Fri, Mar 06, 2015
Winter Weather Can Sometimes Put A Crimp On Recreational Flying Unless You Have Snow Skis, Tundra Tires, Or An Ice Runway
The question is; what does Alton Bay, NH have in common with McMurdo Station in Antarctica? The answer is; they both have ice runways.
Granted the one near McMurdo Station (ICAO: NZIR) is large enough to land a 450,000 pound airplane during the summer months, and the one at Alton Bay is a lot smaller and only operates for a short time during the winter. However, the ice runway on Alton Bay’s Lake Winnipesaukee is a lot more GA friendly than the one in Antarctica.
It’s been no secret that the Northeast part of the United States has had a really tough winter, but this part of the bad news does have a good side in Alton Bay NH. Lake Winnipesaukee has frozen to the point that the FAA approves it to be used as an airport. It should be noted that it’s not safe to assume that any frozen lake is okay for airplane operations; the Lake Winnipesaukee ice runway is FAA approved.
When the lake freezes to the point that the runway can be established, a 3,000 foot strip is cleared and maintained for the purpose of aircraft operation. The town of Alton Bay offers the ultimate destination for $100 hamburger. It’s reported that the little ice airport can become very busy during the time period that it is open because the novelty of landing on ice.
Landing on the ice requires a proper approach and landing technique, but with careful use of the brakes it really isn’t that much different than landing on a normal runway. The bottom line is, you don’t necessarily need to have skis or tundra tires to enjoy winter flying at Alton Bay.
(Image from YouTube)
More News
Also: B-29 Superfortress Reunion, FAA Wants Controllers, Spirit Airlines Pulls Back, Gogo Galileo Van's Aircraft posted a short video recapping the goings-on around their reorganiz>[...]
Light Gun A handheld directional light signaling device which emits a brilliant narrow beam of white, green, or red light as selected by the tower controller. The color and type of>[...]
"The journey to this achievement started nearly a decade ago when a freshly commissioned Gentry, driven by a fascination with new technologies and a desire to contribute significan>[...]
"Our driven and innovative team of military and civilian Airmen delivers combat power daily, ensuring our nation is ready today and tomorrow." Source: General Duke Richardson, AFMC>[...]
Aircraft Conflict Predicted conflict, within EDST of two aircraft, or between aircraft and airspace. A Red alert is used for conflicts when the predicted minimum separation is 5 na>[...]