Museum of Mountain Flying

The museum was founded by Stan Cohen, Dick Komberec and Steve Smith in 1993 following the purchase of {{convert|2.8|acre|km2|abbr=on}} of land that was a boneyard of Johnson Flying Service aircraft and buildings.{{cite web |title=History |url=http://www.museumofmountainflying.org/the-museum.html |website=Museum of Mountain Flying |access-date=29 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518195114/http://www.museumofmountainflying.org/the-museum.html |archive-date=18 May 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Devlin |first1=Sherry |title=Idea for Museum Honoring Pioneer Aviators Takes Off |url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/350637189 |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=Missoulan |date=23 January 1994 |page=C-4}} A hangar at the airport was borrowed for a temporary museum until a purpose build structure could be built.{{cite news |last1=Holien |first1=Mick |title=Memories of Flight |url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/351841841 |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=Missoulan |date=29 January 1995 |page=E-1}} In the meantime, the museum acquired a C-47 that had been used to drop 12 smokejumpers who were killed in the 1949 Mann Gulch fire.{{cite news |last1=Holien |first1=Mick |title=Mann Gulch Plane to Return |url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/352141786 |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=Montana Standard |date=9 October 2001 |page=A5}}{{efn|1=A total of 15 smokejumpers were dropped, but the remaining 3 survived.}}

The museum moved into its {{convert|18,500|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} R. Preston Nash Jr. Hangar in August 2002.{{cite news |last1=Syvertson |first1=Donna |title=Museum on Move |url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/351735597 |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=Missoulan |date=6 August 2002 |page=B1}} It opened to the public two months later, 19 October 2002, shortly after receiving a 1925 White bus.{{cite news |last1=Holien |first1=Mick |title=Bus Buy |url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/351560010 |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=Missoulan |date=15 October 2002 |pages=B1, B3}}{{cite news |last1=Holien |first1=Mick |title=Flying Hall of Fame to Welcome Six |url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/351563516 |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=Missoulan |date=19 October 2002 |page=B2}}{{efn|1=The bus was an example of the type that had been built for Yellowstone National Park and later purchased by Johnson Flying Service to transport Montana State University students to Hale Field for flight training during World War II.}} The museum acquired a Travel Air 6000 that had previously been owned by Johnson Flying Service in 2013.{{cite news |title=Former Johnson Air Service Travel Air 6000 Lands at Missoula Museum |url=http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/former-johnson-air-service-travel-air-6000-lands-at-missoula-museum/article_af4c354e-9b3d-11e2-a7a9-0019bb2963f4.html |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=Missoulan |date=1 April 2013}} The following May a Bell 47G that was built from parts was donated to the museum and a J-3 was added seven months after that.{{cite news |last1=Briggeman |first1=Kim |title=Pilot Builds Bell 47 Helicopter for Missoula Aviation Museum |url=http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/pilot-builds-bell-47-helicopter-for-missoula-aviation-museum/article_b7b2cd8a-e85b-11e3-9e48-0019bb2963f4.html |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=Missoulan |date=30 May 2014}}{{cite news |last1=Briggeman |first1=Kim |title=WWII Training Plane with Long Montana History Headed for Flying Museum |url=http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/wwii-training-plane-with-long-montana-history-headed-for-flying-museum/article_6279719e-8117-54da-a5dc-818d48e314b5.html |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=Missoulan |date=6 December 2014}}

In June 2018, the museum began preparing its C-47 for a flight to France as part of a flyover for the 75th anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy.{{cite news |last1=Briggeman |first1=Kim |title=Flying Museum Prepares to Take Historic Mann Gulch Plane to Normandy in 2019 |url=http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/flying-museum-prepares-to-take-historic-mann-gulch-plane-to-normandy-in-2019/article_02546ce5-2f28-5da9-abcb-94ca8a88beef.html |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=Missoulan |date=3 June 2018}} As the airplane was not yet airworthy, the museum purchased another DC-3 in March 2019 for flight training.{{cite news |last1=Briggeman |first1=Kim |title=Missoula Flying Museum Adds Historic DC-3 |url=http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-flying-museum-adds-historic-dc-3/article_b3c32429-1758-5cdc-9b0f-1dec85c11cd1.html |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=Missoulan |date=24 May 2019}}

