Cut Bank International Airport grew from a grass airstrip used by barnstormers into an Army Air Force satellite base for bombers and later a modern international airport. Early aviators and World War I veteran pilots envisioned it as a regional aviation hub, and construction of the satellite base began in July 1942 after authorization by the 2nd Air Force, which trained heavy bombardment crews. The site accommodated three long runways, a parallel taxiway system, hardstand parking for 12 B-17 bombers, a 300' x 300' concrete apron, a large hangar, lighting and navigation aids, officers' quarters, barracks, and other support buildings. The runways were originally 150 feet wide, with lengths of 5,560 feet, 6,567 feet, and 8,285 feet, and their pavement was built to withstand the nearly 70,000 lb. maximum takeoff weight of the Flying Fortress. Twelve circular concrete hardstands with steel anchors allowed B-17s to be parked securely and separated so that an attack on one aircraft might not damage the others. The base also included an extensive storm drainage system and a sewer system built in 1942-43 to serve up to 3,000 men, both of which still operate. Renewed interest after the 1990s led to preservation and improvement work, and in 2007 the Cut Bank Municipal Airport and Army Air Base was listed on the National Register of Historical Places as a Historic District covering intact features from the original base construction, from buildings and runways to drainage and sewer systems.