MOSES LAKE - Big Bend Community College will offer a summer class to help prospective students determine whether or not they would be interested in a career in aviation mechanics.

Two sessions of the Pre-AMT class will be offered, an evening class in July and a day class in August. The cost is $30, and students may use that as part of their registration fee if they enroll at the college, said Rebecca Milligan, administrator of the college's Air Washington grant. Space is limited, Milligan said.

The July night class is four weeks, from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday nights, July 9,11,16,18,23,25 and 30. The August class will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 12, 13, 14 and 16. Students are asked to attend all classes.

Students will learn about the skills necessary to participate in the program, the course curriculum and the current job market.

The college expanded its program last year and will add classes in composite material manufacture and repair sometime in the 2013-14 academic year.

The aerospace industry faces two challenges, Milligan said in an earlier interview. Mechanics are needed to fill existing demand, she said, and that demand will grow as current workers reach retirement age.

In addition, the skills required to fix airplane and helicopter engines and air frames are transferable to other jobs, said Dan Moore, the college's power plant maintenance instructor. Moore said his graduates have been hired by amusement park owners and marine facilities as well as aerospace manufacturers.

Maintenance is especially important in the aerospace industry, Moore said, and the reason is connected to basic physics. A plane or helicopter ascends and descends, and passes through many stages of air pressure during the trip. That puts a lot of stress on the airframe and engines, and somebody has to make sure it's handling the stress, he said.

Prospective students who want more information about the class can contact the registration office, 509-93-2061, or email Milligan at [email protected].