Cut Bank Municipal Airport
Encyclopedia
Cut Bank Municipal Airport is a public use airport
located three nautical miles (6 km) southwest of the central business district
of Cut Bank
, a city in Glacier County
, Montana
, United States
. It is owned by Cut Bank and Glacier County.
The airport's website refers to it as Cut Bank International Airport. Its first flight took place on 1 June 1941.
of 3,854 feet (1,175 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt
paved runway
s: 5/23 is 5,299 by 75 feet (1,615 x 23 m) and 13/31 is 5,300 by 75 feet (1,615 x 23 m).
For the 12-month period ending August 22, 2008, the airport had 5,800 aircraft operations, an average of 15 per day: 90% general aviation
, 9% air taxi
and 2% military
. At that time there were 32 aircraft based at this airport:
88% single-engine
, 3% multi-engine and 9% ultralight.
, Cut Bank Army Airfield was used by the Second Air Force
as an axillary heavy bomber training airfield, being controlled by Great Falls Army Air Base. Several squadrons of groups training at Great Falls in B-17 Flying Fortresses trained at Cut Bank. Known squadrons were:
During the Cold War, Cut Bank AFB was used as an interceptor base as part of Air Defense Command.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located three nautical miles (6 km) southwest of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Cut Bank
Cut Bank, Montana
Cut Bank is a city in and the county seat of Glacier County, Montana, United States located just east-south-east of the "cut bank" geographical feature which formed canyon-like along the eponymously named Cut Bank Creek river...
, a city in Glacier County
Glacier County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Glacier National Park * Lewis and Clark National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 13,247 people, 4,304 households, and 3,245 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile . There were 5,243 housing units...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is owned by Cut Bank and Glacier County.
The airport's website refers to it as Cut Bank International Airport. Its first flight took place on 1 June 1941.
Facilities and aircraft
Cut Bank Municipal Airport covers an area of 1730 acres (700.1 ha) at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 3,854 feet (1,175 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
paved runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s: 5/23 is 5,299 by 75 feet (1,615 x 23 m) and 13/31 is 5,300 by 75 feet (1,615 x 23 m).
For the 12-month period ending August 22, 2008, the airport had 5,800 aircraft operations, an average of 15 per day: 90% general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
, 9% air taxi
Air taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...
and 2% military
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
. At that time there were 32 aircraft based at this airport:
88% single-engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
, 3% multi-engine and 9% ultralight.
History
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Cut Bank Army Airfield was used by the Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
as an axillary heavy bomber training airfield, being controlled by Great Falls Army Air Base. Several squadrons of groups training at Great Falls in B-17 Flying Fortresses trained at Cut Bank. Known squadrons were:
- 2nd Bombardment Group, 429th Bomb Squadron, November 1942-March 1943
- 385th Bombardment Group, 550th Bomb Squadron, March–June 1943
- 390th Bombardment Group, 569th Bomb Squadron, June–July 1943
- 401st Bombardment Group, 613th Bomb Squadron, July–October 1943
During the Cold War, Cut Bank AFB was used as an interceptor base as part of Air Defense Command.
See also
- Montana World War II Army AirfieldsMontana World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in Montana for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....
- List of military installations in Montana
External links
- Cut Bank International Airport, official site