KALISPELL — The Museum of Mountain Flying has partnered with Glacier Park International Airport (GPIA) in Kalispell to expand services to the Flathead Valley.
The museum plans to open a branch at the airport to share historical aircraft and other aviation-related items with the community.
“A museum, an airport and a college, combine them all together so we can mutually benefit everybody,” said Museum of Mountain Flying President Eric Komberec.
The Museum of Mountain Flying — which has been showcasing historical aircraft in Missoula for more than two decades — is excited to expand its love of aviation into Flathead County.
“This amazing piece of property that the airport has leased us gives us open space, gives us room to grow," Komberec told MTN.
He added the museum has reached an agreement with GPIA to lease space on the airport’s property for the future museum and anticipates up to 20 historical aircraft to be on display.
“It’s going to have highway access, you know 2.5 million people a year go to Glacier Park are going to be going right by this museum, families can come out and hang out at the museum and wait for their loved ones at the airline terminal,” said Komberec.
GPIA Director Rob Ratkowski said the partnership has been in the works for the last five years and is a major win for aviation lovers in Northwest Montana.
“It’s long been our goal to really be the epicenter or the focus of the aviation community in the Flathead Valley here at Glacier Park International Airport, and adding the museum annex just really plays right into that goal so we’re really excited,” said Ratkowski.
Along with showcasing historical aircraft the museum will serve an educational purpose, launching an Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic program providing future aviation technicians with hands on training.
Komberec said they’re talking to colleges across the country.
“We can have our own maintenance team working on antique aircraft and while they’re doing it, they’re hopefully attaining an education degree and a skill and a trade and also promoting the tourism and growing the interest in aviation in Montana.”
Komberec said the project has a $4 million fundraising goal to get the museum up and running.
“I’m hopeful that in the next one to two years that we will be standing in our new facility talking to you.”
People who would like to donate to the future museum can find more information here.
