LETTER: City airport vital to young pilots

Two years ago when I was 14, I went to the Kalispell City Airport and took a ride in a Travelair, an old seven-seat airliner from the 1920s. It was an event sponsored by the local Experimental Aircraft Association. The plane was amazing and I even got to fly it for a few minutes. I knew right when I got off the plane that I wanted to be a pilot not just for fun, but as a career. This was an amazing opportunity for me. I worked hard and saved up all I earned, then started flying lessons a couple of months ago.

The airport is critical for people like me who want to learn to fly. It’s small enough to be a challenge without all of the traffic of the larger airport. Pilots in Montana are very important for fire detection and suppression, and to help move people and goods around the state. We live in a very large state and there are many places where other transportation isn’t available. To move things and people, like for medical reasons, Montana needs to have trained pilots.

Keeping the airport open makes sure that there will be future pilots like me who want to stay in Montana and help meet Montana’s aviation needs.

—Eric Smith, Kalispell