February 2, 2019 - Alton Bay, NY Ice Runway

It has been five years since I flew up to Alton Bay, New Hampshire to land on the ice runway.  Link.  I felt the need to do it again.  Watching the weather closely, this Saturday looked promising.

Paul LaRochelle is the guy who makes the ice runway happen.  He publishes the runway status with videos on Facebook.  So I knew the runway was open today and in excellent condition.  It would be cold though.  Surprisingly, another challenge would be just getting out of my home airport.  Our area got an inch of snow Friday, and it had been very cold in Maryland this last week.  But, the snow was light powder and I figured I could taxi and takeoff through it.

Here Bruce is standing in front of my hangar while the engine gets preheated with the Red Dragon.
   
Let's go to Alton Bay!
   
The snow didn't affect taxi and takeoff at all.   We were stunned by what we saw from the air however.  This is the view looking east out into the Bay, with Hart-Miller Island to the left, Miller's Island to the right.  As you can see, the Back River and much of the Bay is covered in ice and snow.  As I mentioned, it has been very cold the last week, in the teens and 20s during the day, single digits at night.
   
Looking down at Rocky Point Golf Course with Hawk Cove to the right and the Back River at bottom.
   
Now looking north up the Back River, with Essex Skypark in the middle of the picture, to the right of the river.
   
Looking west across the Back River.
   
A closer look at Essex Skypark.
   
One final look at the Back River.  That ice-free area of the river in undoubtedly caused by warm water generated from the wastewater treatment center on the west bank.
   
We transitioned through Martin State and headed northeast.  Here we are approaching the Susquehanna River.
   
Looking southeast at the top of the Chesapeake Bay and Havre De Grace.
   
Looking north up the Hudson River, north of West Point.
   

Some little river somewhere in Massachusetts or maybe New Hampshire.

We had a monster tailwind and were averaging 210-215 mph much of the way.  I knew we would pay the price on the way home though.

I had thought the flight would be very cold.  But an interesting happened.  Up at 5,500 feet the air was much wamer than it was on the surface.  On the ground, it was in the teens or 20s.  But at 5,500 it was in the low 40's!   So the temperature was quite pleasant in the cockpit.
   
Alton Bay is a finger sticking out of the southeast corner of the huge Lake Winnipesaukee, which is visible here, dead ahead.
   
And there is Alton Bay and its ice runway.  We had been monitoring traffic on Unicom 122.8 as we approached.
   
Quite a few planes are parked on the ramp area down there.
   
Winds were light but favored runway 19.  Alton Bay has sort of a dogleg final on 19 which makes it fun.  Landing was uneventful except that the ice was a little bumpy after touchdown.
 
The ice runway is 2,700 feet long and very wide at 100 feet.  I just let the plane roll out to the end without using my brakes.  The plane tracked straight down the middle of the runway.  The brakes sort of worked at slow speed, but stopping quickly was out of the question.
 
There was a lineman directing airplane parking and soon we parked and the plane was squared away.  To keep my engine warm for a couple of hours, I covered the cowl with 4 ft by 4 ft aluminum sheet, with two blankets on top of that, all strapped down.  I had brought my cowl plugs as well.  It worked great.  The cowl was still warm we got back, and the oil temps were at 100 degrees for engine startup.
   
Bruce is dressed for the cold, ready to go get some lunch!
   
 
   
Looking northwest up Alton Bay.  You can see most of the ice is clear of snow and was, it was very slick.
   
This Cessna 170 is ready for the snow with skiis.
   
There were four RVs on-hand at some point during the time we were there, including ours.
   
They parked helicopters to the south of the ramp area.  Here one is air-taxiing to the runway and making clouds of powdery snow.
   
Bruce and I heading for Shipley's restaurant and some lobster roll!
   
There isn't a whole lot to Alton Bay.  Most of the stores seemed to be closed.
   
A plane taxiing by on the other side of a snow bank.
   
A plane taking off to the south.
   
An ice house complete with fancy door and aluminum siding.
   
Boats and wakes not a problem this time of year.
   
A not-so-upscale ice house.
   
Alton Bay is down in a valley and sheltered from the wind, at least when it is from the east or west.
   
 
   
Another ski-equipped taildragger.
   
Taxiing out.
   
The biggest plane that flew in while we were there was this twin.
   
 
   
Unusual paint job on this RV-8.  It reminds me of the paint job on an F-15E Strike Eagle.
 
I found out later they had 80-85 planes come in and land today.  Pretty amazing for an ice runway, in winter.  Heck, that's more air operations than Essex Skypark has in a month!
   
I was also dressed appropriately for the weather.
   
The taxi-way was an ample 50 feet.  I'm used to 10 feet at my home airport.
   
Turning on to ice runway 19, getting ready to take off.
   
Nothing to the takeoff.  The RV has a short takeoff roll in the cold, dense air.  It just jumps into the air.
   
Heading north for a little fun over Lake Winnipesankee!
   
It's big.
   
The sun had come out and it was very scenic flying down low over the lake.
   
 
   
Every so often we would pass snow-machiners or ice fisherman.
   
On the west side of the lake is Laconia Municipal Airport (KLCI), which I knew had fuel for a price at the low end of the spectrum (I dislike calling it cheap because it most certainly isn't cheap, being over twice the price of car gas).
 
Here we are over Laconia, which is a good-sized airport, with a 6,000 foot runway, a taxiway wider than the runway at Essex Skypark, very nice FBO building, two operators, and lots of hangars.
   
Another look at the airport.  The FBO building is on the other side of the runway to the left.
   
It was already 3:15 when we left Laconia and with the headwinds, I knew it would be close getting home before dark.
 
Here we are crossing the Hudson River.  It looks like a sunset, but it really isn't, the sun is just behind a layer.
 
We were only making 150-155 mph or so most of the way home.
   
Now this is a sunset!  The sun dropped below the horizon about 10 minutes out but there was still some light when we landed.  That said, I was glad to have the runway lights.
   
 
   
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