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Alton Bay (B18) is open!

humptybump

Well Known Member
If anyone is looking for the chance to check off a bucket-list item, I just got an email that the Alton Bay Ice Runway has opened. (2012 season)!

If you've never heard of it, check out some of the YouTube videos. A friend (flyboytyler) has posted a few and is headed there this weekend. I may see if I can go next weekend!
 
Me three...

But will have to wait until next year. Let us know what it is like and if it should be a family trip or just for the guys? Have fun slipping and sliding.
 
Thanks for showing that Glen. If you or Vlad go up, please take photos.

We don't get that opportunity down here. ;)
 
v, that is a great opportunity. go while the going is good. you will be one of the few who has landed on a frozen runway. pics!!!!!!!:D
 
v, that is a great opportunity. go while the going is good. you will be one of the few who has landed on a frozen runway. pics!!!!!!!:D


Turbo, I already scored one at Rangeley Lake couple weeks ago :D


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Vlad, you'll still want to put B18 on your destination list. That way you can log it as a destination rather than an off airport landing :D
 
Vlad, you'll still want to put B18 on your destination list. That way you can log it as a destination rather than an off airport landing :D


Glen,
I am actually thinking of going there TODAY. It will be clear in couple hours what bothers me most is the pools of water after rainy night. You can see it on webcam. I will do an approach or two if I don't like it I would go to NH86. I hope tomorrow you are able to tow me to one of the famous spots :D
 
v, it looks a bit warm for today. next few days looks a bit colder. what a mild winter this year. :D
 
Given the winter conditions, I actually didn't expect B18 to open at all. I should also point out it can close for the season very unexpectedly. They monitor conditions closely give its an FAA register airport. The first signs of thinning ie and "poof". Once closed, I've not known it to reopen until the next year.
 
Wheel Pants

Vlad,

If you go and you haven't yet, remove your wheel pants. You don't want to get frozen slush up inside them.

BTW - I vacation on Winnipesaukee every summer; some of the nicest collection of wooden boats around.

T.
 
what is it like to land on a frozen lake? we need info. :D
Turbo, that is me behind V-Man in the photo above. LANDING is uneventful it is the TAKEOFF you have to be careful on. I did my normal 1/3rd power until 30 kts, airspeed alive, and then full power. With 200 horses under the hood and a CS prop, the sudden jolt of acceleration and P-Factor kicked me a little sideways and dropped a wing, just prior to rotation. I had FULL RIGHT RUDDER to correct this at rotation. To say the least, this was a little unexpected!

NEXT TIME I would apply power MUCH more slowly and gingerly!

Other than that, landing on ice is slick as snot!
 
I just clicked on Vlad's APRS link and it appears he has made the trip today. Good tracks, Vlad. Remember, big brother is watching you! :eek: :D

P.S. Wow, I posted this before seeing Ted's post. Anyway, Vlad, be aware that both Ted and I are watching you! :D
 
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You guys are not the only ones watching evil bravo kilo, who is now shooting the Hudson River Corridor at 1500'!
 
Anybody have a link to a web cam that looks at the Hudson River from downtown Manhattan? If we had set this up earlier, we could have seen him fly by!!!
P.S. Too late, I found some web cams, but he's already past the Statue of Liberty now. Probably wouldn't have seen him anyway as most of the cameras are pointed toward stuff on the ground.
 
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I actually think Vlad did land. IF you check the raw data, there is a "long pause" of about 9 minutes. I'm sure he will post a picture :)

I didn't capture a picture of him on the ground but do have one of his low passes as he checked the runway.
 
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Well well well. They call THIS an official RUNWAY? :D


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I made couple passes, clean and dirty before I decided to put her down. First there is something in that gorge to pick you up and throw around like a balloon but windsock always calm.


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Second, people on the runway, vehicles on the runway. They are not scared of the planes instead of moving out of the way they stop and wave you. :D They said cool we don't have much entertainment here. No grin for me :p



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Third and most important. There are pools of water some deep the rest is slush. After touchdown you decelerate very fast and it's very difficult to keep the nose up without power. Water sprinkles all over the airplane.


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Taxi is easy braking excellent. Takeoff normal.


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I don't know how to log it. It wasn't ice it wasn't water it wasn't seaweed. Thanks everyone for watching. Wait till next year don't go tomorrow.







added; Glen captured webcam screen thanks.


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FAA was also watching your trip.... I will PM you the phone number to call. They want to talk to you about the TFR. :eek:
 
Vlad, That doesn't look like a good day at Alton Bay to me. I have landed there at least a few times and each time there were lots of planes there and the ice was not flooded on top. Also with that many people on the runway it just isn't right.

