Airports / California / BYS
Bicycle Lake Army Air Field.
Fort Irwin/Barstow, California · 2,350 ft elevation. A private-aviation gateway on the Bravo register.
3.4/5
Google rating
22 ratings
0
Operators based
2,350
Elevation ft
Google rating
Google reviews
Field elevation
Nearest alternate
Field standing
27 nm
To the nearest alternate
Barstow Daggett Airport (DAG).
Overview
Bicycle Lake Army Air Field, listed as KBYS / BYS, is a mid-sized airport in Fort Irwin/Barstow, California. The field lies at an elevation of 2,350 feet. The field has no airline schedules, which keeps it focused on private and general aviation flying.
BYS has no resident charter fleet; trips here are typically flown by operators repositioning from surrounding airports. Useful alternates include Barstow Daggett Airport (DAG, 27 nm), China Lake Naws (Armitage Field) Airport (KNID, 57 nm), and Twentynine Palms Strategic Expeditionary Landing Field (KNXP, 63 nm). BYS offers 2 runways, the longest 9,631-foot unpaved runway, which supports charter types through the turboprop class.
Quotes for flights out of BYS vary with aircraft type, repositioning, and schedule flexibility. Use the cost estimator to model a trip from BYS, or browse verified operators serving the area.
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Field capability
ICAO
KBYS
IATA
BYS
FAA / Local
BYS
Elevation
2,350 ft
Coordinates
35.2805° N · 116.6300° W
Airspace
G · GolfClass G, GolfUncontrolled field, no tower. Pilots self-announce and sequence themselves on the common traffic advisory frequency.Source: FAA NASR class airspace
Size
Medium
Scheduled svc
No
Elevation vs CA fields
state range -210–7,135 ft
At 2,350 ft, BYS sits higher than 85% of the 164 California fields on the register.
Runways & aircraft access
2 runways
longest 9,631 ft
- 04/229,631 ft × 175 ftTreatedLighted
- 13/316,124 ft × 175 ftTreatedUnlit
Which aircraft can operate here
vs longest runway 9,631 ft
BYS's 9,631 ft runway typically supports charter aircraft up to turboprops.
- Turboprop3,000 ft
- Light Jet3,500 ft
- Midsize Jet4,500 ft
- Super-Midsize Jet5,000 ft
- Heavy Jet5,500 ft
- VIP Airliner6,000 ft
Class minimums are sea-level planning rules of thumb. A specific aircraft's balanced-field length varies with weight, temperature, and field elevation. Confirm performance with the operator.
Access & alternates
Closest alternate fields by great-circle distance, every listing links to its own field brief.
- 27nmDAGBarstow Daggett AirportDaggett
- 57nmKNIDChina Lake Naws (Armitage Field) AirportChina Lake
- 63nmKNXPTwentynine Palms Strategic Expeditionary Landing FieldTwentynine Palms
- 66nmEDWEdwards Air Force BaseEdwards
- 77nmSBDSan Bernardino International AirportSan Bernardino
- 82nmPMDPalmdale Regional Airport / USAF Plant 42 AirportPalmdale
Location
Open the full mapKBYS · Bicycle Lake Army Air Field · Fort Irwin/Barstow, CA
Flight times from here
Approximate nonstop block times from BYS on a typical midsize charter jet. Faster classes trim these; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.
| Destination | Distance | Block time |
|---|---|---|
| Scottsdale (SCF) | 254 nm | 59m |
| San Francisco (SFO) | 311 nm | 1h 7m |
| Salt Lake City (SLC) | 397 nm | 1h 19m |
| Aspen (ASE) | 523 nm | 1h 37m |
| Vail / Eagle (EGE) | 531 nm | 1h 38m |
| Jackson Hole (JAC) | 569 nm | 1h 43m |
| Denver (DEN) | 631 nm | 1h 52m |
| Seattle (SEA) | 774 nm | 2h 12m |
Common questions
- What size private jets can use BYS?
- Bicycle Lake Army Air Field's longest runway is 9,631 ft, which typically supports charter aircraft up to turboprops. Lighter classes (turboprops, light and midsize jets) operate comfortably; confirm exact performance for a specific tail with the operator, since balanced-field length shifts with weight, temperature, and elevation.
- What is the longest runway at BYS?
- Bicycle Lake Army Air Field has 2 runways; the longest measures 9,631 ft and is lit for night operations.
- What is the nearest major airport to BYS?
- The closest alternate is Barstow Daggett Airport (DAG), about 27 nm away, followed by China Lake Naws (Armitage Field) Airport (KNID) at 57 nm. Operators often position aircraft between these fields depending on ramp space and availability.
- How long is a flight from BYS to major cities?
- Typical block times on a midsize jet: Scottsdale about 59m (254 nm), San Francisco about 1h 7m (311 nm), Salt Lake City about 1h 19m (397 nm). Faster classes trim these times; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.