Departure
98%
vs 95% ▲ 3
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Great Falls International Airport (KGTF) sits on Gore Hill three miles southwest of downtown Great Falls, Montana, sharing its runways with the Montana Air National Guard's 120th Airlift Wing. A tower-controlled field with a full ILS approach and two hard-surfaced runways, it offers straightforward VFR access to central Montana while hosting a mix of airline, general aviation and military traffic.
Great Falls International Airport is a joint civil-military field serving the city of Great Falls in north-central Montana. It combines scheduled airline service with a significant military presence as home to the Montana Air National Guard's 120th Airlift Wing, making it an interesting stop for the simulator pilot who wants a mix of airline, general aviation and military traffic in an open, mountain-adjacent setting.
The airport lies within controlled airspace, reflecting its tower service, approach control and published ILS approach. It is situated in city limits three miles southwest of central Great Falls, in Cascade County, Montana. Malmstrom Air Force Base, home to the 341st Missile Wing, lies about 10 miles to the east on the far side of the city; Malmstrom's own runway is closed to fixed-wing traffic, so Great Falls International provides fixed-wing support for aircraft visiting that base.
The airport has two physical runways. Runway 03/21 is 10,491 feet long, hard-surfaced and lit, with an ILS available for Runway 03. Runway 17/35 is the shorter cross runway, hard-surfaced and lit, with a published length of 5,794 feet in one direction and 6,024 feet in the other. Field elevation is 3,661 feet.
Air-to-ground services include Tower on 118.7 MHz, Ground on 121.7 MHz, and a combined Ground/Clearance Delivery frequency on 28.89 MHz used for Air National Guard operations and maintenance. ATIS broadcasts on 126.6 MHz, with an Approach/Departure frequency of 128.6 MHz. A radio (RDO) frequency of 122.6 MHz and a UNICOM frequency of 122.95 MHz are also listed. An ILS is available for Runway 03.
The airfield occupies Gore Hill, a locally recognised landmark just southwest of central Great Falls, and pilots inbound from the city centre will find the field roughly three miles to the southwest of downtown.
The airport traces its origins to November 1928. During the Second World War it was leased by the U.S. War Department and, known then as Gore Field after its hilltop site, became home to the 7th Ferrying Group of the Army Air Forces' Air Transport Command; more than 7,500 bombers and fighters passed through en route to Europe and the Pacific. The Army added some 740 acres of land and numerous buildings during this period. The Department of Defense returned control of the airport to the City of Great Falls in June 1948, with a reversion clause for national emergencies that was lifted in 1961. The terminal was rebuilt and the runways, aprons and taxiways updated in 1975.
Great Falls International Airport today combines airline and general aviation traffic with a substantial military presence as home to the Montana Air National Guard's 120th Airlift Wing, which flies the Lockheed C-130 Hercules on medium airlift missions after re-equipping from the F-15 Eagle in 2014. The field also supports fixed-wing traffic for nearby Malmstrom Air Force Base, whose own runway is closed to fixed-wing aircraft. A large aircraft maintenance and repair operation run by AvMax has been based at the airport since 2006. International arrivals require prior arrangement with U.S. Customs and Border Protection before landing.
