West Virginia Airpark Offers Short-Term Rentals at Edge of Nation’s Capital

“Windwood Fly-In Resort Airport (WV62) is a 3,000-foot-long asphalt strip with pilot-controlled lighting that has recently been resurfaced,” said John Hambrick, who owns a hangar house at the resort with his wife, Lydia. “The runway has been around since the 1970s and was originally a dirt strip. At some point it was paved, and homes were added. The community now has over 35 residences with the potential for another 30 to be built in the homeowner’s association. To be able to live with your aircraft is a unique experience.”

Several residents offer their homes for rent at Windwood, including the Hambricks. They have a five-bedroom Appalachian log home on almost 2 acres with a view of the West Virginia hills, Timberline Mountain Ski Resort, and Dolly Sods Wilderness area.

“We have lived here full-time for the last 10 years and have just recently put our house on Airbnb,” Lydia Hambrick said. “It is exciting to have other pilots fly in and rent the house and hangar, since you can taxi here directly from the runway. ‘Airplane Mode’ is the name of our Airbnb. It is a large log home that is comfortable and versatile, whether you are a party of two or 20. It can sleep up to 22, and we have a car for rent which can be reserved for pilots flying in and needing a vehicle during their stay. There are also bicycles at the property and kayaks for guests to use.”

The airport sits at an elevation of 3,200 feet msl, with surrounding ridges that rise to nearly 4,000 feet. The dramatic landscape lends itself to an abundance of recreational offerings.

“We have three ski resorts as well as several state parks nearby and are surrounded by public refuge land—over 900,000 acres of national forest,” she said. “So, Windwood is in a very rural area, but we are a bedroom community of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. It’s about a two-hour and 15-minute drive, or about a half-hour flight to Dulles [KAID].”

A short flight from a sizable portion of the U.S. population, the Canaan Valley of West Virginia area has become a well-known destination with a variety of points of interest.

“We became very popular during COVID, of course, but it’s always been a tourist area,” she said. “There are a lot of events that draw visitors throughout the year. For example, this weekend there are mountain biking events. And the leaves are peaking now [in September]—so we are going to have ‘leaf peepers’ coming from all over to look at the foliage.

John Hambrick said ski season will start soon.

“…It lasts for about four months, a period where we get around 180 inches of snow on average,” he said. “And we keep the runway plowed. I’ve never not flown here. Now, if we get 3 feet of snow overnight, which happens from time to time, that will definitely slow me down. But we have heavy equipment and move the snow out of the way and keep going.”  

Regardless of weather or time of year, most everyone can find something nearby the airport that they enjoy doing.

“What draws people here is the outdoors,” Lydia Hambrick said. “We have several fine restaurants, but you don’t come here to go to dinner. We have fishing, hiking (including trails with multiple waterfalls), horseback riding, and so much more. The area has really evolved as a four-season destination that’s such a contrast to D.C., Baltimore, and other large surrounding cities where people come from to enjoy the privacy, quietness, and nature. And our night skies are analogous to Montana’s. We have some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere, and it has been documented as one of the darkest night skies on the eastern seaboard.”

With wildlife, crosswinds, and trees, pilots need to take these things into account when landing and taking off at WV62. Prior permission is required to land, which can be obtained by contacting the airport manager.

Destination flying seems to be on the upswing, and staying overnight, or for a few days, at an airpark allows visitors the opportunity to experience what it’s like to live with their aircraft.

“Our airport is private and remote; we are in a valley surrounded by mountains,” Lydia Hambrick said. “The juice is worth the squeeze! We have beautiful scenery, no stoplights, no fast food [restaurants], and are truly a rural, quiet hideaway.”