The airport name was changed in 1972 to honor Bert Mooney, an aviator from Butte who was the first to fly mail into Yellowstone National Park in 1935. Prior to this the airport was Butte Municipal Airport (from its opening in 1926) and Silver Bow County Airport from 1960 to 1972.
Bert Mooney Airport covers 890 acres (360 ha) at an elevation of 5,551 feet (1,692 m). It has two asphaltrunways: 15/33 is 9,000 by 150 feet (2,743 x 46 m) and 11/29 is 5,100 by 75 feet.[1]
In 2022 the airport had 23,861 aircraft operations, average 65 per day: 87% general aviation, 8% air taxi, 3% commercial service and 3% military. 42 aircraft were then based at this airport: 30 single-engine, 9 multi-engine, and 3 helicopter.[1]
On November 7, 1950, a Northwest Orient Airlines plane carrying 21 people crashed into the East Ridge of Butte during a blizzard. All on board were killed.[6]
On March 22, 2009, a Pilatus PC-12 flying in from Oroville, California, crashed in Holy Cross Cemetery 500 feet from the airport, killing all 14 passengers and crew on board.[7][8][9][10]