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Bozeman, Montana

JP

JP

FOUNDER
The Big Woods of Maine
it's a dreary day in the Northeast. One of many this winter. I was sitting here tonight thinking about flying (or lack thereof) and thinking about The West (and how long it's been since I've been out there) when I got a text from a dear friend. He lives on a really cool island off the coast of Maine and is currently out in Bozeman, Montana, visiting his charming daughter and her husband. So....he was with his family around 1720 or so mountain central time when an really nice yellow Cub flew by them and dipped the wings and headed off in the direction of Bridger Bowl. He knows what a Cub looks like because I fly beer out to his dry island in the summer....

So, whoever you are, thanks for waving to a friend. If you happen to be on SC.org you get extra kudos for making their afternoon special with a wave. Small world, great people.
 
Bozeman is on my bucket list. The Gibson Acoustic Guitar factory is there which is probably a short tour ( I own two Gibsons) but I know the country will be spectacular for a flat lander like me!

Rich
 
I was just there! Be sure to look up MTV and of course, it is the headquarters of the RAF.

sj
 
I have a fond spot for Bozeman. My first flight across the northern Rockies had stops in Butte and Bozeman - possible back then with a 12 gallon tank. The route of the Olympian Hiawatha had been shut down for only two years.

Had no idea Gibson was there. A friend just told me my 1958 ES-175D may actually be worth something these days.
 
Bob,

Gibson acoustic guitars are built in Bozeman. Electric guitars from Nashville. Your ES 175 was built in Kalamazoo. That’s where all were built back then.

Gibson has gone through as many owners as Piper, I think.
EDIT EDIT quick check of the inter web indicates:
I would think your guitar could sell in the $4K range Maybe more.
EDIT EDIT

The queen of my fleet is a 1939 Gibson J-55

Rich
 
Last edited:
bob turner said:
A friend just told me my 1958 ES-175D may actually be worth something these days.
Click to expand...

Bob, next time you want to renew your membership, just send me that guitar instead. It will just cover it... free calendars for life! :)

sj
 
Bought my first Cub in Bozeman in 77 or 78. 105 special with flaps and No electrics. Rancher had it in his barn.. ended up selling it to Jimmy Dixon (Fine Line Interiors) and he converted it to a 150. Last I checked it’s still in McGrath.....
 
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I was flying through Bozeman pass once in a pacer and the wind was blowing so hard, a u haul truck passed me on the interstate . It's really a cool country to go flying around in. there is a fun airport in Boulder, Grass with a hill in the middle.


Sent from my iPhone using SuperCub.Org
 
Richgj3 said:
Bob,

The queen of my fleet is a 1939 Gibson J-55

Rich
Click to expand...

A J-55. Wowza! My "Queen" is an all original sunburst 1979 Fender Stratocaster. My mother was very displeased when I squandered $400 on said guitar 34 years ago..... That and $125 on a 1966 Fender Bassman tube amp... My "go to" guitar is a 1994 Strat (pictured) and the DRRI amp (on left). Funny how so many of us who fly also play guitar. I guess we are just equipment junkies at heart with a song in our souls and wind in our hair.....
2018-01-14 09.05.58.jpg.
 

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This is a picture of my Gibsons. Since then I’ve sold the center one, a southern Jumbo. The one on the left is an Advanced Jumbo and the one on the right is the J-55.

The J-55 came from Jay Geils. Jay was my friend since we met in college in 1964. He came to meet me at Crow Island a few years ago at one of the picnics. He was a real motor head, too. He lived only a few miles from there. He had a bunch of vintage Gibson electrics and Gibson and Fender amps.

IMG_0684.JPG


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Bozeman.... well, Gaston's there. Airport FBO ain't too bad and you can take off from the taxiways if you firewall before the tower opens. And there's Sir Scott's Oasis Steakhouse & Lounge in Manhattan - which is just a shade outside of BZN proper. Have the porterhouse.
 
I used to play a Gibson Les Paul. Sweetest setup guitar I've ever had my hands on, and at the time I owned Gretsch, Fender strats and tele's, and a whole bunch of acoustics, Martins, Gibsons, Madera..... 20/20 hindsight, should've kept them all!!
John
 
Since the subject got a little off topic...and the discussion turned to gee-tars, anyone know where I can get a value on one for insurance purposes? My wife's grandfather, was a WWI veteran and bought a Gibson that he played often. He passed away many years ago and the guitar was promised to my wife. Neither of us play, but want to keep it in the family and would like to get a valuation for insurance. It has the original case, which is quite worn.
If anyone can help, please send me a pm with an email or number and I can email/text some pictures. Thanks!

Now, who was flying that Cub?
 
WWhunter said:
Since the subject got a little off topic...and the discussion turned to gee-tars, anyone know where I can get a value on one for insurance purposes? My wife's grandfather, was a WWI veteran and bought a Gibson that he played often. He passed away many years ago and the guitar was promised to my wife. Neither of us play, but want to keep it in the family and would like to get a valuation for insurance. It has the original case, which is quite worn.
If anyone can help, please send me a pm with an email or number and I can email/text some pictures. Thanks!

Now, who was flying that Cub?
Click to expand...

I think I hear life membership on SC.org... so at our age that would be $100?

Just joking, I know less about guitars than I do about Wilga airplanes. Having Grandpa's "anything useful" though, No price for that.
 
