Aviation View - Oct 2023

27 AVIATION VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 BI LL INGS LOGAN INTERNAT IONAL AI RPORT jet bridge gates a much more solid surface for the larger aircraft that will be operating out of those jet bridge gates.” Rather like Germany’s famous Autobahn (well known for the depth of its paving), the deeper the concrete, the longer the road surface lasts, as Roach points out. Another side project involves relocating a midfield service road so the new FBO will have sufficient ramp space for parking and maneuvering aircraft. It will also allow for installing a fifth cargo pad, Roach reveals. “Our four cargo pads are almost in continuous use by Fed-Ex and UPS,” he informs. “We need the fifth pad to allow for expansion and as a way to move air operations so that we can redo the four older pads. We’ll do those one at a time. We’ll replace those pads as they near the end of their useful life.” Landing a desirable location Roach extols the airport’s prime location, allowing it to serve a multi- state region that is full of natural and cultural tourism opportunities. “We have the most beautiful drive to Yellowstone from our airport, that being the Beartooth Highway that enters the Yellowstone National Park in the northeast corner,” he reveals. “Beartooth Highway goes up over Beartooth Pass, which is over 10,000 feet before it drops down into the park. It is considered one of the most beautiful drives in the country.” The site of Custer’s Last Stand is also nearby, as well as a number of archeological areas that are incorporated into state parks and national forest lands. “We’re the only commercial-service airport that serves eastern Montana,” Roach says “and as such, we are really the hub for a very large geographic area. We’re the BIL Terminal. Photo by Amy Lynn Nelson