Cut Bank inaugural ...

One last aviation post this morning, before we move on to other forms of travel.

This photo records an exciting moment in the history of the town of Cut Bank -- the arrival of commercial airline service to the city on June 1, 1941. The flight was a northward extension of Western Air Lines' route up to Great Falls ... after stopping in Cut Bank, the service continued on to Lethbridge, Alberta, where one could connect with flights to other Canadian destinations.

Cut Bank has the dubious distinction of being the only community in Montana to have lost commercial airline service in the modern era. Western pulled out in the late 1960s, leaving the town's travelers back in the capable hands of the Great Northern Railway.