Flight demonstration on Snowshoe Mountain wins award
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SNOWSHOE - A West Virginia Department of Transportation flight demonstration atop Snowshoe Mountain has been awarded a regional transportation award.
The award honors a December 2025 demonstration in which the Electra aircraft company flew its EL2 hybrid-electric Ultra Short Takeoff and Landing aircraft from regional airports and landed directly on Snowshoe Mountain.
"Electra’s hybrid electric blown-lift technology allows a fixed-wing airplane to take off and land in as little as 150 feet -- unlocking a new form of regional air travel known as Direct Aviation," a WVDOT press release states.
The demonstration project was done in partnership with Snowshoe Mountain Resort, Bristow Group and WVDOT, which was awarded a regional 2026 America's Transportation Award from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. The award was presented during the Southern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials annual conference in Greenville, South Carolina, on Tuesday.
"Our partnership and working relationship with Electra has been outstanding," said Stephen R. Connolly, Interim Commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Multimodal Transportation Facilities. "Together we have taken the first steps toward revolutionizing how people move in the 21st century -- bringing safe, quiet, clean, efficient and safe air access closer to the places West Virginians live, work and play."
The demonstration "highlights West Virginia's leadership in testing and integrating next-generation transportation solutions that can improve access to rural and mountainous communities, support tourism and economic development, and expand multimodal connectivity across the state," the WVDOT release states.
The America's Transportation Awards program recognizes outstanding state DOT projects that deliver meaningful benefits in categories such as Best Use of Technology & Innovation. Regional winners advance in the national competition, with final national honors to be announced later in 2026.
"The Division of Multimodal Transportation Facilities and WVDOT remain committed to advancing multimodal innovation -- including aviation, rail, transit, and ports -- to strengthen West Virginia's transportation network and position the state at the forefront of emerging mobility solutions," the WVDOT release states.