Big Sandy Regional (KSJS), Kentucky
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Big Sandy Regional (KSJS) serves Prestonsburg, Kentucky, with a single paved runway and non-towered operations roughly 113 nautical miles from the nearest metro area. Business aviation accounts for the large majority of the field's recorded 770 annual operations, based on FAA TFMSC traffic data for 2025. The airport sits well outside any Canadian or Mexican customs framework, with its nearest customs clearance point at KHTS, about 37 nautical miles away.
Runways
Big Sandy Regional has one paved runway, 03/21, 5,051 ft long and 100 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Big Sandy Regional has Jet A+ and 100LL available on the field. The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Big Sandy Regional does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Tri-State / Milton J Ferguson Field (KHTS), 37 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Big Sandy Regional recorded 546 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in August. Business aviation traffic at KSJS is concentrated in the spring and late-summer/fall months, with August and October showing the highest monthly operations counts against a January low.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month August, 66 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Big Sandy Regional averages 7.9 days above 90°F in July and 24.4 freeze days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86.2°F, and January the coldest, at 44.1°F.
Weather station is 8.2 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Big Sandy Regional has published operating constraints in three categories: runway notes, environmental and other notes.
REIL for runways 03 and 21 is pilot-activated, and MIRL for runway 03/21 is on CTAF. PAPI on runways 03 and 21 operates continuously.
Birds and deer are present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
The PAPI is unusable beyond 6 degrees right of centerline.
For clearance delivery, contact Huntington ATCT.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Big Sandy Regional has five airfields within 38 NM. The closest is Pike County / Hatcher Field (KPBX), 11.84 NM south.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KSJS
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.
$2,400.00 catering order at KSJS.
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 fuel available at KSJS?
Big Sandy Regional stocks both 100LL and Jet A, sold under the A+ designation in the airport data. The field is non-towered and operates under an attendance schedule of 0800 until dusk, seven days a week. Dispatchers should plan fuel calls around that daylight window rather than assuming continuous availability. No confirmed self-service arrangement is listed, so aircraft relying on either fuel type should build in a check ahead of arrival. The airport code KSJS should be used when filing for fuel or ramp coordination.
What is the runway configuration at Big Sandy Regional?
Big Sandy Regional has a single paved runway, 03/21, measuring 5051 feet long and 100 feet wide with an asphalt surface. This is the same length listed as the field's max paved distance, confirming there is only one usable strip for fixed-wing operations. The runway supports REIL activation on both 03 and 21, along with MIRL lighting on the CTAF frequency. PAPI is installed on both ends and runs continuously rather than on pilot-activated lighting. Crews should note the single-runway layout when planning for crosswind conditions at KSJS.
Does KSJS have on-site customs clearance?
Big Sandy Regional does not have on-site customs processing. The nearest customs facility is at KHTS, located approximately 37.25 nautical miles away. International arrivals needing clearance should route through KHTS rather than expecting service directly at KSJS. Operators should also note that clearance coordination is directed to Huntington ATCT per the airport's general remarks. Planning ahead for the diversion to KHTS is necessary for any flight requiring customs at this location.
Are there PAPI limitations at Big Sandy Regional?
Yes, the PAPI system at Big Sandy Regional carries a documented visual limitation. According to the airport's VGSI remark, the PAPI is unusable beyond 6 degrees right of centerline. This applies to the visual glideslope indicator serving the runway and affects how far off-centerline a pilot can be while still using the light signal reliably. Crews flying visual approaches into KSJS should account for this restriction rather than relying on PAPI guidance outside that 6-degree window. Both runway ends otherwise have PAPI operating continuously.
What wildlife hazards are noted for KSJS?
Big Sandy Regional's general remarks flag birds and deer both on and in the vicinity of the airport. This is listed as a standing operational note rather than a seasonal or time-limited caution. Crews operating into or out of KSJS, particularly during low-visibility or low-light periods around the 0800-to-dusk attendance window, should maintain vigilance for wildlife activity near the runway environment. No specific runway or approach end is singled out in the remark, so the hazard should be treated as applying across the airfield.