Big Timber at Howard Field (6S0), Montana
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Big Timber at Howard Field (6S0) is a public, non-towered airport in south-central Montana, sitting at 4,494 feet elevation and operated on a schedule of weekday hours with on-call weekend coverage. The field logged 369 total annual operations in 2025 according to FAA TFMSC data, with business aviation accounting for 232 of those movements. A paved runway and a turf crosswind runway give pilots two options, and the nearest customs facility lies at Bozeman Yellowstone International, roughly 49 nautical miles to the west.
Runways
Big Timber at Howard Field has two paved and unpaved runways. The longest, 06/24, is 5,285 ft long and 75 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Big Timber at Howard Field has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Big Timber at Howard Field does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Bozeman Yellowstone International (KBZN), 49 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Big Timber at Howard Field recorded 232 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in August. Business aviation traffic at 6S0 concentrates in the summer months, peaking in August with 53 operations compared to single-digit or zero counts in the winter months of January, February, and December.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month August, 53 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Big Timber at Howard Field averages 12.1 days above 90°F in July, 25.9 freeze days in December and 2.6 snow days in February. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86.2°F, and December the coldest, at 37.2°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Big Timber at Howard Field has published operating constraints in two categories: runway notes and other notes.
A PAPI serves runway 24. The MIRL on runway 06/24 operates from dusk to midnight; at other times, activate the lights via CTAF.
On runway 18/36, the thresholds are marked with cones.
For clearance delivery, contact Salt Lake Center.
100LL and Jet A fuel are available upon request.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Big Timber at Howard Field has four airfields within 50 NM. The closest is Mission Field (KLVM), 20.70 NM west.
Part of the Bozeman and Big Sky area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at 6S0
We arrange catering, fuel and trip support here. Supplier prices reach you unchanged; our coordination fee sits on its own line.
The same order, priced two ways.
$1,200.00 catering order at 6S0.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
It does not move with the size of the order.
At cost.
Passed on at the exact amount the processor took.
Market practice figures are industry averages, not a specific competitor.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a control tower at 6S0 Big Timber?
No, Big Timber at Howard Field (6S0) is a non-towered public airport in Montana. Traffic advisories run on CTAF, and after dusk pilots must activate the MIRL on runway 06/24 themselves via that frequency. The PAPI serves runway 24 only. Flight plan coordination is handled through Salt Lake ARTCC rather than a local tower.
What runways are available at Big Timber at Howard Field?
Big Timber at Howard Field offers two runways: paved runway 06/24, measuring 5,285 feet by 75 feet with an asphalt surface, and turf runway 18/36, measuring 3,475 feet by 75 feet. The turf runway thresholds are marked with cones rather than standard paint. Runway 06/24 is the longer option and carries the field's only lighting and approach aid.
Is fuel available at KMBS... at 6S0?
Fuel at Big Timber at Howard Field (6S0) includes both 100LL and Jet A, available upon request. Attendance follows a schedule of 0800 to 1700 Monday through Friday, with on-call service on weekends. Pilots planning a fuel stop outside standard hours should account for the on-call arrangement rather than expecting continuous staffing.
How far is customs clearance from 6S0 Big Timber?
Big Timber at Howard Field (6S0) has no onsite customs service; the nearest customs facility is at Bozeman Yellowstone International (KBZN), approximately 49 nautical miles away. Pilots requiring customs clearance need to route through that airport instead. This distance places 6S0 outside the immediate reach of border processing for international arrivals.