Big Bend Community College

Located in Moses Lake, Washington, Big Bend Community College offers two Associate of Applied Science degree paths and a certificate program. All aviation programs offered at Big Bend Community College are two years.

Program Highlights

Big Bend Community College flight training is conducted at the Grant County International Airport (KMWH). The main campus is directly adjacent to the airfield. 

Students have the use of five other airfields within 25 miles and 30 airfields within 75 miles of the airport. 

Programs offered include: 

• Associate of Applied Science
  • Commercial Pilot
  • Aviation Maintenance Technology

• Certificate
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems 

Two weeks into freshman year, flight students are scheduled for training three times a week.

Value

Big Bend Community College is able to offer students a very affordable base tuition . Full-time students will pay about $2,000 a semester. This is base tuition and does not include flight expenses. 

Each quarter, flight fees will be billed to the student, during which time students should accumulate 30 hours of flight time. Upon completion of the program, flight students should expect to pay about $45,000. 

The college offers many institution and aviation scholarships for students to take advantage of, as well as accepting outside scholarships, including the: 

• LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Scholarship
• Lisa Kaminski Memorial Scholarship
• Mike Rowe Work Ethic Scholarship

The school’s junior flight intern program provides an excellent opportunity to instruct in an established program and gain flight time while being paid for doing what you love to do. 

The school also accepts veteran’s benefits such as the GI Bill.

Fleet and Facilities

Big Bend Community College owns its own fleet of training aircraft, including:

• Beechcraft Sports
• Beechcraft Sundowners 
• Piper Warriors
• Piper Seminoles 
• Cessna 180 Float Planes
• Citabrias

All students who complete Big Bend’s aviation program will receive the Restricted-Airline Transport Pilot (R-ATP) authorization, which will lower the ATP certificate requirements by 250 hours and allow them to enter the industry more rapidly. 

Campus Life

Big Bend Community College Residence Halls provide affordable on-campus housing. Each room is fully furnished and offers amenities such as common areas. 

Big Bend Community College has many clubs and organizations on campus for students, including: 

• Agriculture Club
• Dungeons & Vikings (DnD) Club
• Aviation Club

The college offers seven different sports that both men and women can try out for or cheer on from the sidelines. 

The Bottom Line

Big Bend Community College is a small-town school with a big impact for aviation students. Allowing for a restricted RTP after graduation and the ability to get hired by the school can make the pipeline to a professional career seamless. Affordable tuition and flight expenses can be a selling point for a lot of potential students.