AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2011 - 82

LGM on the range Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport, Wyoming (48U, alien identifier #%&@)

There were numerous nominations for Green River’s welcome mat for aliens. There are deep ruts and tall grass the entire length of the runway, proof that

ged conditions land 20 miles away in Rock Springs, Wyoming. There are steep drop-offs at both ends of the runway, a three-foot berm along its entire length, and you can’t see one end from the other. Obviously, it wasn’t built for human-flown airplanes. Oh, and you’ll need to watch for youngsters on recreational vehicles making cookie shapes in the dirt. City residents park their cars on

States, but the burger joint is on the American side. Canadians can descend the American steps and order a burger— as long as they go right back to Canada. The hamburger stand offers fries with gravy, something the Canadians appreciate. There’s a big fly-in planned on Labor Day, so you can plan a trip and see how it works for yourself. Snow plowing is irregular in winter, and pilots need to call ahead for both the runway conditions and the hours of the Lunch Bar, as the restaurant is called.

Airplanes on ice Alton Bay Ice Airport, New Hampshire (B18)

little green men (LGM) are actually using it. “Maybe those deep ruts and tracks are from the heavy alien spacecraft,” said city Public Works Director Mike Nelson. Hmm, how does he know they are heavy? Debris, trash, and animal carcasses are often found on the runway. The key word is found, after the aliens have left. What more proof do you need? There’s another explanation: City public works official Randy Koloff said hunters throw the remains of big game on the runway, including deer, elk, and antelope. Unless, of course, they are actually aliens and eat their kill raw right there—sort of a tailgate party for spaceships. The airport got its name because the city council “…did that as a joke,” Koloff said. That was a couple of decades ago. The town never marketed the joke, so there are no alien festivals or space burgers in town. “Several of our people could qualify as aliens,” said Nelson. “We’ve got some real weirdoes here.” He was offered a chance to be identified only as a city official for that last remark, but said he stands behind his statement. Nelson said he gets at least three to five dozen calls a year from youngsters working on term papers about the airport. “It’s the coolest name for an airport.” There are plans to try to improve the runway, but until that happens, he suggests pilots not accustomed to rugAOPA PILOT •

the runway while they walk their dogs. It’s only graded in the spring before the mosquito spray airplanes arrive, and maybe twice after that in a year. Spray-airplane pilots are very good at dodging cars, Nelson said. A border runs through it International Peace Garden Airport, Dunseith, North Dakota (S28)

This is a quirky airport because the runway doesn’t form until January and melts in spring. It is the only government-approved airport to be certified as a seaplane base in summer and an airport (iceport) in winter. It was the subject of a feature article (“The Iceway Is Open,” January 2010 AOPA Pilot). There’s a video of the airport with the article on AOPA Online). The public airport is at the south end of Lake Winnipesaukee, which gets few airplanes in summer because of boat traffic and the lack of a good ramp. The ice airport operated for 30 years before the volunteer in charge could no longer meet a commitment to keep the runway plowed and free of snow. The good news is that new volunteers were found, and the town of Alton Bay can enjoy winter tourist business once again.

Located exactly on the United StatesCanada border, S28 is managed by the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission. Canadians land in North Dakota but taxi back to Canada to park. American pilots generally park in the United States. Both can meet up at the hamburger stand. Both United States and Canadian customs are available. The International Peace Garden is half in Canada, and half in the United

IFR to a lake Rangely Lake Seaplane Base, Rangely, Maine (M57)

Canadians land in North Dakota, but taxi back to Canada to park. Americans park in the United States.

Splash down with precision at Rangely Lake. It has RNAV, GPS, and NDB approaches to its water Runway 6/24. The lake is described as having intensive boating activity. Airport manager Steve Philbrick said it is not unusual for fishermen to be on the lake during IFR weather. Generally, seaplane operations stop sometime after November 1 because of colder weather and the chance of ice on the lake. Operations switch to a land airport nearby, which has nearly identical instrument approaches. Philbrick estimated only a dozen aircraft a year make actual instrument approaches to the lake, including one

82 • FEBRUARY

2011

AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2011