drop the less interested and then come back and get them. The National Naval Aviation Museum is a major draw of tourism to the area, not only for the historic site on the base but also for the ability to watch the Blue Angels practice from the flight line viewing area directly behind the museum. The museum receives about $100,000 a year from Escambia County's tourist development fund. All rights reserved. Each May, the Foundation hosts the Naval Aviation Symposium, which includes presentations, panel discussions and a golf tournament. "I had an opportunity to work at the White House for two years, and if you wanted to come to Washington, D.C., to visit the White House, you put in a reservation request," Cozad said. I try to go to the museum several times a year. Experience one of the most exciting and immersive learning adventures in the world aboard the worlds largest simulated aircraft carrier. Cozad said the museum is working with local, state and national agencies to find funding for $17 million that would create a dedicated "expressway" from the front gate at NAS Pensacola that would take people directly to Barrancas National Cemetery and the National Naval Aviation Museum, while keeping the rest of the base secure. ), Development Assistants: Stephanie Johnson and Sylvia Bradley, Fly-By Editor and National Flight Log Manager: Leslie Geiger, Director of Special Projects: Captain Tony McFarlane, USN (Ret. The Foundation's offices are located within the Museum on the second floor. Captures over 100 years of naval aviation history. This page was last edited on 26 September 2008, at 17:18. Base access limited to DoD cardholders. They also have a little play area for the kids. There are a couple of other rides that are less cost and tamer. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. That is until I The Foundation produces a semi-annual magazine, Foundation, and a quarterly newsletter, Fly-By, which are sent to all Foundation members. "I'm confident that, if we can get approval for that system, then we can rise from 50,000 visitors last year to a point next year where we're back up in the 500,000s or 600,000s," Cozad said. An experience for rising 7-12th graders that inspires interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Fun and free Naval aircraft museum. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. Blue Angels' 2021 practice schedule released. For seven months in 2020, the museum also was closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A terrific versatile outing. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. We have been twice and each time I had to be pulled out after 3 hours by my wife. If you like military, NASA, or just aviation, this is a wonderful museum. Base access limited to DoD cardholders. ), Executive Assistant/Director of Personnel: Michele Sweigart, Executive Director of Development: Aaron West, Director of Annual Giving, Leadership Giving & Membership: Elise Brodeur, Director of Planned Giving & Special Gifts: Captain Ed Ellis, USN (Ret.
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