Read a piece in AOPA Pilot about this, so I started looking for videos.

For those unfamiliar: Alton Bay, New Hampshire is a seaplane base on Lake Winnipesaukee. In the winter the bay apparently freezes pretty solid and for the last 30 years some residents have maintained a runway on the ice. I guess it's a certified runway for a period of time during the winter, measuring out at around 3,000 x 100'. Looks like it is pretty well known around the Northeast. Anyone been in there? Seems like it would be fun on packed snow, maybe not so much on the glare ice.

I realize this is old hat for Alaskans and Minnesotans, but cool nonetheless for an official airport in the lower 48.



Here's a great video of a landing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1LWE4-CDXk

Here's a great video of a not-great landing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjlJ2GB4RMU

My flying buddy and I are going down there in the next couple of weeks. It's hasn't been that cold this winter here in Maine and the lakes are just freezing up. We've already had some thru ice accidents here with ice boats and cars, so we're going to wait and head down later this month. I'll post pics when we go.

Mike

That was a great save! Walked away and could use the plane again

I haven't been there in a couple years for the reason pacerflyer mentioned. I too am planning on going. It is about a 2.5 hour flight.

RobBurson wrote:That was a great save! Walked away and could use the plane again

That looked like one of my landings. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride... Woo hoo!

Pacerflyer, looking forward to some pics. Looks like a cool place.

I went in there with my old Citabria when I lived in New England. Nice place!

Ahem, some of my friends used to land on frozen lakes quite a bit. They learned the "whip it around 180 degrees and gun the engine" technique for getting stopped on clear ice... They tell me it was a lot of fun...

1SeventyZ wrote: Looks like a cool place.

Literally

It is neat up there, I was there last year. They had a little rain then it got cold so it was glare ice the day I was there. I was on straight skis and didn't make the turn from the runway to the taxi way, I went over the berm on the side of the taxi way. With a 8 mile an hour tail wind as I taxied back, I had to shut down a couple of times to slow down. I pushed my 2+2 the last 100ft so I didn't crash into another plane. That said it is a great place to go in winter.

We flew in there this past winter, and it was smoother than an ice rink when we went, but still there was a very big turn out that day. It sure is a neat place to fly into, gotta do some planning, figuring that you had zero braking that day.

Tom

Here's my Alton Bay landing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U5k3OWJSWE

That was my first landing, ever, on ice.
Landing wasn't a problem. Obviously you'll want to exhaust all flight energy from your craft, ideally
as you cross the threshold, and just let it run out.
The key is in your takeoff.
Due to P factor torque, you cannot slam the throttle forward as you would on asphalt or turf, as they plane will turn and leave the runway.
You'll need to add throttle slowly until you have recognizeable rudder authority, then takeoff as normal.
This will require a bit more runway than you would normally use, so plug that into your planning.
Best,
Doc

Anyone been up there this year?

Tom

I was there last Saturday. See the picture in my photo gallery.
It was greasy.

went up there today, taxi ways are closed kinda stinks back taxi ing with a bunch of people trying to land, but there was some snow on the runway for ok braking. the only bad part of the day was when we went to leave and our plane didnt want to start

Tom

Seeing how its almost that time of the year again, how bout some pics from last year...











Watch out for the big cracks!

Tom, nice pics. I didn't make it up there last year, I can't remember why, maybe weather but I'll be up this winter.

Tim

I remember that article. Looks like a lot of fun. Courier Guy said he did some landings up on American Falls Reservoir last year. If he goes up again, I might have to tag along.