It wasn't me, but if that cub was headed to Bridger Bowl at 420 mtn time it was in for one wild ride. I was on the ridge at bridger at about 2 o'clock, the wind made a radical change from normal west/northwest to a solid east wind, at 20-25. Shortly thereafter a cold cap cloud formed along the top of the ridge (a BBC-Bridger Bowl Cloud) and the temp started dropping.

In case you're really interested: (a good reference site during winter-scroll down to the 'Ridge' station) https://bridgerbowl.com/weather/history-tables

doug
 
MT12 said:
It wasn't me, but if that cub was headed to Bridger Bowl at 420 mtn time it was in for one wild ride. I was on the ridge at bridger at about 2 o'clock, the wind made a radical change from normal west/northwest to a solid east wind, at 20-25. Shortly thereafter a cold cap cloud formed along the top of the ridge (a BBC-Bridger Bowl Cloud) and the temp started dropping.

In case you're really interested: (a good reference site during winter-scroll down to the 'Ridge' station) https://bridgerbowl.com/weather/history-tables

doug
Click to expand...

Yup, the rafters were rattling in town about then too. Went from flat calm to screaming in about 30 seconds flat.

MTV
 
This is precisely what I love about sc.org. This site is one of a kind for sure. Now I want to visit Bridger Bowl. I read Jim Bridger biography when I was a young lad growing up in the Mill Town and dreaming of adventure and travel. On another note it should be known that SJ plays one mean guitar. Sings, too.

Sent from my [device_name] using SuperCub.Org mobile app
 
JP said:
This is precisely what I love about sc.org. This site is one of a kind for sure. Now I want to visit Bridger Bowl. I read Jim Bridger biography when I was a young lad growing up in the Mill Town and dreaming of adventure and travel. On another note it should be known that SJ plays one mean guitar. Sings, too.

Sent from my [device_name] using SuperCub.Org mobile app
Click to expand...

You didn't get beat up enough flying back from Silver Lake with Jim "Bridger" Crane.
 
JP said:
This is precisely what I love about sc.org. This site is one of a kind for sure. Now I want to visit Bridger Bowl. I read Jim Bridger biography when I was a young lad growing up in the Mill Town and dreaming of adventure and travel. On another note it should be known that SJ plays one mean guitar. Sings, too.

Sent from my [device_name] using SuperCub.Org mobile app
Click to expand...

Now you’re just buttering him up for a discount on membership.

SuperCub.Org; Where adventures are plentiful, the allure is strong, music flows from the heart and the wild yonder beckons.
Also the craziest bunch of misfits to gather in a group. [emoji23]


Transmitted from my FlightPhone
 
At Belgrade, montana, just a couple of miles away, is where JE Soares built supercubs, i think he built over a 100 certified frames there. its where Univairs first supercub jig was made. Thats who he sold out to. Is JEs son still making things??
 
tempdoug said:
At Belgrade, montana, just a couple of miles away, is where JE Soares built supercubs, i think he built over a 100 certified frames there. its where Univairs first supercub jig was made. Thats who he sold out to. Is JEs son still making things??
Click to expand...

Wow, brings back memories. We used to live on the place where Jim Soares set up shop. My family sold him the house and barn after we moved about 3 miles away to another ranch with an even older house.

He converted the old Milwaukee railway bed into an airstrip. I loved going over there to chat with him.

He's the one who first showed me how to weld tubes.

I went to Belgrade High School. We always called Bozeman "the City." We also resented Gallatin Field being called BZN because it clearly belonged to Belgrade, bounding the littler town on the east side.
 
My frame is one of Jims, was sortve cool, drive out to his place and walk in that old barn and go, "Wow". His son was making parts for slot machines and didnt really want to mess with airplane stuff. So Jim retired and away everything went. He had a welder, Dan was his first name, wonder where he went. He could tig.
 
tempdoug said:
My frame is one of Jims, was sortve cool, drive out to his place and walk in that old barn and go, "Wow". His son was making parts for slot machines and didnt really want to mess with airplane stuff. So Jim retired and away everything went. He had a welder, Dan was his first name, wonder where he went. He could tig.
Click to expand...

Well, that's pretty neat. Jim moved there around 1979 or 1980--I can't remember exactly. That big old barn was where we used to take care of our Angus cows during calving. The loft upstairs was big enough for a basketball court. I spent the better part of two summers re-roofing that thing, hanging from ropes thrown over the top and tied to corral posts.

I lost track of them in the early 90s when I moved to Washington State.
 
Jim Soares was a great guy. He told me once that he had been infected by the aviation bug at an early age, and although he had been vaccinated against it several times, none of those worked to eliminate the infection which was lifelong. His last restoration, an Inrterstate Cadet, is still in BZN.
 
Dave and I took a wrecked fuselage to him and had him repair it in his repair jig. We took a lot of pictures of that jig and we copied it with that frame in it when we got home. That plane turned out to be about the best flying plane I've been around. My current Cub came out of the same frame.
 
RVBottomly said:
Wow, brings back memories. We used to live on the place where Jim Soares set up shop. My family sold him the house and barn after we moved about 3 miles away to another ranch with an even older house.
Click to expand...

You probably frequented Barnes' Steam show too then.... :D
John
 
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