Ice Airport?

TexASH Pilot · 02-01-2009, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

I hope you were able to give them some feedback on what can be done to improve the airport next year...You can appreciate what they did this year: fly by the seat of their pants. Any constructive criticism you pilots can give would I am sure, be appreciated, and I would be happy to print out the thread for Brian and the plow guys. They are really proud of what they have accomplished, and appreciate you guys flying in.

Dave

OOOOOPS: I forgot to say what a great video that is. Thanks.

Hey Dave,

Thanks for the offer! Glad you liked the video too.

The runway is in GREAT shape. I think they did a great job. It's straight, nice and wide. There's enough snow left on the ice to allow for a small amount of braking action. The only thing I can think of that they could do better is maybe prepare a little more space for parking. On a busy weekend like the 15th could be... they're going to need all the space they can get. That's going to be tough to do this year... the snow they plowed to the edges is now rock hard... nothing's moving that stuff.

Would you mind sending me a mailing address for Brian? We dropped some $$ in the can at the store, but I've already had one pilot who didn't join us today ask where they could send those guys some money for their time and effort. You can send it via PM here or via email to andyrickard@yahoo.com.

upthesaukee · 02-02-2009, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexASH Pilot

Hey Dave,

Thanks for the offer! Glad you liked the video too.

Would you mind sending me a mailing address for Brian? We dropped some $$ in the can at the store, but I've already had one pilot who didn't join us today ask where they could send those guys some money for their time and effort. You can send it via PM here or via email to andyrickard@yahoo.com.

I sent you an email. Again, thanks to you and to dbahn for you fine support of the ice runway. Your suggestions will just make it better and better for this season and subsequent years as well.

Dave

Moss Creek Media · 02-02-2009, 03:55 PM

Anyone know what was up with the flat tire on the green Cessna that was to the left of the J3 (in my panoramic)?

Kirk

Collybus · 02-02-2009, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moss Creek Media

Anyone know what was up with the flat tire on the green Cessna that was to the left of the J3 (in my panoramic)?

Kirk

Yup, that was Jonathan, one of our group from a pilot forum. Somewhere in the air between Concord and Alton Bay, he ran over a nail or something...

He got back okay, no property damage or fatalities. Someone on the lake went the extra mile for him and brought their air tank over to fill his tire. Another example of what great folks you are over there! We all had a terrific time and I'm looking forward to returning on the 15th.

About that Grumman pilot who missed the runway a little in that video above....we get no respect...

Iceguy · 02-02-2009, 05:50 PM

Hello. I'm Paul LaRochelle. Just joined the Forum. Thought it would be a good idea to be on this site, incase there were any questions concerning the ice runway. I am currently the new Alton Bay B18 Ice Airport runway manager. (FAA approved). I am not a pilot. I have been plowing the runway, with Steve and Roger assisting me. So grateful to have them. We are all thrilled with the enthusiam of all the pilots and local residents. Everyone in Alton loves to see the planes fly in at the Bay, as they tell Brian. When you check your NOTEMs, you will see my phone number, 603-875-3498.
And you will get the current conditions of the runway.
It was a great fly-in day on Sunday. I was on the ice most of the day, talking with alot of the pilots. To answer a question, one pilot, with the green plane, got a flat tire, so I went and got my air caddy tank, and the Pilot and I filled it with air. I hope we can keep up the tradition, and runway as in the past!
Any questions or comments, I will try to answer.[EMAIL="larbr@worldpath.net"]
Paul LaRochelle (Iceguy)
P.O. Box 390
Alton Bay, NH 03810

This'nThat · 02-02-2009, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iceguy

Hello. I'm Paul LaRochelle. I am currently the new Alton Bay B18 Ice Airport runway manager. (FAA approved).

Thanks for stepping in, Paul. Nice job you and the others are doing. I'm sure the community really appreciates it -- more than they can show, even. I know I appreciate it -- and I'm not even there!

Don't be afraid to let us know what you need. There will be someone on this forum that can help, I'm sure.

TexASH Pilot · 02-02-2009, 09:36 PM

Paul!! Welcome, and THANK YOU!!!

Being an airport manager is usually a thankless job... I hope we can do a good enough job changing that for you. You and the rest of the crew did a great job on the runway and those of us that flew in from all over New England (one as far away as Poughkeepsie, NY) on Sunday sincerely appreciate the effort.

I hope the weather's good on the 15th, our group is itching to fly up again!

