Aviation View July 2023

62 AVIATION VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 The airport and what it has to offer are vital as they seek to move into the future. Gillette is situated between the Bighorn Mountains to the west and the Black Hills to the east, in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. This is a railway town that became a natural resources city. This is an area with vast quantities of coal, oil, and coalbed methane gas – known as the “Energy Capital of the Nation”; Wyoming provides nearly 35% of the coal used in the United States. Gillette is also home to amazing, picturesque landscapes that capture the imagination and energy of the Old West. Located between Mount Rushmore and Devil’s Monument – an hour from each. We are talking pristine nature, thousands of Bison, hunting, fishing, camping, and kayaking make this the ideal outdoor adventure area. Gillette is the actual place where gunslingers hung out in saloons, a storied history they are eager to share with visitors. As you stroll down the streets you will see modern and old-fashioned co-existing as you stop in for mead or check out the local art scene which has taken hold. Northwest Wyoming Regional Airport (GCC) sits on 894 acres and has two concrete runways: 16/34 is 7,500 by 150 feet and 3/21 is 5,803 by 75 feet – both are concrete. The airport’s Fixed Base Operator (FBO) – Flightline, is set to be replaced as of July 1st by Gate One – which will expand the offerings of the airport dramatically. Both Flightline and Gate One offer all of the usual amenities one might expect, from fuel services to courtesy cars, pilots’ lounges, and maintenance. “So, we partnered with Gate One,” Chatfield explains, “who run the FBO services in several communities, knowing that they would be well suited to taking on the regular offerings of an FBO, but that they are also well suited to do more. We hope that they will set up a flight school, and we are in