mtbowhunter wrote:

Hammer wrote: All in all, I'd say both areas suck for flight training unless you can fly early in the morning on any given day.

Having learned here and flown all over the this state (although not directly over either of the Parks), I'd have to disagree with you Hammer. The flying conditions here are good much of the time and awesome a lot of the time.

I second that.... it can get bad, but no worse than anywhere else.
John

mtbowhunter wrote:

Hammer wrote: All in all, I'd say both areas suck for flight training unless you can fly early in the morning on any given day.

Having learned here and flown all over the this state (although not directly over either of the Parks), I'd have to disagree with you Hammer. The flying conditions here are good much of the time and awesome a lot of the time.

Yeah, no kidding. You can fly any time of the day.

I agree with these other Montanans....the conditions are not prohibitive and the views are spectacular. Bozeman, Big Timber, Dillon, Laurel....etc., almost any larger (for Montana) cities have full-service FBO's with CFIs.

I'm not knocking the big sky! There's just something about seeing trailers tied to the ground like circus tents that makes me remember wind...

Both parks are pretty mountainous, and both parks get a LOT of afternoon convection. A FBO two hours away doesn't do you much good if you're trying to work and learn to fly at the same time.

For someone looking to learn in their own airplane, they not only need an instructor nearby, but they need an instructor who is qualified in the plane they want to fly. You might find that person within easy driving distance of either park, but the chances are not as good as elsewhere.

I'll flat out agree that as far as a beautiful place to fly, Montana is hard to beat. The right fall day in Montana will break your heart and make you want to live forever all at the same time. But that's not really the point when you're trying to get that first license.

And, that's why I suggested Duane Hodgkinson. He's just north of the north entrance to Jellystone, on a private strip. He's retired, and loves to instruct.

Go there before he sells out.

MTV