Heli-Tour operator in West Glacier retires, could mean quieter skies

A longtime helicopter tour operator over Glacier National Park has retired. Minuteman Aviation owner Jerry Mamuzich announced his retirement on the Glacier Heli Tours website.

The announcement should mean fewer flights over the Park this summer. The West Glacier location operated three helicopters in the busy summer months, flying hundreds of flights right over West Glacier.

Glacier Park Deputy Superintendent Eric Smith noted that Minuteman’s operating certificate, which permits it to fly over the Park, is tied directly to the overall business.

Since the company isn’t for sale, it means the certificate will stay with the business, which is now located only in Missoula.

The company still plans on offering flights out of Missoula.

Mamuzich was a great asset to the Park on many occasions.

In the summer of 2003, the most significant fire season in Glacier National Park’s history, approximately 12 percent – 136,000 acres – of the Park was burned.

As soon as the fire season began, Mamuzich canceled all his scheduled helicopter tours. Instead of guiding guests through the skies above the Park, Mamuzich helped fire crews get into tight spots where other pilots didn’t dare to fly.

For their bravery and skills, Mamuzich, his family, and his staff received a plaque of appreciation from the Park Service.

Wilderness ranger Kyle Johnson said in 2003 that Mamuzich’s piloting saved the Coal and Parke Cabins from certain demise, and provided overhead management teams with bird’s eye views during the fire season.

Johnson praised Mamuzich’s knowledge of the Park, the terrain, and the unpredictable weather, noting that the pilot’s landing skills made it possible to get firefighters to risk areas daily.

Minuteman Aviation was also recognized for its years of service to the Park for search and rescue and other emergencies. Mamuzich started Minuteman’s Glacier Heli Tours business in West Glacier in 1988, and was a pilot for 60 years.

But the business, and the noise that comes with helicopters, has faced opposition.

In 2016, a petition by the Quiet!Glacier coalition garnered over 30,000 signatures from people hoping to end helicopter noise pollution in the Park.

The tours have been popular with visitors, though.

“From all of us at Glacier Heli Tours we thank you for trusting us to be part of your holiday over the past years,” the website reads.

Mark Mamuzich, Jerry’s son, said that his father is still flying for fun but, at age 82, he’s earned his retirement.

The younger Mamuzich and his brother are still offering custom tours from Minuteman Aviation in Missoula, flying anywhere in the state.

“Anywhere somebody wants to go,” Mark Mamuzich said.

They will continue to do Glacier-area tours that depart from the Missoula airport, and they may reopen the Glacier Heli Tours office next season.