Billings MT Pirep

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Mtns2Skies

Final Approach
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Mtns2Skies
The Mrs and I were just perusing about and thought the one place we might consider moving would be Billings. Now that we've done some more research we're getting a bit more serious about it. We would have a year to plan the move, so looking at this time 2021.

Any pireps on living in the area?
Engineering job availability (obviously not now)
Hangar availability/aviation friendliness?

Depending on how the virus all goes we'd be looking at taking a trip later this summer to go check it out.
 
You're more likely to get freeloading Coloradoans visit you in Montana! I bet the sightseeing is world's better than where you are now.
I'd think the economic opportunities could be tough, unless you can both work remotely. It's fairly isolated. So, overall, not much to add you don't already know!

Years ago, prior to moving to Colorado, I used this and it was incredibly helpful.
https://www.amazon.com/Places-Rated-Almanac-Classic-Finding/dp/0979319900
 
sourdough44 said:
Anything wrong with S.D.? It rates higher in most instances.
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I'm guessing a job could be found, but perhaps not in an area where the OP would desire to live if the goal is to live in a place like Billings.

I lived there for over half my life and my parents are still there. Overall it's a great state to live in but I think that chart is a bit misleading on what things are actually like in most of the state due to the disparity between the largest city and the rest of it.
 
GeorgeC said:
I would like to have seen Montana.
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Remember how that actor was in Jurassic Park? The scene where he's at the dig and scares the kid about velociraptors? That dig was set in Montana. Wonder if little bit was intentional?
 
Florida is number one?? That is about the last place I would go to retire, although I know many do.

Not sure why Mtns2Skies and Mrs. Mtns2Skies picked Billings. There are a lot of skies, but the mountains are not that close, although closer than in Wisconsin. I've flown into the airport quite a few times. They seem as if they would be GA friendly. I remember a new FO commenting that she thought she would see mountains since we were in Montana. You could see them way out on the horizon. I have no clue about the job market.
 
Billings is ok. Great summers and falls with lots of outdoor activities- hunting, fishing, boating, hiking, skiing, etc. Not to far from a number of national parks including Yellowstone and Glacier. Winters - well it’s Montana and some time pretty harsh. But like anything else, you get used to it and adapt. Lots of money moving into that part of Montana. The airport sits up on a bluff - first time I flew in it was a little tense because the runways fall off into nothing. Everything I’ve read about the area indicates there is an active GA community. I know there is a college with a flight school there called Rocky Mountain College. I used a ferry pilot who flew for Horizion who was a graduate of their aviation program.
 
Billings is one of the fastest growing cities in Montana Lots of high $ houses for sale.
Rocky Mountain college is or was a Methodist College . Eastern Montana College there also. Now all called Universities. Who would send their kids to a College? U's have so much more prestige. ;>)
 
Billings is like western North Dakota. You want Montana? Try the western 1/3 of the state.
 
When looking at retirement attractiveness, individual preferences factor in heavily, besides the usual taxes, costs, & weather. Then you watch some move away only to come back 5 years later due to relatives, familiarity, etc.

I like the idea of the nomad lifestyle, while maintaining a home base. One could pick up another State residency if a meaningful benefit.

I think the OP’er mentioned work. For the most part, one should be willing to move for work opportunities.
 
topgun260 said:
Billings is like western North Dakota. You want Montana? Try the western 1/3 of the state.
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No jobs for us there. Only picked Billings because of its size, and it's still relatively small. The nice thing about Western North Dakota is that land is generally cheap and one day we'd like a lot of it.
 
Back when I was a bit younger than you, moving to Montana was on the short list of places. The whole jobs thing is the real problem that comes into play, unless you have or find a job that allows remote work. So my thought is that you'd both probably need to be looking into that as much as anything to make a move like that palatable.

As noted, Billings isn't quite as mountainous. I've flown into Missoula a few times and really love it. Especially with the kind of mountain flying you enjoy doing, it's a pretty area. But if you want to have a bunch of land and your own runway, etc., you probably want it in a flatter part of the country, or at least you need a flat enough area to be a runway.

I also agree with @sourdough44 that one should be willing to move for job opportunities. That's what's always dictated where I've lived, and while Ohio was not a place we'd ever return to, overall it's worked out well so long as you weed out certain areas that you know you don't want to live (New Jersey and Ohio come to mind).

We love the KC area, and it's a great place to raise our kids in the manner we want to. I can see us leaving this place behind once they leave the nest, though.
 
PPC1052 said:
Little known fact: there are several pyrotechnics manufacturing companies out of Billings due to the dry environment there. I had to go there a few times for depositions in wrongful death matter involving some pyrotechnics.
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I'm just ribbing @Mtns2Skies because he's (thinking about?) moving his airplane to an airport whose runway seems to be under water more often than not.

But maybe I'm flood-averse. The highest point of land in my county is in my neighborhood. :)
 
flyingcheesehead said:
I'm just ribbing @Mtns2Skies because he's (thinking about?) moving his airplane to an airport whose runway seems to be under water more often than not.

But maybe I'm flood-averse. The highest point of land in my county is in my neighborhood. :)
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Yep moving there... they found me a hangar in a dry corner of the airport :) And luckily I don't need a lot of runway and I have gobs of prop clearance. I'll move after I get my GI275's installed.
 
Gonna be a dental floss tycoon?

Nauga,
and his nasal retentive calliope music
 
If my family hadn't moved here over the past 10 years so we could all be close to each other after being spread all over the country for the previous 15 years, my wife and I would be living in Idaho, Wyoming or Montana right now (we might even take the kids with us :)). First time I ever saw that area was two years ago we took a train from MSP to Whitefish, MT. It's a great way to see the landscape change getting into the area. We liked it so much that later that same year, my wife and I did our anniversary trip to Hope, ID. We spent 2-3 days just exploring the area and enjoying the different landscape. Then last fall, I did a hunting trip to WY with my dad and f-i-l. I'm hoping this lockdown gets lifted so that we can go back out there again this fall.

When I hinted to my mom about the idea of us moving out there she said "Well, you better get a faster airplane so you can come visit your kids at Nana's every once in a while."
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Yep moving there... they found me a hangar in a dry corner of the airport :) And luckily I don't need a lot of runway and I have gobs of prop clearance. I'll move after I get my GI275's installed.
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And I'll stop the ribbing... Today. :( :( :(
 
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