RI Swamp Yankee · 02-02-2009, 10:38 PM

To Iceguy, as a tourist who loves to see the planes and activities on the ice at Alton Bay, THANK YOU. You reinforce my belief that people in the North Country are a cut above the rest.

upthesaukee · 02-02-2009, 10:40 PM

As an Alton Bay resident and loving to see the town and especially the bay being used as a family source of entertainment, the way you guys stepped up to the plate has been fantastic.

With the great input you will get from the pilots and your endeavors, the Alton Bay Ice Runway will continue to be a must go destination for years.

Now about trying to smooth out the waves for the seaplanes in the summer...

Great job and I'll see you in the bay or at Amilyn's. Thanks again for all you do.

trfour · 02-03-2009, 01:38 AM

have worked to keep the winter Airport in Alton Up and Running! As a long time resident, watching those planes landing and taking off on the ice has always been a winter highlight for me!
Thank you all,
Terry

riverat · 02-03-2009, 10:03 AM

Hi Paul, as the inhabitant of the tan bobhouse closest to the runway parking area with the American flag flying proudly I truly love sitting and watching the planes flying in and out. And seeing the joy on the faces of young and old looking up in amazement and saying "here comes another one!" Akso makes for great pastime when the fishing is slow.
I watch you guys plow for many hours day after day to maintain the runway, and it is great to see the recognition you are receiving for it. Thank you

rrr · 02-03-2009, 03:32 PM

Just curious - where are you flying in from?

upthesaukee · 02-03-2009, 04:35 PM

In case anyone would like further info on the airport, here is a link to the AirNav website that has some nice information about the airport.

http://www.airnav.com/airport/B18#notes

And in Iceman's first post, he mentions NOTAM's, which is an acronym for NOtice To AirMen (perhaps just a little sexist

) (Gotta admit it reads better than NOTAW or NOTAP

) . NOTAMs are notices about safety issues, general info that may not be found on charts, changes to info that are on charts, etc. Here is the link for the NOTAM's for Alton Bay B18 for this year:

https://pilotweb.nas.faa.gov/geo/geoQuery.html

Note: I got a certificate error from Microsoft when I first went to this link. I clicked on ok to continue and it took me to the page.

It seems that B18 is still the only FAA authorized ice runway in the country, and again Kudo's to Paul (Iceman) and his crew of volunteers for keeping it up.

dbahn · 02-03-2009, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrr

Just curious - where are you flying in from?

Our "group" flew in from several different locations, including Pougheepsi, NY, Rutland, VT, Norwood, MA, Nashua, NH and maybe one or two other locations. At least one pilot coming from Maine had to cancel because of snow squalls in the departure area.

That group only accounts for 5 or 6 airplanes, though. I'm not sure where the others were coming from.

dbahn · 02-03-2009, 09:43 PM

Say, some of the pilots from the "Purpleboard" have offered airplane rides to Brian and the guys who are plowing the runway, if they are interested. We hope to have another group (mostly the same people as flew in Sunday so far) fly over for the Winter Carnival in 2 weeks, so weather permitting we'll touch bases before that.

02-02-2009, 05:50 PM	#5
Iceguy Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Alton Bay, NH Posts: 28 Thanks: 1 Thanked 19 Times in 4 Posts	Alton Bay Ice Airport Hello. I'm Paul LaRochelle. Just joined the Forum. Thought it would be a good idea to be on this site, incase there were any questions concerning the ice runway. I am currently the new Alton Bay B18 Ice Airport runway manager. (FAA approved). I am not a pilot. I have been plowing the runway, with Steve and Roger assisting me. So grateful to have them. We are all thrilled with the enthusiam of all the pilots and local residents. Everyone in Alton loves to see the planes fly in at the Bay, as they tell Brian. When you check your NOTEMs, you will see my phone number, 603-875-3498. And you will get the current conditions of the runway. It was a great fly-in day on Sunday. I was on the ice most of the day, talking with alot of the pilots. To answer a question, one pilot, with the green plane, got a flat tire, so I went and got my air caddy tank, and the Pilot and I filled it with air. I hope we can keep up the tradition, and runway as in the past! Any questions or comments, I will try to answer.[EMAIL="larbr@worldpath.net"] Paul LaRochelle (Iceguy) P.O. Box 390 Alton Bay, NH 03810

