Weirs Beach Seaplane Proposal

[TiltonBB]

The aircraft would beach outside the swimming area. Tours would be operated from the end of the Winnipesaukee Pier, which is owned by East Coast Flightcraft. East Coast Flightcraft is named on the NHDOT approval certificate as the base operator.

From rhe Laconia Sun:
https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news...30d931152.html

[Slickcraft]

What could go wrong?

[thinkxingu]

How many days is that area NOT crazy choppy?! Am I missing something, or is it only when I visit that it's rougher/smaller than I think I'd like for a seaplane takeoff?

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[Hillcountry]

They don’t call that area the “washing machine” for nothing! 🤪

[WinnisquamZ]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

How many days is that area NOT crazy choppy?! Am I missing something, or is it only when I visit that it's rougher/smaller than I think I'd like for a seaplane takeoff?

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You’re not alone in your thinking. Take offs and landings would be a challenge during season. Does he believe the boats will part for him to land!


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[SAMIAM]

Originally Posted by WinnisquamZ

You’re not alone in your thinking. Take offs and landings would be a challenge during season. Does he believe the boats will part for him to land!


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Might be wiser to base it in Meredith or maybe Paugus Bay….hard to take off and land in 3’ chop

[FlyingScot]

The basic issue with a commercial seaplane operation is that every take off and landing would be a handful of people making the lake experience worse for hundreds. This is not 1930 or the small number of hobbyist pilots we already have.

[fatlazyless]

That green/white float plane tied to the new Dox restaurant in the recent restaurant post belongs to Epic Seaplane Adventures, a 1952 De Havilland Beaver ... www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_jNrTd1f6s ..... designed for the military in Canada to be a bush plane in Canada and Alaska.

I say ....... vote YES to a Weirs Beach Seaplane ...... at the next Laconia City Council meeting on July 8, 7pm.

[stingray60]

Lotsa boats, lotsa chop, lotsa noise in a high traffic area at the "crossroads" of the lake at the Paugus inlet. How long before someone "races" the plane on launch or gets too close landing?

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

The aircraft would beach outside the swimming area. Tours would be operated from the end of the Winnipesaukee Pier, which is owned by East Coast Flightcraft. East Coast Flightcraft is named on the NHDOT approval certificate as the base operator.

From rhe Laconia Sun:
https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news...30d931152.html

Not that I am against seaplanes at all because I am all for them but there is not a worse place I can think of on the lake to attempt this. Way too rough and busy! Sure during the week would be fine but not on any weekend…

Dan

[rick35]

There was a news article a couple of weeks back about a seaplane in Vancouver hitting a boat on takeoff. Sounds like the boat went into a reserved seaplane area. The owner of the seaplane company that wants to fly out of the Weirs looks like a very accomplished pilot but without a restricted area, rough water and inexperienced boaters it's a terrible accident waiting to happen.

[Descant]

Boat chop in the area is mostly from Buoy #1 to the town docks and channel entrance. As you go north to Meredith, it dissipates and becomes more unidirectional. Prevailing wind is from the Northwest. Heading out from the Winnipesaukee Pier and going to Maiden Lady Cove, there are two black spars that would keep boats off shore. Draft for an airplane is very shallow and they can, perhaps, stay inside the buoys. The more wind, the fewer recreational boats are on the water, and take-off and landing distances headed NW are reduced.

In my mind, anybody with experience has looked at all these issues in far more detail than the posters on this site. Having said that, I have to agree that this location can be very congested, and more than most places on Winnipesaukee, has a higher concentration of inexperienced and rental boat captains than other areas.

[fatlazyless]

For people on the Weir Beach boardwalk and the Weirs sandy beach, watching a float plane doing take-offs and landings will add a highly visible, fun-to-watch, and exciting happening every time the float plane flies in or out. It could become a signature event at the Weirs and add a new dramatic twist for the lakeside crowds to watch.

Here it comes, there it is, it's coming in for a landing, the plane ..... the plane .... the plane! .....

