The sky's the limit

MOSES LAKE — Aviation High School in Seattle and Big Bend Community College may be separated by distance, but its students' dedication to the field of aviation is bringing them closer than ever before.

A four-day aviation flight camp began this week — the first one ever put on by AHS and BBCC.

Thirty-three Seattle-based students toured the BBCC Flight program, built gliders for a competition and toured a C-17 cargo plane. They also visited the Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control tower, Japan Airlines and the Moses Lake Municipal Airport, where they received information on agricultural jobs available for pilots.

The last four days have been particularly important for 15-year-old AHS student Lue Morton, who is giving serious thought to continuing his aviation studies at BBCC.

"The aviation environment is impressive," Morton said of BBCC.

For Morton, pursuing a career in aviation has become a family legacy.

Morton's grandfather on his dad's side of the family was once a flight instructor for the Air Force, and his grandfather on his mother's side used to be a belly gunner on a B-17.

Morton remembered his first time co-piloting a Cessna 172 at the age of 13 with his father at Boeing field.

Morton's mom watched from the runway as he tried to stay straight on the runway, his dad a little nervous.

It was "so exciting that I was doing it," Morton said.

One of 14 girls who attended the camp, 15-year-old AHS student Stephanie Hoag's fascination with the Seattle Museum of Flight and her interest in math and science sparked a desire to consider a possible career in aviation.

"I fit right in," she said.

Seeing more females attend the camp was encouraging for Richard Larson, the dean of instruction at BBCC, adding that it is a good way to bring more women into the flight program and reach out to non-traditional students.

Right now, Hoag is undecided as to if she will pursue a career in aviation, but knows one thing for sure: "I just know I want to be around planes," she said.

Most impressive to Hoag and other AHS students during their time at BBCC were such facilities as the remodeled flight center.

The flight center was remodeled in 2003 and is complete with wireless Internet access, six aviation flight lab computers, instructor offices, simulator and flight planning areas, a dispatch office and four classrooms.

Future projects for the flight program include securing funding to replace all 17 of the training aircraft, most of which are more than 20 years old and have logged over 11,000 flight hours.

BBCC is currently in the process of working to secure funding from the state Legislature to help pay for the costs of those replacements which are estimated at $3.5 million.

Most impressive to AHS student Charles Cesmat was how much use the aviation facilities receive for a rural area.

"I'm surprised how busy this airport gets," Cesmat said.

Cesmat, who flew his first plane at the age of 14 and plans on being a commercial pilot, enjoyed the flight camp calling it a break from much of the project based learning he's used to at AHS.

When not training inside, AHS students are eagerly awaiting their next chance to hit the runways.

Bill Olfert, an administrator with AHS, said he was very impressed with how BBCC organized the camp and is interested in organizing future partnerships with the college's flight program.

One of the goals of AHS, Olfert said, is to prepare students as early as the ninth grade to start planning for their higher education.

Nowhere else could AHS come and do this, Olfert said. "Big Bend has been very supportive of the school from the very beginning."

That was in 2004 when AHS opened, making it the first aviation-themed public high school in the state.

The goal was to build a school that would provide curriculum and build partnerships within the aviation and aerospace industries that would prepare students for a career in either field.

John Swedburg, BBCC aviation instructor, called the flight camp a success and credited the idea to build AHS as the driving force that sparked interest in starting the camp.

It is just one example of a partnership Swedburg wants to continue with AHS to provide students with hands-on aviation experience.

"It was a great experience for us because of the quality of students that they have," Swedburg said.