02-02-2009, 10:38 PM	#8
RI Swamp Yankee Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: North Kingstown RI Posts: 688 Thanks: 143 Thanked 83 Times in 55 Posts	To Iceguy, as a tourist who loves to see the planes and activities on the ice at Alton Bay, THANK YOU. You reinforce my belief that people in the North Country are a cut above the rest. __________________ Gene ~ aka "another RI Swamp Yankee"

02-02-2009, 10:40 PM	#9
upthesaukee Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Alton Bay Posts: 5,597 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 2,455 Thanked 1,979 Times in 1,080 Posts	Thanks Paul As an Alton Bay resident and loving to see the town and especially the bay being used as a family source of entertainment, the way you guys stepped up to the plate has been fantastic. With the great input you will get from the pilots and your endeavors, the Alton Bay Ice Runway will continue to be a must go destination for years. Now about trying to smooth out the waves for the seaplanes in the summer... Great job and I'll see you in the bay or at Amilyn's. Thanks again for all you do. __________________ I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!

02-03-2009, 01:38 AM	#10
trfour Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: The Lakes, Central NH. and Dallas/Fort Worth TX. Posts: 3,694 Blog Entries: 3 Thanks: 3,069 Thanked 472 Times in 236 Posts	I Appreciate and Applaud Those Whom.... have worked to keep the winter Airport in Alton Up and Running! As a long time resident, watching those planes landing and taking off on the ice has always been a winter highlight for me! Thank you all, Terry __________________ *trfour* Always Remember, The Best Safety Device In The Boat, or on a PWC Snowmobile etc., Is YOU! Safe sledding tips and much more; http://www.snowmobile.org/snowmobiling-safety.html

02-03-2009, 10:03 AM	#11
riverat Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Alton, NH Posts: 722 Thanks: 337 Thanked 280 Times in 123 Posts	Hi Paul, as the inhabitant of the tan bobhouse closest to the runway parking area with the American flag flying proudly I truly love sitting and watching the planes flying in and out. And seeing the joy on the faces of young and old looking up in amazement and saying "here comes another one!" Akso makes for great pastime when the fishing is slow. I watch you guys plow for many hours day after day to maintain the runway, and it is great to see the recognition you are receiving for it. Thank you __________________ Waking up in the morning is the greatest, everything after that is a bonus

02-02-2009, 03:55 PM	#3
Moss Creek Media Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Hampton Posts: 97 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Anyone know what was up with the flat tire on the green Cessna that was to the left of the J3 (in my panoramic)? Kirk

02-02-2009, 09:36 PM	#7
TexASH Pilot Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 23 Thanks: 2 Thanked 2 Times in 1 Post	Paul!! Welcome, and THANK YOU!!! Being an airport manager is usually a thankless job... I hope we can do a good enough job changing that for you. You and the rest of the crew did a great job on the runway and those of us that flew in from all over New England (one as far away as Poughkeepsie, NY) on Sunday sincerely appreciate the effort. I hope the weather's good on the 15th, our group is itching to fly up again!

02-03-2009, 03:32 PM	#12
rrr Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Winter Harbor Posts: 214 Thanks: 75 Thanked 37 Times in 14 Posts	curious Just curious - where are you flying in from?

02-03-2009, 04:35 PM	#13
upthesaukee Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Alton Bay Posts: 5,597 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 2,455 Thanked 1,979 Times in 1,080 Posts	Airport Information In case anyone would like further info on the airport, here is a link to the AirNav website that has some nice information about the airport. http://www.airnav.com/airport/B18#notes And in Iceman's first post, he mentions NOTAM's, which is an acronym for NOtice To AirMen (perhaps just a little sexist) (Gotta admit it reads better than NOTAW or NOTAP) . NOTAMs are notices about safety issues, general info that may not be found on charts, changes to info that are on charts, etc. Here is the link for the NOTAM's for Alton Bay B18 for this year: https://pilotweb.nas.faa.gov/geo/geoQuery.html Note: I got a certificate error from Microsoft when I first went to this link. I clicked on ok to continue and it took me to the page. It seems that B18 is still the only FAA authorized ice runway in the country, and again Kudo's to Paul (Iceman) and his crew of volunteers for keeping it up. __________________ I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!

02-03-2009, 09:43 PM	#15
dbahn Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Mendon, Vermont Posts: 39 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Say, some of the pilots from the "Purpleboard" have offered airplane rides to Brian and the guys who are plowing the runway, if they are interested. We hope to have another group (mostly the same people as flew in Sunday so far) fly over for the Winter Carnival in 2 weeks, so weather permitting we'll touch bases before that.