AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 33

DESTINATIONS

|

GETTING THERE

Alton Bay,
New Hampshire

Alton Bay Seaplane Base
and Ice Runway (B18)
14 Mount Major Highway
Alton Bay, New Hampshire
03810
603-875-3498
facebook.com/AltonBay
SeaplaneBaseandIceRunway
Winter Carnival
February 15-23, 2020

Landing on an ice runway
B Y J U L I E S U M M E R S WA L K E R

SINCE THE 1960s, pilots in the Lake
Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire, area
have had an interesting way to enjoy winter-landing on the only FAA-approved ice
runway in the contiguous United States.
Alton Bay is a cove in the southeast corner of the 21-mile-long lake and is a charted
seaplane base (B18). When the ice runway
opens, upwards of 600 aircraft can touch
down in the season-most simply to say they
have done it.
But like Brigadoon, you won't know
when Alton Bay is open, at least not without
contacting airport manager Paul LaRochelle
before you go. There must be a minimum of 12 inches of ice on the lake before
LaRochelle will take his trucks out on the
ice to plow-and in 2016, the ice never froze
enough for the airport to open. The earliest
it has opened was January 10. Runway 1/19
is marked by yellow cones and its length will
vary from 2,300 feet to 2,700 feet. Snowfall
and ice conditions determine the length.
A light covering of snow is best for a
graceful landing-keep off those brakes-and

pilots who have landed here liken it to a
soft-field landing on a grass runway. If the
lake looks black from above, it will be at
its slickest. Volunteers plow the runway,
parallel taxiway, and aircraft parking area
throughout the season, which will end
when conditions deteriorate or March 31-
whichever comes first.
The Lake Winnipesaukee resort area
has a lot of restaurants and kitschy gift
shops. But pilots who land at Alton Bay
should check out the Shoppes on the Bay
where LaRochelle's wife, Donna, operates Facet Jewelers. Sign a guestbook to
prove you've done the landing and get an
"I've landed on Alton Bay" button. There
are also Alton Bay Ice Runway hats to
purchase.
Call the airport's information line-
603-875-3498-to see when and if the
airport will open this year. There is also an
Alton Bay Seaplane Base and Ice Runway
page on Facebook.

WHY YOU SHOULD GO:
Come early in the season
for your chance to receive
an official landing certificate
and an "ice chip" (challenge coin) from the New
Hampshire DOT Bureau of
Aeronautics.

EMAIL julie.walker@aopa.org

aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 33



http://www.facebook.com/AltonBayseaplanebaseandicerunway http://www.facebook.com/AltonBayseaplanebaseandicerunway http://www.aopa.org/pilot

AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020

Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - Intro
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - Cover1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - Cover2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 4
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 5
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 6
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 7
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 8
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 9
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 10
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 11
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 15
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 16
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 17
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 18
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 19
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 20
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 21
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 25
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 26
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 27
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 29
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 30
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 31
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 32
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 33
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 34
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 35
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 36
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 40
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 41
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 43
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 67
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 69
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 77
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 78
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - Cover3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - Cover4
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