Customer Story: National Flight Academy

Nestled on the shores of Pensacola, Florida sits the National Flight Academy, a premier STEM Academy housed within a simulated aircraft carrier. The academy helps kids prepare and experience real world scenarios using science, technology, engineering, and math, spending five days onboard the carrier, using real mission parameters in order to put these STEM skills to use.

Educationally, the NFA needed to ensure that their students would be able to not only connect to each other, but get the real time information needed in order to participate in the course. Onboard, the air carrier houses four Smartboard Tables so that students are able to calculate their mission headings, while also being able to simulate riding in the X-12 Triad. With this need for superior, reliable, and secure broadband connections, the NFA turned to Mediacom Business.

With our Gigabit+ Fiber Solutions, the NFA is able to power their technology platforms, with the multimedia interactive and immersive experiences needed to help teach and create a learning environment. With this equipment, students can do the following:

• Figure out headings, distances, and measurements to start their ‘missions’
• Be inspired with an innovative way to learn
• Increase their STEM knowledge by 10% within a six-day period

The NFA is now completely paperless, relying on cloud technology with a reliable fiber backbone from Mediacom Business that delivers service without any trouble or interruption in their daily operations. As the NFA continues to grow, Mediacom Business will be able to easily scale their broadband services to meet the technology demands of an innovative learning institution.

About the National Flight Academy

Taking place on board the world’s largest simulated aircraft carrier, the National Flight Academy is a targeted program for 7^th to 12^th graders to inspire their interests in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Students live on a multi-story, 102,000 square foot facility surrounded by advanced technology, flight simulators, and virtual reality games for an exciting and immersive learning experience.

About Pensacola, Florida

Pensacola is set within the western part of the Florida panhandle, with a population of over 51,000. A sea port on Pensacola Bay, the city is the site for the Naval Air Station, which is the home base for the Blue Angels flight demonstration team. It is also home to the National Naval Aviation Museum and has been called, “the cradle of Naval Aviation”.