Planes using a New Hampshire
ice runway broke the record for the most landings in a season at the spot, which opens every winter in Alton Bay.Footage captured by Rob Wright shows planes taking off and landing at the Alton Bay Seaplane Base and Ice Runway, which local news outlet
WMTW reported is the only “Federal Aviation Administration-approved registered ice runway in the contiguous United States.”In a
Facebook post, officials from the airbase said 88 planes landed on Saturday, February 22, bringing the total landings for the season to 730, which broke the previous season record, set in 2019, of 643 landings.Runway officials noted that there were “several instances of aircraft with differential brake steering that could not steer on the ice and had to be walked by ground crew.”Near the end of the video, a plane can also be seen sliding across the ice and receiving assistance from crew.According to the
New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT), the airport is run by a “dedicated group of volunteers who assist pilots (seaplane, ski, and conventional) flying into the bay throughout the year and who also plow the ice runway, parallel taxiway, and parking area.”“The ice runway attracts several hundred pilots during its 4-8 week season and it can be one of the busiest airports in the state on winter weekends,” the NHDOT said on their website. The runway is open when the ice on Alton Bay is at least 12 inches thick, according to the FAA. Credit: Rob Wright via Storyful