In 2021, the museum announced it would open a new location at the Stevensville Airport and that it had acquired a Howard DGA-11.{{cite news |last1=Staples |first1=Laurel |title=Museum of Mountain Flying to Expand to Stevensville |url=http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/local/museum-of-mountain-flying-to-expand-to-stevensville |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=NBC Montana |date=12 May 2022}}

The museum's C-47 would be named the state plane of Montana in May 2023.{{cite news |last1=Christian |first1=Peter |title=Governor Proclaims 'Miss Montana' the State's Official Plane |url=http://www.newstalkkgvo.com/miss-montana-state-plane |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=KGVO |date=5 May 2023}}

In October 2024, the museum announced it would be opening a branch at Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell, Montana that would include an aircraft maintenance technician training program.{{cite news |last1=Wells |first1=Sean |title=Museum of Mountain Flying to Expand in Kalispell |url=http://www.kpax.com/news/local-news/flathead-county/museum-of-mountain-flying-to-expand-in-kalispell |access-date=3 January 2025 |work=KPAX |date=3 October 2024}} The following month, it was revealed that museum had acquired an A-26 that had been used in the movie Always.{{cite news |last1=Estes |first1=Adam |title=Douglas A-26 Invader from the Movie "Always" Joins the Museum of Mountain Flying |url=http://www.vintageaviationnews.com/warbirds-news/douglas-a-26-invader-from-the-movie-always-joins-montanas-museum-of-mountain-flying.html |access-date=3 January 2025 |work=Vintage Aviation News |date=27 November 2024}}

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• Beechcraft JRB-1{{cite web |title=Airframe Dossier - Beech JRB-1 Expeditor, c/n 8449, c/r N8037H |url=http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=32553 |website=Aerial Visuals |access-date=29 December 2023}}
• Bell 47G-3B-1{{cite web |title=Airframe Dossier - Bell 47G-3B-1, c/n 6664, c/r N6257N |url=http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=74807 |website=Aerial Visuals |access-date=29 December 2023}}
• Bell HH-1H Iroquois{{cite web |title=Airframe Dossier - Bell HH-1H-BF Iroquois, s/n 70-2467 US, c/n 17111, c/r N444NB |url=http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=10352 |website=Aerial Visuals |access-date=29 December 2023}}
• Brown Sportster{{cite web |title=Airframe Dossier - Taylorcraft-Piper J-3C-65, c/r N21BJ |url=http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=154056 |website=Aerial Visuals |access-date=29 December 2023}}
• Douglas C-47A Skytrain{{cite web |title=Airframe Dossier - Douglas C-47A-90-DL, s/n 43-15731 USAAF, c/n 20197, c/r N24320 |url=http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=47467 |website=Aerial Visuals |access-date=29 December 2023}}
• Douglas DC-3A{{cite web |title=Airframe Dossier - Douglas DC-3A-197E, c/n 04123, c/r N33644 |url=http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=74483 |website=Aerial Visuals |access-date=29 December 2023}}
• General Motors TBM-3 Avenger{{cite web |title=Airframe Dossier - Grumman-General Motors TBM-3 Avenger, s/n 53200 RCN, c/n 3262, c/r C-GLEL |url=http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=19650 |website=Aerial Visuals |access-date=29 December 2023}}
• Howard DGA-11{{cite web |title=FAA Registry [N17Y] |url=http://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N17Y |website=Federal Aviation Administration |publisher=U.S. Department of Transportation |access-date=29 December 2023}}
• Piper J-3 Cub{{cite web |title=Airframe Dossier - Taylorcraft-Piper J-3C-65, c/n 7954, c/r N41300 |url=http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=212381 |website=Aerial Visuals |access-date=29 December 2023}}
• Stinson 108-1{{cite web |title=Airframe Dossier - Stinson 108-1, c/n 108-1466, c/r N8466K |url=http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=47635 |website=Aerial Visuals |access-date=29 December 2023}}
• Travel Air 6000{{cite web |title=Airframe Dossier - Travel Air S-6000B, c/n 0986, c/r N8865 |url=http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=64521 |website=Aerial Visuals |access-date=29 December 2023}}

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• 1925 White bus
• 1947 Federal truck{{cite web |title=Gallery |url=http://www.museumofmountainflying.org/gallery.html |website=Museum of Mountain Flying |access-date=29 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518202249/http://www.museumofmountainflying.org/gallery.html |archive-date=18 May 2022}}
• Ford GPW

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• Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20220624190828/http://www.museumofmountainflying.org Official website (archived)]

Category:Aerospace museums in Montana

Category:Museums in Missoula County, Montana