Whidbey Island NAS (ault Fld) Airport (KNUW), Washington
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Whidbey Island NAS, known by its ICAO code KNUW and also called Ault Field, is a military-use airport near Oak Harbor, Washington. Business aviation traffic here is minimal, reflecting the field's restricted access and naval mission.
Runways
Whidbey Island NAS (ault Fld) Airport has two paved runways. The longest, 14/32, is 8,001 ft long and 200 ft wide, with a concrete surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Whidbey Island NAS (ault Fld) Airport has 100LL, J5 and J8 available on the field. Fueling is available 24 hours a day, every day, and the airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Whidbey Island NAS (ault Fld) Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Delaurentis (KOKH), 6 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Whidbey Island NAS (ault Fld) Airport recorded 44 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in March. Business aviation traffic at KNUW is concentrated mainly in March and September, with the lowest activity in April.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month March, 8 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Whidbey Island NAS (ault Fld) Airport averages 9.5 freeze days in February and 0.8 snow days in January. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 69.7°F, and December the coldest, at 48.7°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Whidbey Island NAS (ault Fld) Airport has published operating constraints in three categories: access, runway notes and other notes.
Restricted: prior permission is required for all aircraft except search-and-rescue and medevac flights, with a 72-hour prior notice requirement. Contact the Air Terminal Supervisor during 1430-0100Z++. Prior coordination and flight advisory are required for AMC/JOSAC/NALO missions.
Customs, agriculture, and immigration processing requires 72-hour prior notice. Contact the Air Terminal Supervisor during 1430-0100Z++.
Servicing includes JASU units: one NC-10C, one GTC-85/GTE-85, and one MSU-200NAV/A/U47A-5. Fuel is J8, fluid is SP presair de-ice, requiring 2-hour prior notice. Transient crews must provide technical direction and assistance in servicing and maintenance, including direct supervision of fueling. Limited service and maintenance are available 1500-2300Z++ Monday through Friday, with no maintenance on Saturday, Sunday, or holidays. Air Terminal operates 1400-0200Z++, and as required for overtime.
PAPI visual approach guidance is available continuously on runways 07/25 and 14/32.
On runway 14/32, the portion of the southeast end between 3,000 and 2,000 feet remaining is not fully visible from the air traffic control tower.
Traffic pattern: overhead initial for runways 7, 14, and 32 is 4 nautical miles at 2,500 feet; for runway 25 it is 6 nautical miles at 3,000 feet. Overhead break is at 1,500 feet, and pattern altitude is 1,000 feet.
OLS lenses are available for all runways.
HIRL and SFL lighting are unavailable for runway 7. RCLL is available only for runway 14-32.
Caution: the landing signal officer shelter is 15 feet above ground level, 32 feet from the runway edge, located on the left side of the runway, 558 feet from the runway 07 threshold and 400 feet from the threshold on runways 14, 25, and 32. Large aircraft should exercise caution. Extreme caution is required for back-taxi operations in the last 1,000 feet of all runways.
Lighting is available only during hours of operation.
See FLIP AP/1.
Contact the Operations Duty Officer for operational matters.
For civil aircraft landing permit (CALP) requests, contact the Operations Duty Officer.
Caution: no weapons loading or offloading between sunset and sunrise.
Direct refueling facility lanes are not available to transient aircraft.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Whidbey Island NAS (ault Fld) Airport has five airfields within 19 NM. The closest is Coupeville Nolf (KNRA), 10.16 NM south.
Part of the Seattle area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KNUW
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.
$600.00 catering order at KNUW.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
The $75 minimum applies below $862.50.
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 fuel available for civilian aircraft at KNUW?
KNUW, Whidbey Island NAS (Ault Field), carries 100LL and military J5/J8 grades, but no Jet A. Transient aircraft cannot use direct refueling facility lanes, and fueling requires direct supervision by transient crews per the field's servicing remarks.
What is the runway configuration at Whidbey Island NAS?
Whidbey Island NAS (Ault Field) operates two paved concrete runways: 14/32 at 8,001 feet and 07/25 at 7,999 feet, each 200 feet wide. Both runways are equipped with PAPI visual approach guidance available continuously.
Does KNUW allow civil aircraft to land?
KNUW is a restricted military field where all aircraft except SAR and medevac flights need prior permission, requested 72 hours in advance through the Air Terminal Supervisor. Civil aircraft landing permit requests go through the Operations Duty Officer.