By: EAA
Story and photos courtesy of Phillips 66 Aviation
Like the misty vapor trails from aircraft that many youngsters yearn to fly, childhood daydreams often dissipate. But sometimes, maybe decades later, those daydreams lead to life-changing epiphanies. That and answering the question, “Where can I park my airplane?”
Ellensburg, Washington, native Aaron Greear, EAA 1480213, now 30, was one of those kids. His pilot dreams drifted away on the cold jet stream of time. But four years ago — after a life without any real connection to aviation — the mechanical engineering major managed to earn his pilot certificate, while smack in the middle of running a successful paving business with his older brother and dad. Shortly afterward, Aaron bought a classic 1959 Cessna 182 and went looking for hangar space.
But, finding nothing available at his hometown Bowers Field Airport (KELN), Aaron went full-throttle on a childhood dream. He built a brand-new FBO — complete with heated hangar space, of course.
Contemporary and modular with views of Mount Stuart’s muscular peak along the horizon, Mount Stuart Aviation (formerly Aviation Services LLC) — a Phillips 66-branded FBO — is poised to reinvigorate 81-year-old Bowers Field, bolstering the community’s fading ties to general aviation and giving Aaron a place to park his airplane.
“I like to build things,” Aaron said, an understatement when it comes to constructing an FBO on a government-owned airfield. It was just three years ago Aaron and his brother Joel approached Kittitas County with their plan.
Today, pilots stopping at Mount Stuart Aviation now indulge in a stocked fridge that resembles a mini convenience store; a self-serve kiosk dispensing meals, snacks, and pilot supplies; a pilot’s lounge with large-screen movies and a library filled with Aaron’s personal book collection; a snooze room and courtesy car; plus, some competitively priced fuel. Outside, Aaron added power, water, and sewer connections, creating opportunities to host events, including those featuring food trucks.
Building With Intent
Developing a new FBO from scratch can be daunting, especially when the dreamers are new to aviation. But in 2016, the Greear family had expanded beyond their Central Paving company work by constructing industrial buildings. Aaron, the mechanical engineering major and recreational pilot, plus Joel, the construction management pro, made a fortuitous pairing.
The idea, said Aaron, is to always build with vision and intent. Perhaps that’s something innate in a mechanical engineer’s soul.
“We had the background of construction and building buildings combined with my background in aviation, and we’ve been in this community our whole lives, so the stars kind of aligned,” explained Aaron. “It was the perfect time to do what we did in Ellensburg.”
“We really wanted to make sure our FBO accommodated anybody traveling through,” he said. “I probably have 800 hours of cross-country flight time, and I take notes at every FBO that I stop at. I take notes of what an FBO had that was awesome or missing features, and I tried to incorporate everything I learned, having traveled the country visiting different FBOs.
“Some things really make no practical sense, but I remember, for example, the FBOs that had a fireplace, which is really cool,” he said. “So, I’m building one at our FBO.”
Aaron’s passion for aviation extends beyond building a welcoming space for pilots — it drives his own flying ambitions. Early in his journey, he discovered STOL (short takeoff and landing) competitions — aviation’s version of rodeo barrel racing — where pilots test their proficiency in short-distance takeoffs and landings. His exposure to STOL events sharpened his skills, strengthened his connection to the aviation community, and reinforced his vision for Mount Stuart Aviation as a welcoming place for pilots.
“STOL has been immensely helpful in building skills and confidence. That was kind of the initial rush,” he said. “Then after I got into the community, I found aviation in general is just full of incredible people — good people who must have a certain level of skills and responsibility to remain a pilot.”
Strengthening Community Ties
The other “big vision,” as Aaron calls it, involves nurturing community ties to general aviation, something he never experienced as a child. He witnessed the results firsthand when his family-run construction company hosted community events that allowed children to sit in some heavy, road-building equipment.
“Being able to build a facility that allows the community, especially kids, to come out on a weekend, see the operations and check out an airplane, might spark that desire to grow up and pursue aviation,” he explained.
Just having an FBO facility the community can experience is new to Ellensburg. “We literally didn’t have a building out here, and it’s hard to do anything when you don’t have a building,” Aaron said. “Well, it opens a lot of doors just having a building. I tried to build it very modular so that we can host all kinds of different things in the future.”
Uniquely, half of Mount Stuart Aviation’s facility features 16 offices for rent. “The offices are a way we could bring in some revenue to help cover the construction costs and also connect different businesses in the community to the airfield and the airfield to the community,” Aaron said.
For Aaron, aviation is more than just a business — it’s a lifelong passion. As he continues shaping the future of Mount Stuart Aviation, he’s also focused on his own piloting journey. Having earned his FAA rotor rating last year, he’s now on the lookout for the perfect helicopter to take his skills to the next level.
“You know, the flying is what got me into aviation, but it’s the people who keep me around,” Aaron said.
For more information about Mount Stuart Aviation, visit Kittitas County Airport – Bowers Field or AirNav.