Chapter 8

“How about a Ninety Day Free Trial?” I asked. “If it doesn’t work out...”

<Smooth move, Exlax.>

“You keep out of this!”

Her dad said, “I didn’t say nothing.”

Hmm.

Wendy was in shock.

“No!” she said. “It’s all or nothing.”

“That’s easy,” I shook Dad’s hand, “‘Bye.”

I knew I couldn’t stay in Denver. I didn’t want the girls. They didn’t want me ... not the way I wanted ... and I missed home.

Did I ever tell you about Lewistown’s airport? Aviation Magazine has this to say about the airfield:

The Lewistown Satellite Airfield was constructed in Lewiston, Montana, during World War II as one of four training facilities for B-17 Flying Fortress crew members and included a storage site for the top secret Norden Bombsight.

The Norden Bombsight, a synchronous stabilized bomb-aiming device, was considered fundamental in America’s precision bombing doctrine. The extant bombsight storage shelter which housed the bombsight is one of a few known buildings of this type remaining in the United States. With construction complete by 1942, Lewistown was built as a satellite field for Great Falls Air Base. Squadrons were trained in the navigation of the B-17 in addition to receiving gunnery and bombing practice. Once their training was complete, the men were sent to the European front. The airfield was in operation during a 12-month period between 1942 and 1943 and thereafter deactivated.

The historic district retains all original buildings within its boundaries, with the exception of a guard house previously located southeast of the bombsight storage building. The Norden Bombsight was stored in a small one-story building constructed of poured concrete. Divided into two vaults, the Norden device was only accessible through bank vault doors. Other extant buildings include a hangar, the operations building, an armament building and an underground storage vault. The field was declared surplus in 1944 and has served the local community as a municipal airport ever since.

Other interesting facts include The Saga of the PBY 5A

The PBY sat at the end of the East/West taxiway for as long as living Lewistown residents could remember. It wasn’t exactly flyable ... but it might be ferry-able. A crew could ... maybe ... fly it out for restoration ... a one way trip...

The aircraft in question had been the subject of contention for years. The story ... a rumor that spread like wild fire. Allegedly sold to a front for the Mossad, the aircraft was quasi restored with the intent of shipping it overseas. The restorers attempted to remove the aircraft in the dead of night. The Federal Soup was waiting. The aircraft stopped and spent years falling into further disrepair as the Federal Courts were getting to the bottom of the circumstances.

(NOTE: The aircraft crashed during takeoff killing one of the three men aboard. May 9, 1985. When the author was home in 1988 the bedraggled PBY was at the far east end of the airfield ... slightly askew.

The brakes failed during an unauthorized takeoff attempt. A ground loop attempt failed.)

For a small town, the airfield is enormous. The runways are 100 feet wide ... suitable for a Boeing B-17 and very long. Part of the west runway is used as a dragstrip and a UPS Evasive Driving and Truck Driving school. Southeast parts of the extensive runways are used by the local radio controlled model airplane club.