seattle glider council

SGC EPHRATA WEBCAMS

EPHRATA AERIAL OVERVIEW

EPHRATA TURNPOINTS

Ephrata Airport Glider Ramp and Flight Operations and Regulations (2025)

Linda Chism's Ephrata Area Airfield Guide (PDF)

Eastern Washington has outstanding soaring conditions from March through September. The Seattle Glider Council provides services for club members in Ephrata, Washington, under a lease agreement with the Port of Ephrata. The SGC maintains a training center with sleeping, kitchen, shower and restroom facilities. Glider and glider trailer tie-downs are available, as well as RV parking.

Ephrata is located East of the Cascade Mountains in the Columbia Basin of Eastern Washington approximately 3 hours east of Seattle. The airport is east of town at an altitude of 1272 ft with a plateau to the west of town rising an additional 1000 ft.

All glider activity is conducted from/to a glider "mostly" runway (04/22) which is parallel to the main power runway 03/21. Glider traffic patterns are on the west side of the ramp. Caution is advised when in the airport traffic area for power and glider traffic, and it is advised to check for notams concerning open times for the aerobatic box located east of runway 03/21. Caution is also advised to avoid the midfield taxiway signs on either side of the 03/21 ramp runway.

Typical thermal heights are between 6,000 and 12,000 ft MSL, and wave flights can be achieved under westerly conditions off the Cascade Mountains. New wave windows are currently being negotiated with the FAA.