It all began with a vision: A permanent home for Shenandoah Valley Soaring
The vision became a quest, and the quest became a plan - the plan became concrete and steel, forged with sweat and persistence, into the beautiful Rockfish Gliderport.
SVS has been in operation for many years, initially at the private Springwood Gliderport near Buchannon, VA, later at the Eagles Nest Airport at Waynesboro, VA, and most recently at the Grant County Airport at Petersburg, WV. Over those years of successful operation, and as the club grew in both membership and in guest ride operations, SVS has been on the lookout for a permanent home, a Private Gliderport owned by the club. Our members have been keeping an eye out for both existing airfields for sale and for bare land suitable to build a new airfield. Our efforts were successful, and in January of 2019 the club purchased the Rockfish Airpark, a wonderful turf field nestled in the Rockfish River Valley near Wintergreen.
SVS has been in operation for many years, initially at the private Springwood Gliderport near Buchannon, VA, later at the Eagles Nest Airport at Waynesboro, VA, and most recently at the Grant County Airport at Petersburg, WV. Over those years of successful operation, and as the club grew in both membership and in guest ride operations, SVS has been on the lookout for a permanent home, a Private Gliderport owned by the club. Our members have been keeping an eye out for both existing airfields for sale and for bare land suitable to build a new airfield. Our efforts were successful, and in January of 2019 the club purchased the Rockfish Airpark, a wonderful turf field nestled in the Rockfish River Valley near Wintergreen.
Getting started
Rockfish Airpark had in recent past been very seldom used. Club members pitched in, initially to clear brush, to remove trees overhanging the runway, and to improve field drainage. Private funds were raised, and individual members, with legal, construction, contracting and engineering backgrounds, pitched in to develop a club hangar. The hangar design concept was developed, for the compact hangar building lot, to accommodate all the club ships, and to provide rental spaces for member private gliders. The hangar was built during 2019-2020 and holds twelve ships, turf mower, golf cart, fuel trailer, and incorporates a shop, office, and storage areas.
Building the structure
This job called for Men of Steel - and day after day, they were here to bring the plans to life! As the summer days gave way to cooler temperatures, the team adapted and persevered to keep things moving. And from the grassy field, a beautiful structure emerged.
The vision becomes reality
The hard work yielded sweet fruit, and Shenandoah Valley Soaring has a new "forever home". The club is forever grateful for the selfless dedication of the members who donated thousands of hours of personal time to make the dream come to life.
