Balsams Grand Resort teams up with ski industry legend Les Otten

[2planks2coasts]

A group of local businessmen expressed a desire for a regional airport to provide additional means to access the Mount Washington Valley region. Discussions were underway between the Maine and New Hampshire Departments of Transportation to construct a new airport to improve economic development and air access within the region. The Eastern Slope Airport Authority (ESAA), was formed to commence efforts towards developing a new public airport. Land was purchased in Fryeburg, Maine and developed into what is known today as Eastern Slope Regional Airport (IZG).........

Any possibility that runway at IZG can ever be extended? 4200 ft is pretty short. BML (Berlin) has an extra thousand feet, opening it up to a bunch more aircraft types.

 

[machski]

Any possibility that runway at IZG can ever be extended? 4200 ft is pretty short. BML (Berlin) has an extra thousand feet, opening it up to a bunch more aircraft types.

Probably not much. To the North of the runway you have round pond that appears to have adequate overrun space now, but any extension would negate that or require a pricey EMAS system to be installed. To the south, there may be some room but there are wetlands on the corner of Route 5 and Lyman DR that would limit how much extension could be built. Not to mention surrounding terrain. Runway 32 already requires a fairly steep climb gradient for instrument traffic. If the runway were to be extended North, the gradient required would steepen negating some of an extensions benefit in that direction. For reference, even though Berlin is longer, it is also terrain challenged and is actually worse for the approach than Fryeburg due to the terrain.

 

[2Planker]

Probably not much. To the North of the runway you have round pond that appears to have adequate overrun space now, but any extension would negate that or require a pricey EMAS system to be installed. To the south, there may be some room but there are wetlands on the corner of Route 5 and Lyman DR that would limit how much extension could be built. Not to mention surrounding terrain. Runway 32 already requires a fairly steep climb gradient for instrument traffic. If the runway were to be extended North, the gradient required would steepen negating some of an extensions benefit in that direction. For reference, even though Berlin is longer, it is also terrain challenged and is actually worse for the approach than Fryeburg due to the terrain.

Thanx Mach. Fryeburg is a nicer in/out as a passenger.
Wifey hated Berlin due to the steep ascent/descents.
Always reminded me of Tegucigalpa without the cliffs

 

[2planks2coasts]

Cool. I've not been into either. We fly on old Lear 35's (I'm the nurse, not the pilot) so many smaller GA airports don't work. If you haven't been into CYCG, shoot it in the sim sometime.
Tegucigalpa though....... Thankfully they only use Toncontin for domestic now, with international flights going to new airport at Palmerola. The skiing is much better in the Whites though!

With BML still a 45 minute drive from the Balsams, not sure what kind of traffic that might bring. I can see the Wheels Up type folks arriving that way. Reasonable King Air flight from anywhere in the NE.

 

[2Planker]

Cool. I've not been into either. We fly on old Lear 35's (I'm the nurse, not the pilot) so many smaller GA airports don't work. If you haven't been into CYCG, shoot it in the sim sometime.
Tegucigalpa though....... Thankfully they only use Toncontin for domestic now, with international flights going to new airport at Palmerola. The skiing is much better in the Whites though!

With BML still a 45 minute drive from the Balsams, not sure what kind of traffic that might bring. I can see the Wheels Up type folks arriving that way. Reasonable King Air flight from anywhere in the NE.

We still use the ole TGU as we're military aided and they're not fully over to toncontin yet...
Most of where we are is right along the Honduran-Nicaraguan border.
The water is done for 1,000 years due to all the gold mines. Tragic what the german's and canadians did there

 

[machski]

Cool. I've not been into either. We fly on old Lear 35's (I'm the nurse, not the pilot) so many smaller GA airports don't work. If you haven't been into CYCG, shoot it in the sim sometime.
Tegucigalpa though....... Thankfully they only use Toncontin for domestic now, with international flights going to new airport at Palmerola. The skiing is much better in the Whites though!

With BML still a 45 minute drive from the Balsams, not sure what kind of traffic that might bring. I can see the Wheels Up type folks arriving that way. Reasonable King Air flight from anywhere in the NE.

Well, like I've said, I've landed BML with a Gulfstream GV before. Have not landed IZG with the Phenom 300 I fly now but have done PVC and Harbor Springs in MI (3700' long), one of Boyne's. One of my colleagues just landed 0B1 with the Nom, that would be Bethel. Kind of pissed he got to be the first one for that!! IZG would work as is for several of our jet types but none of them work if contaminated (think snow/ice) and only Berlin would work wet runway as of now for that trifecta of BML/IZG/0B1.

 

[ThatGuy]

We still use the ole TGU as we're military aided and they're not fully over to toncontin yet...
Most of where we are is right along the Honduran-Nicaraguan border.

What do you do for work if you don’t mind me asking?

 

[2Planker]

What do you do for work if you don’t mind me asking?

Been in healthcare for 35 years at one of Boston's large teaching hospitals.
Have started and worked with NGO's that operate in some of the globe's toughest places (Haiti, Nicaragua, Zambia, Zimbabwe, DR) . Built 5 clinics in 4 different countries since 2002.

