Montana
Seeking to Silo in Montana – FLYING Magazine
Montana’s Flathead Valley is a widely acclaimed summer and winter destination, known for its pristine clear water lakes, ski resorts, and—most notably—Glacier National Park.
The Silo House fly-in rental in Kalispell is conveniently situated near the area’s attractions but benefits from its tranquil location at Sky Ranch Airport (MT95). The increasingly popular accommodation is owned by Tom Bass and Susan Jasmann, longtime residents of the area who individually share a passion for aviation and horses.
“We opened the Silo House four years ago,” Bass said. “Two months later, COVID hit and every reservation was canceled. We thought we were going to go broke but actually did quite well during the pandemic because of what you can do here.
“Montana’s number one economic source is recreation, and people flock here because of all the things to do. People that stay at the Silo House for a week spend two or three days at Glacier [National] Park and the rest with all the activities Flathead Valley has to offer. There are places to ride horses, fly fish, hike, float the rivers, zip lines, rent RVs or boats, and many other things. Flathead Lake, which is only 2 miles from the Silo House, is 50 miles long and is about 6 miles wide on average.”
The fly-in rental features a unique architectural style. It is a memorable starting point for a pilot’s adventures in northwest Montana.
“One of the four lots we own was the original farmhouse for the section of land that MT95 is built on,” Bass said. “The farmhouse was 100 years old, and we took it down to the studs and doubled its size. The farmer’s original grain bins on the lot needed to be repurposed and the Silo House was born. All of the exterior is rock, barnwood, and silos. The interior is industrial modern with dramatic steel beams, lots of glass, stunning views, and custom wood furniture. With the patio, an acre of grass, and stunning views: This is the place you want to come home to at the end of the day. The initial goal of the house from day one was to be designed from the ground up as a vacation rental.”
The project’s website provides an overview of its amenities.
“The Silo House has an open floor plan with plenty of room to entertain, with windows overlooking a wetlands pond and the dramatic Rocky Mountains,” he said. “There are two large bedrooms with comfy king-size beds, a round loft with three twins (for kids or adults), two bathrooms, and private study with a twin which is in the silo over the master bedroom. A round fully stocked kitchen is a phenomenal place to cook, and there is a stunning bar area. The beautiful rustic wood kitchen table comfortably seats 10.
“You can enjoy your cup of coffee in front of the fireplace or out on the beautifully appointed patio, which has an outdoor bar area and fire pit for both summer and winter nights. Also, bring your binoculars for sightings of all sorts of animal life, bird watching, and horses in the pasture next door.”
Bass contends that the unique project has continued to be successful, post-pandemic, for several reasons. More than anything, having a rental home with direct runway access is a rarity in northwest Montana. Pilots have taken notice of the ease of taxiing to their accommodation.
As a point of reference, Kalispell City Airport (S27) is 6 nm northwest, and Glacier Park International (KGPI) is 12 nm to the north of Sky Ranch Airport. When you land at the Silo House, your hosts will take you to one of several car rental locations and help with your luggage.
Bass, a Cessna 180 owner, offered an overview of some of the notable airstrips in the area. He is happy to help curate a list of “must-sees” for pilots visiting, both on land and the water. He has been to Alaska 15 times on floats and frequented many of the Idaho backcountry strips. If you need help in planning your dream flying adventure, he will be there to help you.
“I am familiar with all of the local runways around here, including backcountry runways,” he said. “There are four backcountry runways less than 40 miles away that all have great camping locations. Three of them—Schafer, Meadow Creek, and Spotted Bear—are a few hundred feet away from spectacular fly fishing spots. Flights over the mountains in this area will give you breathtaking views.
- Spotted Bear (8U4) – 27 miles; 3,672 feet msl; 3,800-foot runway
- Meadow Creek (0S1) – 35 miles; 3,993 feet msl; 2,800-foot runway
- Schafer (8U2) – 38 miles; 4,854 feet msl; 3,200-foot runway
- Ryan Field (2MT1) – 23 miles; 3,660 feet msl; 2,500-foot runway
“These backcountry strips are all in the mountains and should only be attempted by pilots with mountain flying experience. For those that are not seasoned backcountry pilots, there are instructors around here that seriously know what they are doing. They know what they’re doing because daily they help a lot of people who are flown into these strips as a place to start their hikes.”
The well-manicured grass runway at Sky Ranch Airport is much less intimidating to the visiting pilot, sitting at an estimated 2,905 feet msl. According to Bass, 100LL fuel is typically available for guests so that they don’t have to fly to another airport to fill up.
“MT95 is the biggest grass strip in Montana,” he said. “It’s 5,000 feet long and 220 feet wide, but we have designated a 50-foot taxiway on each side. There are no obstacles, so it is easy to get in and out of.”
