'Red Sleighs' fly into Lincoln

In their first year, Red Sleighs Over Montana paid a visit to the Lincoln Airport Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 23.

"We thought we'd send some cheer to smaller towns," said pilot Bryan Douglass, who flew into Lincoln with his daughter-in-law and acting elf Jackie Douglass to drop of goodies for Lincoln kids. "Smaller towns don't always get the attention." Lincoln was the last stop for Douglass, who had also visited Cut Bank earlier in the day.

The event was organized by the Museum of Mountain Flying in Missoula in only about ten days, but was pushed back a day due to the weather. Word of the visit, which went out through Lincoln School, still drew a small crowd despite the delay.

Fourteen volunteer pilots, flying both airplanes and helicopters, visited 19 towns around western and central Montana, from Libby to Philipsburg to White Sulphur Springs.

Douglass said they hope to do the gift giving event every year. He said the museum hopes to use Miss Montana, restored WWII-era DC3, for some of their visits in the future. Miss Montana, the aircraft that dropped smoke jumpers on the fateful Mann Gulch Fire in 1949, made headlines in 2019 when the Museum of Mountain Flying flew her to Normandy to take part in the 75th anniversary of D-Day.