First of all, The NFA was a great experience and s...

First of all, The NFA was a great experience and so much fun! I don t understand why people are leaving terrible reviews because I attended and learned about aviation. I did the week long camp with Delta and enjoyed it a lot. The website for the NFA really summarized what to expect but I felt like they should have added a little more detail. Here is an UPDATED version on what to bring.

Clothing:
If you attend the NFA, they will give you a parent and attendee handbook where it tells you what to bring and to expect. However, here are some clothing items that would definitely help you if your decide to go. One, a jacket! Although the NFA is in Florida and Florida is hot, inside the building is FREEZING! They keep it around 50-60 degrees in order for the technology to not over heat. So definitely bring a jacket or buy one from their store. Two, bring shorts. You will most likely have the chance to see the Blue Angels practice and you will be outside so bring shorts. It will be hot. But make sure it still follows the average dress code. Three, depending on how long you are staying, bring extra of everything (clothing wise). They will have a laundry room Incase you do get your clothes dirty. Do not bother bringing a load of shirts because they will have a required camp shirt you have to wear once or twice. Bring comfortable shoes because you will be in them all day.

Electronics:
The NFA does not allow for you to have any electronics during the camp. They will collect them during security and will keep the in a safe place. However, you do get to use your phone on the night before graduation. So if you do bring your phone, follow their instructions and bring a charger in case your phone dies when they have it.

Extra things:
In your dorm you will have a bunk, a locker, and two desks. For your locker, they have a mirror and a clothing rack. I was surprised when I saw they didn t have hangers to hang your clothes on. So bring hangers. Since the NFA has a strict schedule, you will have no time to waste when it comes to dinner/lunch/breakfast. So bring snacks to put in the cabinets in your dorm. You will get hungry. Also, the vending machines for food are broken. The drink one is available so bring money. I brought around $50 but get permission from your parent/guardian before hand. You will need to bring pencils and a eraser because you will loose them! They provide you with ONE pencil through out your time there. I brought a pencil case and it helped a lot.

Hygiene:
The NFA provides you with 2 small towels and 6 washcloths. The towels are to small and do not cover your body so bring a large towel. It helped me a lot. Have shower necessities and a shower bag. Try to have it ready to go with clothes for the night because it is a RACE to the showers. If you have your bag packed you can easily make it to be first in the showers. The bathrooms are also very clean and the custodians do an amazing job making sure it stays that way. Bring Flip Flops or shoes that can be worn in the shower.

activities:
If you want to be successful at the NFA you have to pay attention. You don t have to know anything about aviation because they will give you your information on the Triad - X12B, your plane. Remember to take notes during your briefs. The NFA is like the military so no goofing off or you will be kicked out. No yelling in the stair wells either. Flying the first time will be difficult so do not expect to be perfect. Be a respectful and courteous pilot or co-pilot. It is no fun working with someone who wants to dictate and not lead to grow better as pilots.

Schedule:
The NFA follows a strict schedule. Since you wake up at 6:30, if you are from out of town this might be difficult so try your best to get a lot of rest the night before attending the academy. Over dining terms, the food is good but eat as much as you have on your plate because you will be hungry. Don t bring games because you will be tired and want to go straight to bed. They do have an x-box and a air hockey table in case. If you would like more info. go to their website