Bowers Field (KELN), Washington
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Bowers Field (KELN) serves Ellensburg, Washington, with a single paved runway and non-towered operations roughly 80.54 nautical miles from the nearest metro area. The field logged 1,460 total annual operations in 2025 per FAA TFMSC data, with business aviation accounting for 786 of those movements. Attendance runs Monday through Friday from 0700 to 1600 local, and both 100LL and Jet A fuel are available on a self-service basis. The airport sits at 1,763 feet elevation and lies within a training area that sees extensive flight instruction activity below 7,500 feet.
Runways
Bowers Field has one paved runway, 11/29, 4,300 ft long and 150 ft wide, with a concrete surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Bowers Field has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available from 7am to 4pm, daily, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Bowers Field does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Grant County International (KMWH), 51 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Bowers Field recorded 786 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in September. Business aviation traffic at KELN is concentrated in the summer and early fall months, peaking in September before declining sharply through the winter.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month September, 112 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Bowers Field averages 13.5 days above 90°F in July and 27.1 freeze days in December. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 86.5°F, and December the coldest, at 36.4°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Bowers Field has published operating constraints in two categories: runway notes and other notes.
Medium intensity runway lights for runway 11/29 and the PAPI for runway 29 are pilot-activated via CTAF.
A 1,460-foot stopway is located off the northwest end of the runway.
Distance-to-go markers are positioned on the north side of runway 11/29.
100LL and Jet A are available self-service with a credit card. Full-service Jet A is available upon request.
Extensive flight training activity occurs at or below 7,500 feet within 10 nautical miles of Ellensburg. Monitor frequency 123.0.
Taxiways Alpha, Charlie, and Echo are closed.
For clearance delivery, if unable to contact on the flight service station frequency, contact Seattle Air Route Traffic Control Center.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Bowers Field has five airfields within 45 NM. The closest is Mettie Airstrip, 20.89 NM southeast.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KELN
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 KELN.
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
What runway does Bowers Field (KELN) offer for business aviation traffic?
Bowers Field, identified as KELN, has a single paved runway, 11/29, measuring 4,300 feet long and 150 feet wide with a concrete surface. This is the only runway serving the field, so all fixed-wing operations use this single strip. A stopway of 1,460 feet extends off the northwest end, which pilots should account for in landing distance planning.
Is fuel available at KELN, and how is it dispensed?
KELN offers both 100LL and Jet A fuel. Both grades are available self-service with a credit card. Full-service Jet A can also be arranged upon request. There is no continuous FBO staffing implied beyond the posted attendance schedule, so self-service access covers most fueling needs at Bowers Field.
Does Bowers Field have on-site customs clearance for international arrivals?
Bowers Field (KELN) does not have customs service on site. The nearest customs facility is at KMWH, located approximately 50.51 nautical miles away. Flights requiring customs clearance need to route through that airport before or after operating at Ellensburg. Dispatchers should factor this distance into routing plans for any international arrival.
Why does business aviation traffic at KELN peak in September?
Business aviation traffic at Bowers Field (KELN) is concentrated in the fall, with September recording 112 operations, the highest monthly count in the FAA TFMSC traffic data for 2025. This compares to a low of 29 operations in December. The seasonal pattern shows traffic building through summer and cresting before dropping sharply into winter.