My little ones love it. 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 raining one day of our trip so we decided to go to the Naval Museum. "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.". Fun and free Naval aircraft museum. 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. If you like military, NASA, or just aviation, this is a wonderful museum. Each May, the Foundation hosts the Naval Aviation Symposium, which includes presentations, panel discussions and a golf tournament. 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. They also have a little play area for the kids. The museum receives about $100,000 a year from Escambia County's tourist development fund. Being a retired Air Force officer, I'm a bit biased to the whole AirPower scene. NFA Alumni headed to the United States Naval Academy, National Flight Academy devastated by extended shutdown. Great American Defense Communities:NAS Pensacola, Whiting Field named 2021 Great American Defense Communities. The IMAX is a good value, even though the movies were a little short in length. IT WAS A BLAST!!!
That's down from 156 employees in 2019. Being a retired Air Force officer, I'm a bit biased to the whole AirPower scene. Captures over 100 years of naval aviation history. The quality of the exhibits and aircraft is top notch, everything is inside with air conditioning. 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. If you have any interest in aviation or naval history, then this is a must see. They even have a very nice archive so that you can do a little of your own research. Great way to spend the Day Rain or Shine. "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. It was founded in 1966 and has raised over $65 million for the Museum. 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 more. 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. Over 450 volunteers donate their time to the Museum by hosting tours, providing security, participating in restoration, and helping at special events. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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. I brought my 10 year old son and the selection of planes and displays was second to none. And plan to spend a whole day, I actually went 2 days, there's that much. read more, Excellent museum. Blue Angels' 2021 practice schedule released. The Cafe is a great place to drop the less interested and then come back and get them. ), Director of Education: Captain JJ Coonan, USN (Ret. 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. The Foundation's offices are located within the Museum on the second floor. Captures over 100 years of naval aviation history. Excellent museum. That is until I It's great for families, kids seem to love it and being educational, you can't go wrong. For seven months in 2020, the museum also was closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. A little pricey, ($20), but I had a ball on it! The cafe was OK, but not a reason to go there. Practice schedule:Blue Angels' 2021 practice schedule released. There is a "boneyard" outside that can be seen with a quick 25-30 minute tour, our tour guide was great. "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. I try to go to the museum several times a year. It was first held in 1987 and attracts nearly 3,000 guests annually. 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. The Naval Aviation Museum Foundation is the non-profit educational and fundraising arm of the National Naval Aviation Museum. read more. website disclaimer. A terrific versatile outing. 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. And it's free to enter! They do an amazing job of incorporating history into their displays, and the aircraft are beautifully restored. And then they would get clearance to come on to the base for an allotted amount of time on a specific day.". 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. 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. "That's a longer-term initiative," Cozad said. Base access limited to DoD cardholders. 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. Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information. NAS Pensacola, Whiting Field named 2021 Great American Defense Communities. The Foundation produces a semi-annual magazine, Foundation, and a quarterly newsletter, Fly-By, which are sent to all Foundation members. The kids had a great time and stayed entertained all day. Interesting history for the adults as well. Their exhibits are always being updated and added to. This page was last edited on 26 September 2008, at 17:18. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. 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. ), Chief Financial Officer: Captain Morris Hayes, USN (Ret. "The central reservation system would require visitors to do a pre-security screening, and then they would get confirmation from us. That said, anything you buy in the gift shop should be bought in the spirit of donating to the museum. They also have a gift shop. Copyright 2022 National Flight Academy. We have been twice and each time I had to be pulled out after 3 hours by my wife. "We are investigating methods to be able to open the museum back up to the public through a central reservation system," Cates said. 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. ), 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. Base access limited to DoD cardholders. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. 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. info@nationalflightacademy.com 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. Easily can spend two days I could spend the whole day reading the information provided. ), 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. And my oldest loves learning about the aircraft! There are a couple of other rides that are less cost and tamer. ), 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. 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. All rights reserved. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. The museumcurrently has 38 employees working, with the rest on furlough.
Experience one of the most exciting and immersive learning adventures in the world aboard the worlds largest simulated aircraft carrier. An experience for rising 7-12th graders that inspires interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). 1 Fetterman Way, NAS Pensacola, FL 32508, website privacy policy His Blue Angels glider lasted about 2 weeks before the blue veneer literally peeled off the styrofoam. If you like extreme roller coasters, then check out the Max 360 Simulator. I would highly recommend this rain or shine. Cozad said the museum went from 724,000 visitors in 2019 down to 50,000 visitors last year.
"It vetted you through a security system to make sure you didn't have any outstanding warrants. We go to Florida for the sun, but if it is raining this is a great way to spend the day. Jim Little can be reached at jwlittle@pnj.com and 850-208-9827.