The Federal Aviation Administration has again this year approved a frozen lake in New Hampshire as an active runway for small, private aircraft - and it's pretty darn cool to watch.
Lake Winnipesaukee in Alton, N.H. is also known as the Alton Bay Seaplane Base. In summer it serves as a landing site for seaplanes, but when the weather is absolutely frigid the ice freezes over well enough for the lake to be used as a winter landing strip.
It is the only ice runway in the lower 48 states approved by the FAA.
According to WMUR, dozens of pilots flew into New Hampshire on Saturday after the FAA gave its go-ahed.
"How many times can a non-amphibian plane land on water?" said pilot Ken Ortmann of Rochester, New Hampshire.
The runway is only 3,000 feet long and airport director Paul LaRochelle, said they try to keep it plowed when the ice is strong enough.
Here's one vantage point of a frozen runway landing.
And here's another.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
