Montana

[rwarre]

Flying to Kalispell mid June from eastern Colorado. Planning on 12000 feet unless I go IFR. 6 hours early flight. Any advice on the trip is welcomed
. Thanks

 

[scarlson]

Flying to Kalispell mid June from eastern Colorado. Planning on 12000 feet unless I go IFR. 6 hours early flight. Any advice on the trip is welcomed
. Thanks

I have flown in that area quite a bit, especially from the PNW into the midwest. Being older, maybe wiser, and risk averse, I would fly from eastern Colorado to Gillette, then Billings, then Great Falls. If the winds are a bit strong, I would fly from just south of GTF to Missoula, then north along the western side of the ridge over Flathead Lake into Kalispell. If the winds are lighter, you can go from GTF to Kalispell direct. The route provides great views of the mountains and the safety of airports and lower country to starboard.