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)

FMI: www.winnipesaukee.com/