The white and green float plane by-the-way is a De Havilland Beaver, built by De Havilland Aircraft in Calgary, Alberta, Canada a long time ago in 1952, so it is age 71 or 72, and still flying.

I'm sure the six Laconia city councilors and the mayor will all give this float plane attraction the consideration that it deserves and will consider everything and do their best to actually make it happen. Five years down the road, they will be pleased they give this float plane, Weirs attraction ,a fair shake to give it a go and come up with a safe plane plan to make it a well known Weirs Beach coming and going attraction.

Here's a different interesting video showing the world famous De Havilland Beaver in flight, vintage 1950's ........ www.youtube.com/watch?v=whGBUV8eg-A ..... just picture that at the Weirs!

[pondguy]

One word comes to mind--Dangerous.

[TomC]

you mean like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jbxQFBKgUw

[Shreddy]

Here we go again, I'm just going to go grab my popcorn

[ITD]

Cool, can’t wait to take a ride.

[pondguy]

Let's all sit back and watch. Shreddy pass the popcorn please.

[Tank151]

One word - STUPID!

[Reilly]

They will be looking for a VERY Large no wake zone

[TiltonBB]

Councilors voted 5-1 to table the matter until a future meeting, with Tony Felch (Ward 6) submitting the lone dissent.

From the Laconia Sun:
https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news...4904c75d6.html

[fatlazyless]

Float plane waterskiing; am so disappointed the plan to beach the plane on the sandy beach just to the left of the swim area, orange marker line got shot down, big time by the Laconia City Council.

Was thinking how this beached float plane plan could morph into a float plane-water skiing venue with the plane towing a skier all around Weirs the Bay at a slow 18-mph towing beginner skiers on two skis. ......

This coulda-woulda-shouda brung an immense illustrious float plane venue to the Weirs just like way back when 1930's, 40's, and 50's float plane history.

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

Councilors voted 5-1 to table the matter until a future meeting, with Tony Felch (Ward 6) submitting the lone dissent.

From the Laconia Sun:
https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news...4904c75d6.html

So they would give this guy a piece of public property for free? WTF?

[AC2717]

So let me get this straight,
has a spot in 19 mile Bay, decided to rent space at the Winni pier for business increase and visibility which I can respect, plane gets beat up at that location, wants to park on public beach now when hazardous (which could mean whenever decided)
Why was the answer from the town to just go back to 19 mile bay and wait it out there?? - problem solved
It's not the town or public's responsibility that you rented a dock space in a heavily congested area where the plane gets beat up by wakes and weather. Find a way to dock the plane and tie down safely just like boats in busy areas do on their docks.

Better yet find a new docking location. Seems to me they are trying to capitalize on a highly populated area but with the town taking care of one of the largest expenses for that type of business.

The one in Paugus Bay did a great business, never went to the town for hazardous conditions protection
All the while the council is worried about environmental impact and contamination and not the fact that this business brought their problem on themsleves and they should be left to correct it - makes no difference environmentally if the plane is beached or 1000 feet to the side lol. What a joke - use common sense - it being on the beach would reduce environmental impact vs floating where the dock is


I'm all for these types of businesses in the area but not at the expense of the town or public

[The Real BigGuy]

I don’t understand why he just doesn’t go back to the previously used Paugus Bay location. Seemed to work well for the previous operator.


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[JayR]

Look, if I want to see a Beaver going in and out of the water at Weirs Beach, can't I just ... uh, nevermind...

[Descant]

I'm sure maneuvering a seaplane in tight quarters is not easy, especially if high winds are present, but there should be room by the launch ramp behind the FlightCraft gas dock. Very protected, already set up to protect water quality.

In the meantime, the Council doesn't look very good to me. The Weirs has had many commercial operators in the area, boats, mostly, like the Uncle Sam, who used the public docks. There used to be 2-3 seaplane hangars in the proposed area. Precedent? Maybe there was a fee and a contract, but at least there was a precedent. Agenda items are submitted days in advance of meetings--why have they and the manager, not done their homework and researched what they can and cannot do in an area where they have received funding? Don't they know where that land starts and stops?

In short, the City Council seems to have no plan(s).