Get a bird’s eye view
Grant County is home to so many epic views from our scenic mountains that it may take an entire lifetime to see them all. But if you want to get the real bird’s eye view of our amazing mountain home, the Eastern Soaring Center offers an aerial experience that you will not soon forget. If you think West Virginia is beautiful by land, you should see it from the air. After a glider experience, you’ll know why eagles spend so much time flying.
Located at the Grant County Airport, the Eastern Soaring Center is the only commercial glider operation in the mid-Atlantic region. The center offers the most exciting form of glider launch (winch launch) and one of the highest winch launches on the East coast.
The Grant County Airport has become a hub for soaring. Many soaring clubs use it as a base. Just ask Brian Collins, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and owner of Eastern Soaring Center, why he landed in Petersburg. He’ll say the waves brought him.
“This is a really great place for flying—one of the best spots on the East Coast,” he says. “We have great thermals during the spring, summer, and fall, and from the fall through the spring, we have what is called Mountain Wave. It’s when the wind blows strong through the west and creates a literal wave in the sky. You can literally surf up over 20,000 feet high.”
Enjoy the quiet serenity of motor-less flight from a perch high above the valley floor as the spacious glider canopy gives you a 360-degree view of the world around you.
The other necessary ingredients for good gliding are the ridges. When the westerly flow of air pushes against the ridge, it creates a lift. “We have great lifts and thermals. Good hills and plains are essential to creating the two forms of lift and to have the Mountain Wave,” Collins says. “This place is special.”
You’ll need to make reservations, and flights are dependent on weather. A 10- to 15-minute ride will cost $99, and a 20-to-25-minute ride will cost $139—and worth every dime. If the weather is questionable, you’ll want to call ahead before departing to confirm field conditions.
