After several brutal months, most of America is ready to see winter’s backside. But for aviation enthusiasts in New England, the longer and colder the season, the better. As long as the waters of Alton Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire stay frozen, pilots can use the only FAA-certified, plowed ice runway in the continental US.

Weather permitting, Alton Bay is used by about 50 seaplanes each month. But come the freeze, conventional aircraft come in droves. It's been that way since the 1960s, and the runway will see more than 100 planes from throughout New England on particularly busy days. (The average is closer to 10 or 15 a day.) There are restaurants and shops nearby, but landing on a runway made of ice may be the main draw.

Now, ice is usually something to be avoided, and airports go to great trouble to be rid of it. So why is the FAA willing to certify a runway you could play hockey on? How is this not a terrible idea?

Instead of checking for debris and chasing off geese, maintenance means checking for damage done by errant snowmobilers and holes left by ice fishermen.

Turns out, an iced runway provides a surprising level of traction. Plowing the snow “leaves a bit of tooth on the ice,” says Peter Bruckner, a private pilot who lives in New Hampshire and has landed at Alton Bay more than a few times. If you come in at the proper airspeed and land properly, the plane will come to a stop with no more than a tap on the brakes.

It’s not like landing a commercial jet that tops 200,000 pounds, where brakes are crucial for coming to a stop before the tarmac ends and you need 10,000 feet of runway instead of the 2,300 offered here. Alton Bay is used by small aircraft. “If you’re on your numbers” as you approach, Bruckner says, you should be just fine.

Peter Bruckner's Grumman American AA-5, parked at Alton Bay. The way the ice is plowed and dusted with snow improves traction. Joel Glickman

Like all things that fall under the FAA’s jurisdiction, the runway has to meet basic safety standards that set it apart from any random strip of ice, and it's subject to close and regular scrutiny. As winter sets in each year, airport manager Paul LaRochelle checks it at various points with a drill. Once the ice is a good 12 inches thick across the Bay, he goes out in his truck to mark off the runway using cones and flags. State transportation officials have a look, too, but once they're satisfied, they declare the runway open for business. They'll shut it down for storms, but it typically stays open until spring. Right now, the ice over the bay is some 28 inches thick, more than enough.

Like all runways, the icy strip at Alton Bay requires a lot of maintenance. But instead of checking for debris and chasing off geese that pose a risk to jet engines, LaRochelle spends his time plowing away snow and checking for damage done by errant snowmobilers and holes left by ice fishermen.

Rain and periods of warm weather are especially problematic, since freshly frozen (or re-frozen) water is smooth and bad for traction. Light snow, on the other hand, can be good: As it melts into the ice, LaRochelle says, it improves grip. And when the runway is freshly plowed and conditions are right, “it’s like landing in a grass field.”

Just be careful not to slip when you walk out onto the ice.