Larry Windrow
The experience was not the primary, but this winter, the cold helped to transform a lake in the northeastern United States into an airstrip. Spectacular
A frozen lake is transformed into an aerial one: this is not possible every winter, but this season is cold enough to allow planes to land on Winnipeg Lake in the state of New Hampshire (north-).
Paul Larrocel, the airport’s manager, explains that the runway can only be opened when the snow is at least 30 centimeters thick, about 800 meters long – the only ice airport approved by the American Air Transport Corporation.
“If we didn’t have 30cm of ice we wouldn’t have driven our trucks yet. If we had 22cm, 30cm there, 30cm and 25cm elsewhere, we wouldn’t have opened,” explains Mr. Larosell, who measures the thickness of the snow.
Not without difficulties
“The snow is slippery. A lot of pilots say that, ”said Carol Niola, one of the runway operations managers.
“Turning and stopping can become difficult maneuvers, although they are much easier to do on sidewalks or with grass, but here in the snow, it’s very different.”
“There’s a small layer of snow that gives it a little bit of grip, but it’s not that big,” he added.
Laurence Malcom