It makes The Bald Mountain Fly-in up at Rangeley a MUCH better landing strip, huh!?!

Noah, Good observation and comment about right rudder, P-Factor and applying the throttle like a syringe!

It is an often overlooked technique!

:) CJ
 
Brave!

You're a brave man Vlad. I have been up there but I wouldn't have set down with that much open water around.

Glad you made it in and out safely.
 
Went to Alton Bay couple weeks ago. Freezing cold.

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When I landed there was nobody on the ice.

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Look what happened when I left the restaurant :D



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Did some figure skating and flew back to Jersey...


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See you next season Alton Bay!
 
Ready for Alton Bay

While waiting for Alton Bay to be opened again I did some recurrent.


Solberg airport braking action poor. Landed 22 rolled to the end. Couldn't make any taxiway. Turned around slowly increased the power to max and took off runway 4. Ready for the ice of Alton Bay and Rangeley.






 
January 1st 2014

I have a credible intel on the first bob house which appeared in Alton Bay a few days ago :D
 
Really? This is early!

Update: FAA NOTAM still has it closed. But it may not be long given the harsh cold snap settling in.
 
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Ice Runway 2014 ready soon

Fresh news from Alton Bay. Airport manager Paul was coming off the ice from checking ice thickness and it was at least 12" everywhere he checked. He will be leveling bumps on ice and get that runway ready soon. Keep your engines preheated.

News from friendly locals they love airplanes there. A sign appeared


 
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Mission 2014 accomplished

Visited Alton Bay today. Runway and parking area bumpy. Challenging for our small wheels. Hit snow bumps several times should have removed the fairings.









Sitting in a local diner overheard people talking - did you see the first airplane landed at the bay today? I wasn't the first I know a ski plane landed there last week :)






Fueled with a bowl of good beef stew and went scouting.





What else I found I will tell you in the summer :D
 
]


What else I found I will tell you in the summer :D[/QUOTE]

OK, at least tell us her name! is this her?
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I had the wheelpants off last year for a quick flight in light snow when moving from a hangar on the other side of the field. It took me quite a while to polish out all the damage on the underside of the wing.
 
seeing Vlad's plane on the snow, I finally understand his choice of a "non" paint scheme - it's stealth mode like a chameleon.
 
]


What else I found I will tell you in the summer :D

OK, at least tell us her name! is this her?
6521.jpg
[/QUOTE]


Is it because she is wearing a summer outfit?
Looks like a spy to me. Should be searched. Papers please.....

Pat Garboden
Katy, TX
 
... by the way at Alton Bay... :D






A whole lot of traffic three or four airplanes in the pattern. All kinds.





Several great eateries by the bay.







There was even RV8! This beauty is based minutes away from here.







The Airboss.





The Press.







The Cirri.







There is a Ton of Fun beyond the Bay on the same lake. Can anybody make skis for my RV :D



 
Took my Sonex t/d up there last week for the first time this year and I'm glad I took the wheel pants off it was very bumpy in spots , especially with my little 11x4x5 tires , it was a good time and at one point counted 18 aircraft and 2 robinsons , great place to go , ,
Adam Simmons
 
Small world!

The Cirrus was piloted by a friend visiting from the UK and the under-wing footage showing the yellow/white wheelpants is a good friend from NH and that plane has visited 53VG a couple times.

Vlad, you've used up another 90 seconds worth of you 15 minutes of fame :)
 
Finally Landed on the Ice

Saturday's East Coast weather was great and Alton Bay's ice runway was 20 inches thick -- fully operational. Game on!

Looking down at Alton Bay. Taxiway and parking ramp no less.

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On a long final heading south down the Bay towards the ice runway.

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Happy to be on the ice at Alton Bay. The most difficult part was getting off the wing and on to the slippery ice without incident.

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Quite a few planes were on the ramp when we landed and more landed after us

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Co-pilot Bruce whose RV-3 is torn apart for restoration.

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I was worried about the engine getting cold while we were at lunch -- it was in the low 20's -- so I put an old space blanket on the cowl, foil side facing down, then a thick blanket over that. It worked great; the cowl was was still warm when we returned. Of course the engine blanket is not Russian Special Issue like Vlad's but you can't have everything ....

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The restaurant was just on shore where we enjoyed a hot lunch.

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After departure, we checked out the big frozen Lake Winnipesaukee to the north before heading for home. Great day!

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Governor Valcik how you hear? :D

Governor Valcik? That does have a ring to it. Al(bania) will be his Lt. Governor. He is looking for a campaign staff.:D

I wonder what makes the reporter think that's a Cuby?
 
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