Winter trip to the Northeast

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Thunderbird83

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Thunderbird83
Let's say you had 4 days to fly around and enjoy the Northeast USA (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, etc...) in the winter. Where would you go? What would you do?

I'm looking to plan a four day excursion... interested in aerial scenery, challenging airports, and fun places to stay. I will take any and all suggestions!
 
For dinner, fly into PSM (Portsmouth, NH) borrow the crew car (they have more than one) and see the town. Great food there. Might be more fun pre-COVID though.

Burlington Vermont is also ranks highly in my book for dining options. In the winter, Alton Bay, NH clears a runway on the ice covered Lake Winnipausakee. They have a Facebook page that announces when they’re open for the season.

Have fun!
 
I'd load my MotorHome and go..and do what I Please.
 
I'd go west and fly over Glacier NP and the North Cascades. Super tasty aerial scenery.
 
Thunderbird83 said:
Let's say you had 4 days to fly around and enjoy the Northeast USA (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, etc...) in the winter. Where would you go? What would you do?
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If it's cold enough the runway is solid, Alton Bay Ice Runway is a check in the block. Laconia is a nice town too.

 
If coming up from NYC, do the Hudson River SFRA then land at Aeroflex-Andover 12N. It is short with lakes immediately at both thresholds.

Harriman and West in North Adams could be cool to stop at if you can do a little winter hiking on the ADK trail towards Mt Greylock.
 
Kent Wien said:
For dinner, fly into PSM (Portsmouth, NH) borrow the crew car (they have more than one) and see the town. Great food there. Might be more fun pre-COVID though.

Burlington Vermont is also ranks highly in my book for dining options. In the winter, Alton Bay, NH clears a runway on the ice covered Lake Winnipausakee. They have a Facebook page that announces when they’re open for the season.

Have fun!
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Kent, I am a fan of Alton Bay, having been there once, in an Archer. Watching its "open season" over the years, it seems like the most likely time period for it to be open - meaning favorable ice conditions - is the third week in February. It stays open until the next slush storm. It is a short season, so when it opens, go!
 
My favorite airport in New England is "Goodspeed" airport in East Haddam. The approach is typically over a river, over a swing bridge and into the airport... there are good lunch and breakfast places within walking distance and I believe there is a B&B nearby as well, again, within walking distance.
 
Ohhh my. Where to begin. I echo Alton Bay ice runway but only do so if you can land on speed as there's not much room for error from bad habits--the runway consumes a few victims every season. Goodspeed-amazing. Idyllic runway right on the river, beautiful bridge and small town right near by.

Elizabeth on Fishers Island - 0B8
Newport State - UUU -- awesome downtown on the island
Block Island - BID -- my favorite of the islands (MVY and ACK)
Provincetown - PVC -- nice bike path to town
Minuteman 6B6 - excellent restaurant on the field
Portsmouth - PSM - nice downtown
Portland - PWM-- same deal
Burlington - BTV - yup another great downtown as well
Augusta - AUG - nice little Thai restaurant within a 2 minute walk of the FBO
Sugarloaf, Bethel Regional, Greenville, Parlin (Newport, NH)....ohhh my.

I could go on and on about the great airports in the region and why you should visit. Map out your course and check a few out--you can't go wrong.
 
Sanford - SFM - Pilot's cove restaurant right on the ramp. Good food and they do music and movie nights as well.
Bar harbor/hancock county - BHB - a few restaurants nearby, gorgeous scenery between the mountains and islands, and Acadia National Park. Lots of inns and beachfront cottages. A few surrounding island strips to land on as well. Short drive to Bar Harbor to to the tourist-y things.
Bangor - BGR - I love stopping by there if only just to T&G and check out the military aircraft.

AUG and PWM are also good places to stop in as mentioned above.
 
These are all good suggestions. If the weather is good, and the winds on top of Mt Washington aren't too high, I would fly up through Franconia Notch and then east around Mt Washington and the rest of the presidentials. While the White Mountains aren't quite as big as something you'd see out west, the weather can be just as harsh, so take a good look at that before you go.
 
For an old school feel and a great breakfast/lunch, consider Hampton Airfield 7B3. 2100' with trees, paved and grass next to each other. The people there are some of the nicest anywhere.
 
I know not exactly in that territory but what about Niagara Falls? Arcadia and KBHB are great suggetions. I would also recommend Stowe, VT.
 
belbert said:
Idyllic runway right on the river, beautiful bridge
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Here is a vid a pal took not too long ago... the approach over the Goodspeed (42B) Bridge and the Connecticut River is super cool...
 
Nice job Andrew, I hope one day be able to get over to that airport. Still working on my Sport Pilot training out of KHFD. You still have the CTLSi or did you end up getting the F2?
 
Love the CTLSi... flew the F2... like a 172 with a stick... We will see...; )
 
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