A Yahoo news report:
There are less than 1,500 Jews in the State of Montana, and this weekend, three of them set out to feed three-hundred.
On Sunday morning at about 6 a.m., Mountain Standard Time, Reuters reports, an El Al Israel Airlines flight traveling from Tel Aviv to Los Angeles had to make an emergency landing in Billings, after a cockpit warning light alerted the pilot of a fire in the right engine.
Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting supervisor Mike Glancy told Reuters that fire and transportation officials examined the jet, grounded at Billings Logan International Airport, but found no sign of smoke or fire. No one was injured. For security purposes, Glancy said, the 279 passengers aboard the jet were sequestered in the airport terminal building, where they waited for 12 hours to board a new plane flying in from Newark, New Jersey.
When news of this reached Donna Healy, a member of Congregation Beth Aaron in Billings, she worried that stranded Jews who observe a kosher diet would have nothing to eat, the Billings Gazette reports.
“You just don’t often get a planeload of Israelis in Billings, and we thought we should do what we could to make them comfortable, and kosher food is a part of that,” Ms. Healy told the newspaper.
Healy and her daughter and a friend bought kosher foods, as well as amenities including diapers and deodorant, and drove them to Billings International.
Passenger Michael Eisenberg told the Billings Gazette, “Once the rabbis came, there was more than enough. Tons.”
Mr. Eisenberg joked that Billings residents were left with a month’s supply of bagels.
Speaking on behalf of the travelers, Eisenberg said airport officials were hospitable. He also maintained a cool attitude, saying, “I missed a couple meetings today in (San Francisco). But you know what the definition of a good flight is? One where you land safely and get to walk away from. It’s all good.”
Having flown in and out of Logan International many times (first time was 1971, most recently was two years ago), I could think of worse places to be stuck in for 12 hours. Too bad they couldn't been let out to gaze upon the NP 0-6-0 just outside of the airport parking lot. Wonder if any of the passengers picked up a couple of examples of Big Sky Country literature from the airport gift shop such as "Muddled Meanderings in an Outhouse" (cover drawing by Stan Lynde of Rick O'Shay fame) or "The Duckboy Way".
Billings does have a Costco, so that would be one potential source of kosher food, though the members of the local synagogue were probably a better source. Good thing they didn't land at the old SAC base near Glasgow (about 200 miles NE of Billings) as the chances of getting kosher food there are probably pretty slim.
FWIW, three of my cousins live in Billings along with some of their kids.
- Erik
I've been there, worked on a church's acoustics, found the small city friendly and a fine place to visit. Unsure if I had prayed at the one local synagogue, since I arrived late in the evening after a short flight from Salt Lake City and left in the evening on the NP Mainstreeter.
I remember seeing what I think was the Mainstreeter when heading back on a late evening in August, 1969 when riding from Terry to Miles City on Highway 12 (now I-94). Did get to ride the North Coast Hiawatha between Seattle and Miles City in 1976 - saw lots of remants of the Milw catenary. My favorite memory of that trip was the best tasting french toast in a AT&SF diner while passing through Paradise MT.
Billings/Laurel was the westernmost point where the NP, GN and CB&Q shared tracks.
The terminal at the Billings airport hasn't changed much in the last 44 years, other than accomodations for security screening. Reading your original post brought back a lot of memories about waiting for departing flights as well as having someone waiting for my arrival in December 1973...
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