CENTRAL FLORIDA AEROSPACE ACADEMY

About this school

Central Florida Aerospace Academy (CFAA) Grades: 9–12 Central Florida Aerospace Academy is a career and technical STEM magnet program operated by Polk County Public Schools as a school-within-a-school at Kathleen Senior High. It's one of the only FAA Part 147 Airframe and Powerplant programs in the United States offered as part of a tuition-free public high school curriculum, allowing students to begin earning their A&P certification before they graduate. The campus sits directly on Lakeland Linder International Airport, where students share grounds with the Aerospace Center for Excellence (ACE) and the SUN 'n FUN Aerospace Expo complex. That airport setting gives students daily proximity to active general aviation operations, MRO facilities, and the Amazon Air cargo hub that operates from the same field. Beyond the Part 147 A&P pathway, CFAA offers flight training, avionics, aerospace engineering, UAS (drone) operations, and a well-established Air Force JROTC program. Students can stack industry certifications and dual enrollment college credit alongside their high school diploma, and they retain full access to traditional high school activities — sports, clubs, and extracurriculars — through their affiliation with Kathleen Senior High. CFAA is best suited for students who already know they want a career in aviation or aerospace and want to start accumulating credentials early. Graduates typically continue on one of three paths: completing their A&P certification at a post-secondary Part 147 school, transitioning into a flight training program toward a commercial pilot certificate, or entering an aerospace engineering degree at programs like Polk State, Embry-Riddle, or Florida Polytechnic University. Admission is by application through Polk County Public Schools.

Location

FAA test pass rates

↳ Based on 27 tests (27 passed, 0 failed)