Category Classic Aircraft

Alton Bay, New Hampshire is a finger of water off of the southeastern end of Lake Winnipesaukee, in the center of the state. It boasts of a summer seaplane base, which becomes the FAA’s only certified ice runway in the “Lower 48” during wintertime. The New Hampshire Department of Transportation carefully grooms and operates the airport, which becomes available to the public once a foot of ice forms in the bay. “Ice in” never occurred in 2020, but in 2021, the ice formed sufficiently for the runway to open for President’s Day weekend. I spent a few hours on the ice that sunny Saturday, watching an impromptu aviation festival proceed.

The runway began this year as a 2600 foot by 150 foot ice surface...

Photos in this article come from many of CivilAviationWorld.com team…

On September 30, 1968, an airplane was rolled out of the Boeing factory near Everett, Washington that would change air travel for the world and become one of the most beloved commercial aircraft in aviation history. When it debuted, the Boeing 747 was the largest commercial aircraft in the world and featured revolutionary design innovations that have been incorporated into every aircraft designed since. The prototype, nicknamed the “Jumbo Jet” by the media, flew for the first time in February 1969...

1946 Globe GC-1B Swift

The Experimental Aircraft Association’s Vintage Aircraft Association’s mission… ” is to encourage and aid the retention and restoration of antique, historical, classical and contemporary aircraft, and to improve aviation safety and education.”

The Vintage Aircraft Association’s lineage reaches back to 1971, and was “originally known as the Antique/Classic Division of EAA…” 

The Vintage Aircraft Association is the world’s premier organization created to preserve and protect all aspects of vintage aviation. Our membership is world-wide, according to their web site.

The organization categorizes aircraft into three main collections, Antique, Classic and Contemporary.  Antiques are aircraft manufactured on or before August 31, 1945...