Scott's USAF Installations Page

Trip Report: Montana Shakedown

First published in 2011. Reformatted 2025.

I've long wanted to head up to Glasgow, Montana, but it's way off the beaten path. This trip was intended to be earlier in the year, and would have been the shakedown cruise for my new Outback; but due to flooding in parts of Montana I slipped the schedule a couple months. But I liked the title so it stuck! All visits on this trip are in Montana. Just a reminder PIN means Permanent Installation Number and ILC means Installation Location Code; I include these for Air Force properties when I know them.

Thursday, 28 July 2011

I made an early start from Denver, heading north into Wyoming. I stopped for the night in Buffalo, after covering 405 miles in 6.5 hours.

Friday, 29 July 2011

I rolled out at 0700 and headed north, heading to the northeast corner of Montana.

Glasgow Army Air Field MT, 48-12-50, 106-36-55. This bomber training base was in service from late 1942 until late 1944, serving as a sub-base or satellite to Great Falls AAFld. I was told a Norden bomb sight storage building still stands, but I was unable to get close enough to find out for sure.
Concrete buttresses from WWII hangar
Water storage tank

Glasgow Air Force Base MT, PIN 3349, ILC HYTF, 48-25-10, 106-31-25. This base was built for Air Defense Command, but the mission soon changed and Strategic Air Command took over. The base was active from about 1955 until 1976. Most of the former base, including the flightline, is now controlled by Montana Aviation Research Company, and they do not welcome tourists.
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
Headquarters building
Headquarters building
Chapel
Chapel
Control tower
Parachute loft
Elevated water storage tank
Elevated water storage tank
Maintenance docks
School
Dormitories
Dormitories
Building
Building
Building
Building
Family housing
Family housing
Family housing
Family housing
Family housing
Family housing

I settled into a motel in Glasgow for the night. This was a 9.5-hour day, covering 496 miles.

Saturday, 30 July 2011

I made a leisurely 0730 start, heading west.

Great Falls Communications Annex MT, PIN 8206, ILC JKRY, 47-34-47, 111-13-24. This communications facility was in service from 1960 until 1984, first under Air Defense Command (until 1979) then Tactical Air Command. This was an annex of Malmstrom Air Force Base, serving the long-range radar site there.
View from gate
Distant view, possibly showing a corner of the Air Force building behind a newer metal building

Stockett Communications Site GWEN 654 MT, ILC WHYJ, 47-18-13, 111-10-21. This site, with the standard 299-foot tower, was in use from the late 1980s until the late 1990s. It was also called Great Falls on some lists.
General view
Equipment shelters
Tower base
Tower
Top of tower

Blue Angels. As I walked from my car to my hotel near the Great Falls airport, the C-130 Fat Albert over flew the hotel parking lot at low altitude. I knew this could only mean one thing, so I quickly checked in and returned to the parking lot with my camera.
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view

This was a 7.5-hour day, covering 355 miles.

Sunday, 31 July 2011

I headed north at 0800.

Conrad Ground Jammer (20GJ1) MT, ILC EHUK, 48-03-32, 111-34-53. Activated on 1 September 1990, and disposed of on 25 August 1994, this site supported Conrad Radar Bomb Scoring Site.
General view
Gravel pad
Center catch from entrance gate

Malmstrom Safeguard Water Booster Station No. 1 MT. One of two water pump stations supporting the component installations of the Safeguard system, this one was built adjacent to the access road of Malmstrom AF Missile Site Q-12.
General view
General view
General view showing power feed
Closeup view of vents
Closeup view of vents

I returned to Great Falls for the night, covering 304 miles in 9 hours.

Monday, 1 August 2011

I motored out of Great Falls at 0700.

I made it to Buffalo, Wyoming, in 8.5 hours and 424 miles. I stayed at the same motel--and in the same room--as I did a few days ago.

Tuesday 2 August 2011

This was a 6.5 hour driving day, covering the 405 miles to home. Total trip was 2,389 miles.

Updated April 20, 2025

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