The Nica project is going on 10 years now (Medical, Dental, Engineers, Public Health)
8 villages and 1 city of over 100,000 now have solar powered artesian wells bringing potable water to all the communities and also to the newly rebuilt hospital for the first time in almost 100 years. Still no Elec, Internet or Phones.... 3-4 weeks at a time, but worth it

 

[2planks2coasts]

Well, like I've said, I've landed BML with a Gulfstream GV before. Have not landed IZG with the Phenom 300 I fly now but have done PVC and Harbor Springs in MI (3700' long), one of Boyne's. One of my colleagues just landed 0B1 with the Nom, that would be Bethel. Kind of pissed he got to be the first one for that!! IZG would work as is for several of our jet types but none of them work if contaminated (think snow/ice) and only Berlin would work wet runway as of now for that trifecta of BML/IZG/0B1.

Nice! My employer just inherited a bunch of Phenom 300's. Bought a competitor with them on cert and several on order. Unlikely I'll ever see the inside of them though. We abuse planes pretty bad on the Air Ambulance side, so the Lears, Hawkers and on rare occasions, our Challenger 601 are the nicest we get.

 

[machski]

Nice! My employer just inherited a bunch of Phenom 300's. Bought a competitor with them on cert and several on order. Unlikely I'll ever see the inside of them though. We abuse planes pretty bad on the Air Ambulance side, so the Lears, Hawkers and on rare occasions, our Challenger 601 are the nicest we get.

I don't envy you getting patients on stretchers in or out of a Hawker, that is an odd door for full abled folks. The Phenoms are nice but you have to honor the lack of reversers. If it says it can't land because of conditions (wet/snow/slush/ice), it can't. No additional reverse system to help out. Could be tough for medevac ops.

 

[Former Sunday Rivah Rat]

The Balsams trying to move FW:

CONSULTANT OUTLINES PROPOSED BALSAMS FINANCING PLAN, RISKS TO COUNTY

February 20, 2023 By Robert Blechl Appearing in the Caledonian Record Lancaster, NH “During a joint meeting of the Coos County Commission and Delegation in Lancaster on Friday, the municipal …

thebalsamsresort.com

Sounds like the bonds will pay 9% yield and cannot be refinanced or called by the developer earlier if rates go down. Ouch, that's a pretty tough nut. Goldman Sachs is bending poor old Les over. Makes you wonder if more delays might benefit the Balsams by getting a lower rate if a recession hits later this year and rates go down and hiring gets a little easier.

 

[machski]

The Balsams trying to move FW:

CONSULTANT OUTLINES PROPOSED BALSAMS FINANCING PLAN, RISKS TO COUNTY

February 20, 2023 By Robert Blechl Appearing in the Caledonian Record Lancaster, NH “During a joint meeting of the Coos County Commission and Delegation in Lancaster on Friday, the municipal …

thebalsamsresort.com

Sounds like the bonds will pay 9% yield and cannot be refinanced or called by the developer earlier if rates go down. Ouch, that's a pretty tough nut. Goldman Sachs is bending poor old Les over. Makes you wonder if more delays might benefit the Balsams by getting a lower rate if a recession hits later this year and rates go down and hiring gets a little easier.

Maybe, but delaying more and more might lose any political good will. At some point the politicians have to cut there losses if jobs don't materialize. Add to that, all the development going on at SR, SL, Loon and ever Saddleback. Potential buyers may not keep waiting for the shovels to hit the dirt and passing up other opportunities.

 

[JoeB-Z]

The politicians up there have nothing to lose. Just dangle jobs. Buyers will appear when the project has an actual offering of value. It is really at the end of the earth from a travel perspective.

 

[Newpylong]

Recent history has shown flatlanders will go to the end of the earth for the right experience.

 

[raisingarizona]

It's less than 4 hours from Boston. That's not bad really.

 

[Smellytele]

The politicians up there have nothing to lose. Just dangle jobs. Buyers will appear when the project has an actual offering of value. It is really at the end of the earth from a travel perspective.

It isn’t just the politicians up there but the whole state. Think Nashua or Portsmouth care about the balsams?

 

[Former Sunday Rivah Rat]

Latest delay is from neighboring wind turbine owner NextEra. They won't agree to shut down the windmill in times of icing for safety. This violates their lease with Les Otten's group.
These green energy freaks are dickheads.

 

[skef]

Balsams Resort Receives Key County Approvals - NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com

www.newenglandskiindustry.com

 

[Former Sunday Rivah Rat]

I thought this was a pipedream a year ago but after following developments it looks like it may just happen.
I am rooting for old Les to build another big ski resort. Ya gotta love his perseverance.

 

[thetrailboss]

Les is looking old….

Balsams resort project takes giant step forward

WEST STEWARTSTOWN — Conditional approval of the Balsams resort development and a financing plan was granted at a special meeting of the Coos County commissioners on Wednesday.

www.conwaydailysun.com