Aerospace Technology

The West Florida High School aerospace program prepares students for their future as successful citizens. The curriculum is enriched with aerospace science, preflight training, and a caring, committed, concerned teacher. The Academy promotes intellectual achievement through high academic standards and a rigorous curriculum aimed towards graduation, and college acceptance as well as a lifetime of intellectual, professional, and personal growth.

The purpose of this program is to provide students with a foundation of knowledge and technically oriented experiences in the study of Aerospace Technologies, its effect upon our lives, and the choosing of an occupation. It will prepare the students for employment or advanced training in the Aerospace industry

Success in Aerospace Technology

In order to succeed in this program the student must have an interest in the field of Aerospace or Aviation. The student should maintain a C or better in their math and science classes. The student should have good attendance to be successful in the aerospace technology class.

Sophomore Year Classes

Principles of Aeronautics
This year covers the basic concepts of flight, both from an Engineering standpoint, and from the view of the pilot. Careers and a college focus are an important part of this class. Students design and build a variety of model aircraft that demonstrate the principles of flight and develop piloting skills on the flight simulator. The first course introduces the student to the technology of flight within the atmosphere of Earth.

Junior Year Classes

Space Science and Technology
This year covers the basic concepts of advanced rocketry, aircraft controls, aircraft structures, space flight and astronomy. Students design and build a variety of model rockets and demonstrate the principles of space flight and rocketry. They also build and test different planes and their control surfaces. Careers and a college focus are an important part of this class. The students will begin planning their aerospace project that will be a major focus in their senior year. The course includes:

• history of space flight
• advanced rocketry
• parachutes
• aircraft control
• structures

Senior Year Classes

Senior Project
The third year of Aerospace covers advanced applications in technology (Senior Project course), is a senior research class. Seniors continue working on their Aerospace Project which they did a report on their junior year. The senior year is a chance for the students to design and engineer the project which they have chosen that is related to a technology in the aerospace industry.

This year the students may be in the ACE program and be working, part time, in an aerospace related job. This is also the year that they work on getting into one of the military academies or their selected college.

Contacts

Please contact Teri MacNaughton at tmacnaughton@escambia.k12.fl.us for more information.