2630 Airport Road, Helena MT 59620
Mailing: PO Box 200507, Helena, MT 59620-0507
Main Office: 406-444-2506
The Montana Aeronautics Division has two bureaus: Safety and Education and Airport/Airways. These bureaus are responsible for providing for the protection and promotion of safety in aeronautics. The Division facilitates the maintenance of airports and the various components of airport infrastructure, including visual and electronic navigational facilities and flying aids. Efforts to foster, promote, and supervise aviation and aviation safety are coordinated through educational efforts and programs, registering aircraft and pilots in accordance with Montana laws and regulations; and coordination and supervision of aerial search and rescue operations. In accordance with the maintenance and safety aspects of the Division's overall mission, it administers a loan and grant program to municipal governments to fund airport development and improvement projects.
Airports/Airways Bureau
The Bureau owns and operates 14 airports, which includes the Yellowstone Airport, West Yellowstone, MT. This seasonal airport hosts scheduled air carrier service via United Express to Denver, Co and Delta Connection to Salt Lake City, UT (operated by SkyWest Airlines) from early May through mid-October. The airport is also a base for the USFS Interagency Fire Center (smokejumpers), which provides wildland fire response for Yellowstone National Park and southwestern Montana. The Bureau also performs airport inspections for all public use airports in Montana, manages the State Loan and Grant program, manages the State Aviation System Plan, produces an annual Airport Directory, and produces the Montana Aeronautical Chart every four years.
Safety and Education Bureau
The Safety and Education Bureau develops, promotes and administers the state's aviation safety and education programs including, the annual college-accredited Aviation Teacher Workshop, the Aviation Career Academy, and state aviation education programs. The Bureau also coordinates the statewide air search and rescue program, trains the program volunteers and coordinators, and maintains an aviation resource library. Additionally, the Bureau administers the statewide aircraft and pilot registration program, conducts and promotes the annual winter survival clinic, the flight instructor refresher clinic, and the mountain search pilot clinic.
Related Sites
Aeronautics Board | Montana and the Sky | Aviation in Montana | Yellowstone Airport