Seeley Lake Local Named Pilot of the Year

SEELEY LAKE – Each year the Montana Pilots' Association (MPA) recognizes a member who has exhibited outstanding support to the MPA and made a significant contribution to aviation in Montana. That recognition and appreciation culminates in the Pilot of the Year Award. The 2015 award was presented to Seeley Lake resident Scott Newpower.

Newpower served as MPA's Eastern Director for three years and then president of the organization for another three years, from 2013-2016. He took on those responsibilities while still working as an air traffic controller in Billings, Mont., a job he retired from May 2015. Normally, the presidential term only runs two years but Newpower was asked to continue at the position for one more year and he agreed to do so.

Newpower said as MPA president he represented the pilots of Montana to the state governor, the legislature and the Montana Aeronautics Division. He also dealt with national politicians, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and occasionally with Fish Wildlife and Parks as well as with other aviation organizations.

During his extended term, Newpower said he dealt with a lot of access issues. He explained Montana is one of the few states that have airstrips in the wilderness as well as around the wilderness. Despite the historical presence of these airstrips that date back almost a century in some cases, they often come under threat because some person or group wants to shut them down. He said it is the MPA president's duty to work with the appropriate groups to resolve the issue.

Newpower said he wanted to emphasize that flying is just another way of accessing wilderness areas, with the airstrip functioning as the trailhead. Once the plane lands, the people use the area the same as any other group would (camping, fishing, hiking, etc.) and with no more impact on the land than any other recreational person or group. He said there is actually less impact because accessing the wilderness by plane alleviates congestion and wear on the trails

In addition, the cost of maintaining a wilderness airstrip is minimal since MPA regularly sponsors work parties that take care of area maintenance to both the landing strip and the associated primitive campsites.

Aside from dealing with access issues, Newpower felt his other important contribution to MPA was the video updates he posted for the MPA members.

"We had a lot of fires last year," Newpower said, "and one of the things I always made sure to do was keep the membership updated on our backcountry strips which were closed for a portion of that fire season. It's always a contentious deal when Forest Service starts closing airstrips. I have a camera mounted on my airplane and I was able to take a video. When people can see why it's closed, it makes more sense."

Newpower's wife Mary said her husband is too modest. She added to his credits that he had an article published in the American Bonanza Society magazine, the cover of which featured a picture of him flying his Beech Bonanza airplane into Schafer Meadows in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

She also talked about the time in Billings when her husband learned a family from Malta, Mont. had been in a car accident. He flew the parents to visit their hospitalized children.

Mary added, "He's always taking people on rides. He's a really good guy."

Starting in 2012, the Newpowers began building their hangar house at the edge of the Seeley Lake airport. The term hangar house is not just a fanciful expression. On one side of the structure is the residence, decorated with airplane accessories and memorabilia. The other side is a hangar housing his Beech Bonanza airplane.

Newpower said during the years he worked in Billings, he and his family did a lot of traveling throughout Montana. The west and northwest part of the state became their favorite. He said though Montana is a big state physically, there are a relatively small number of pilots, which makes it easy to get to know and become friends with a lot of them.

Newpower said, "When I decided to retire, we picked this place [Seeley Lake] because of the people that are here and because the airport here is so well run. The Montana Aeronautics Division owns the airport and they're really nice people to work with. It's a small office and they're all pilots, and they get it. They're not just faceless bureaucrats with rules. It's one of the best agencies I've ever dealt with across the state."

The Pilot of the Year Award was presented to Newpower at the Annual Montana Aeronautics Conference in Helena in early March.

About the honor he said, "You know, you think you're just doing your job. It's nice to have people think you're doing it better than average. It's hard to put into words."