The Joy of Aviation

[B18] officially opened a couple of days ago. About a dozen of us from PurpleBoard.net met there today.

It was an exciting flight for me as this was my first ice airport landing in my low wing, retractable gear, new-to-me (about 20 hrs in her to date) Mooney 205. I was slightly apprehensive about getting snow jammed in the breaks or hitting a snow bank with a wing, or the pitot tube. I confirmed that the runway and taxiway was wide enough that snow banks would/should not be a concern – even if the NOTAM said that the tallest banks were 16”.

I couldn’t say no. I know that flying into Alton Bay is on my “must do” mission list when choosing a new plane. I know that other low wing planes regularly fly into Alton Bay (though the Mooney does have lower wings than most). But I also know that last year’s landing was essentially a non-event.

Short Final for Rutland, VT

8:20am. Wheels off and enroute to Rutland (KRUT) to pick up Dave, my first “civilian” (non-CFII) passenger in my Mooney. I’m loving my Garmin 530 / Aspen PFD / King autopilot combo and practice a coupled IFR approach into RW3. Dave is out on one of the taxiways snapping some awesome pics of my approach. I taxi to the FBO (who seem very friendly), wait for Dave to put his car away and climb in. 9:40a we power up and launch for Alton Bay.

It’s a bit bumpy climbing through 1-2000′ but then as we level off for cruise at 5500 it’s a smooth ride with 150 mile visibility! A few minutes pass and we can see the skyline of Boston! Wow whata day.

Approaching the southern end of Lake Winnipesaukee from the west we have to go over some steep hills/mountains. Turning downwind, along the western edge of the lake and eastern feet of the mountains, the air gets really rough. We’re getting bumped and whacked around. Man I hope this stops when we get into the open air of the base and final approach area. Andy, who’s approaching from the south, calls a straight in final.

I see him on short final with his Cherokee. I turn turn my base leg, the air smooths out and I hear Andy proclaim “Cherokee clear of Zero One – first turn off”. Dave and I both are impressed with that feat. As I’m setting up final Dave nudges me “Comeon… first turn off. Show ‘em you can do that too”. YES! I can do that! Slowing Katie to about 3kts over stall as we float over the threshold snowbank by what feels like inches, perform a nice low-energy landing. Some light braking and I too proclaim “clear of Zero One – first turn off”. <big grin>

And the judges render their scores…
Andy: “I must say, a much greater feat in a Mooney than a Cherokee… well done!”
Todd: “I have to agree.”
Bob: “A subset of ice runway graduates are those that make the first turnoff. Congratulations, Andy and Bob!”

Keith caught my landing on video:

A slow taxi over to the parking area and shut down. I’m ready for “The Big Two” (two pancakes, two eggs, four pieces of bacon, and hash browns) at the Old Bay Diner.

PIREP: Old Bay Diner, Alton Bay

Old Bay Diner is a quaint breakfast/lunch place just on shore, a very short distance from the parking area. They have great food and very friendly service. Their winter hours are Thursday – Monday 7:00-1:30. I highly recommend the place.

photo: JGriff

What’s it like landing on an Ice Runway?

A lot of pilots really get hung up on the whole “ice is slippery and you are going to go shooting off the end or side of the runway”. During my first landing on Alton Bay I was worried. But as soon as the wheels touched the runway I remember remarking “This is it? What’s the big deal?.

The ice deserves respect and you want to have your airspeed right – your brakes won’t really save you if you are coming in too hot. It’s not any different than a grass runway (so I’d guess) or a patchy ice/snow covered tarmac. And who doesn’t land on those in the Northeast?? The runway is almost 3000′ after all. Plenty of room.

Kudos to the volunteers that create this airport each year!

That’s right – Alton bay is created by a couple of local volunteers. They get all the approvals from the DOT and FAA. They are out there plowing the snow and keeping the NOTAMs current. And being available for any personal inquire via their cell phone which they list on the NOTAM recording (603-875-3498 ).

This visit I had the pleasure to have Paul (the airport’s manager and head volunteer) join us for breakfast. I learned that it takes him and another person over 8 hours to clear the airport with their trucks. This is done at their own expense and wear and tear on their trucks and equipment. There is a donation bucket at the general store up the hill a bit from the diner to help the guys defray some of their costs.

This year, there’s been several safety improvements made.

1) The runways and taxiways were laid out using an aviation GPS loaned to them by a DOT employee/pilot. So they are much straighter than they have been.
2) The taxiway feeds directly into the parking area. It no longer crosses the runway threshold.
3) The parking area is a large rectangle, compared to a semi-circle that was hard to navigate in previous years.

These are the result of pilot suggestions to Paul and his friend. They welcome any ideas to make the airport a better place.

Winter Carnival

All this fun and effort culminates at the Winter Carnival. This is when the town comes out to the lake and has all kinds of silly contests and races. Lots of folks fly in – I heard the 2009 event brought in over 75 planes. I wasn’t able to make it last year, but talking to many pilots that did, and seeing their pictures, it looks like a really good time. This year’s Alton Bay Winter Carnival is scheduled for February 14.

Here’s a link to Alton Bay’s webcam

I have to tall ya, there’s something pretty stinkin cool about landing on the only FAA official ice airport in the lower 48 United States. There’s not many pilots that can say they’ve landed on a frozen lake.

A later arrival

Related Posts:

• How to land on a lake – with wheels!
• A sweet winter flight
• Mooney Mass Arrival – Oshkosh 2009