Montana
Escobar, Jayapal, Members of Congress Call on Camp East Montana to be Shut Down – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) – joined by Representative Pramila Jayapal, the Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, and 22 other Members of Congress – sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons calling for the immediate closure of Camp East Montana in El Paso. They cite urgent humanitarian concerns following multiple deaths in custody, documented unsafe conditions, and serious deficiencies in medical care.
This marks the fourth letter Congresswoman Escobar has sent to DHS and ICE leadership. The previous three letters have gone unanswered.
The letter can be found in its entirety below and here.
“Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons:
We are urgently calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS or the Department) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to shut down Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas.
Camp East Montana has been operational for six months, and at least three people have died at the site since December 2025: Francisco Gaspar-Andres, Geraldo Lunas Campos, and Victor Manuel Diaz. The El Paso County Medical Examiner has officially ruled Lunas Campos’ death a homicide, citing “asphyxia due to neck and torso compression.”
Camp East Montana was constructed in a matter of weeks and opened before construction was complete and it does not have enough federal staff on-site to provide adequate oversight. Over the last several months, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, in whose district this facility is located, has sent multiple letters to DHS and ICE regarding concerns about the conditions at Camp East Montana, and has received no responses.
According to detainees, there have been constant and consistent problems at the facility since it opened, beginning with the facility’s poor construction and poor ambient temperature control. Upon opening, the drinking water at Camp East Montana tasted foul and made some detainees sick. Detainees continue to be served inadequate meals, including food that is rotten or frozen; last fall, the facility was also consistently failing to make dietary accommodations for detainees. Detainees have shared that they have sporadic access to outside spaces and recreational areas, and that their dormitory pods are cleaned only once every eight days, despite pods housing up to 72 people at a time. Laundry services are not consistent, and people are washing their clothes in the facility showers. Additionally, the facility experiences flooding and sewage backups when it rains, leading to stagnant water.
One of the biggest concerns with the Camp East Montana facility is the inadequate medical care being provided to detainees. Our offices have heard that only the most ill detainees are referred to the medical unit and that there are inconsistencies as to how soon after arriving detainees are able to undergo initial medical screenings. Detainees with chronic health issues who rely on regimented medications for their health have had difficulty accessing necessary medications, including blood pressure medication and insulin.
At least one of the deaths that occurred in ICE custody, the death of Francisco Gaspar-Andres, appears to partially be the result of poor medical care by staff at the facility. According to ICE’s own account, Gaspar-Andres sought medical attention from facility staff for increasingly serious symptoms, but was only transferred to an area hospital once his condition had severely deteriorated.
In addition to our concerns about poor medical care, we are also aware that detainees have experienced irregular access to their legal counsel, including instances of detainees having only two minutes allotted per phone call every 8 days, which is contrary to ICE’s Detention Standards on access to counsel, and that the belatedly created law library lacks adequate resources for the amount of people currently held at the facility. In January 2026, ICE announced the on-site death of Geraldo Lunas Campos “after experiencing medical distress.” ICE opened an investigation into the death, but did not provide a cause of death. However, The Washington Post later reported that another man detained at Camp East Montana had witnessed guards choking Lunas Campos when he refused to enter a segregated housing unit. Weeks later, the El Paso County Medical Examiner ruled that Lunas Campos had experienced “asphyxia due to neck and torso compression” and ruled his death a homicide.
Lunas Campos is the first detainee to die at Camp East Montana as a result of a use-of-force incident, but we are strongly concerned that he will not be the last if ICE is allowed to continue operating Camp East Montana.
ICE was given $45 billion in taxpayer dollars in the reconciliation bill, $1.2 billion of which were awarded to Acquisition Logistics, LLC, a company with no previous experience managing immigration detention facilities, to build and oversee Camp East Montana. However, in the wake of three deaths in custody so far, continued concerns about conditions at the facility, and ICE’s apparent disinterest in responding to oversight letters from Congress, we do not believe Camp East Montana is being run professionally or responsibly.
Camp East Montana must be shut down. For the safety of everyone at the facility, for an end to abuses to detainees, and for fiscal responsibility to the American people, the site cannot continue to operate. We are calling on DHS and ICE to move to immediately close operations at Camp East Montana.
We look forward to hearing from the Department promptly on this matter.
The other co-signers include Representatives Yassamin Ansari, Nanette Barragán, Yvette Clarke, Lloyd Doggett, Maxwell Frost, Jesús “Chuy” García, Sylvia Garcia, Daniel Goldman, Jimmy Gomez, Henry Johnson, Stephen Lynch, Seth Moulton, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Delia Ramirez, Andrea Salinas, Janice Schakowsky, Darren Soto, Rashida Tlaib, Paul Tonko, Lauren Underwood, Gabe Vasquez, and Nydia Velázquez.
Issues: Immigration
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