EVIT aviation students assemble engines

Usually I don't have to venture off EVIT's main campus to see what our students are up to. But the aviation program is set up in one of Chandler-Gilbert Community College's buildings at PhxMesa Gateway Airport, so I drove out there today to check out their work.

I walked into their "lab" and saw this:


Pretty cool, huh? All the first-year students were working on putting engines together. This one will be on display at Tech Fest. When all is said and done, it will be a complete engine with a propeller.


First-year students in the aviation program spend much of their time learning how a plane works. Some students are interested in becoming licensed mechanics; others want to direct air traffic or fly planes for a living. Either way, learning the mechanics of the aircraft is beneficial for all students.


"They understand the aircraft a lot better once they've put them together," said Lou Amadee, EVIT's aviation instructor.

Second-year students can then enter the private pilot program, where they learn to fly.