Born in Pensacola, Florida on June 28, 1926, Betty Skelton developed a liking for aviation early on. Skelton began lessons as early as 8 years old and took the controls of an aircraft at 12 years old. She legally soloed at the age of 16 and soon after, acquired her private pilot’s license. Skelton wanted […]
The Florida Air Museum and Aerospace Center for Excellence welcomes Nicholas Mathes as our new Museum Director! Nicholas Mathes is a long-time Polk County resident being born and raised in Mulberry Florida. Nicholas married his high-school sweetheart in 2009 and has two children, Jaida, age 12 and Ezra, age 7. Nicholas holds two Master’s degrees
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Bill Adams was raised on a farm near Watertown, Wisconsin, where he was born on October 11, 1925. His interest in aviation began at an early age. He was working as a crop duster when, in 1948, he saw the famous Cole Brothers Air Show. Watching them inspired him to strive to become an air
Since the very first Women in Aviation International Girls in Aviation Day in 2015, the annual WAI event has grown every year since its first gathering of 32 events and 3,200 participants. In 2019, GIAD met more than 20,000 attendees participating in 119 events in 18 countries. The Aerospace Center for Excellence is proud to
The James C. Ray Scholarship Program just celebrated its 150th Private Pilot. Hayden Gomez completed his Private Pilot check ride on August 13, 2022, on the day of his 18th birthday. A graduate of Central Florida Aerospace Academy in May of 2022, Gomez’s plans are to attend Jacksonville University to pursue a degree in Aviation
Lakeland, FL: Aerospace Center for Excellence Welcomes New Marketing Coordinator Cathy Jilbert has been a native of SUN ‘n FUN and the Aerospace Center for Excellence since 2014 when she started attending Central Florida Aerospace Academy (CFAA). Over the years of her attending CFAA, she has volunteered at the annual SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo
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Lakeland, FL: The Aerospace Center for Excellence is thrilled to announce Aric Kroon and Kim Rex as the new STEM Educators. Aric Kroon is an educator with 16 years of experience with Polk County schools with experience teaching Math, Science, and Aerospace. His involvement in aviation began at a young age when he would hear
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