I'm not much of a history buff but I'm interested in aviation archaeology. Has anyone ever seen these? Know where there are any between Reno and SFO? Or anywhere? I've seen a few in in Utah via Google maps.

Here's the article where I first learned about these arrows.

http://www.cntraveler.com/daily-travele ... n-jennings

Now that's just plain (or plane) cool! I've never seen one, but I will look for them in the future. Had I but known, I would have planned my flight from Seattle to Virginia to cover areas where I might be able to take some aerial shots of these historical landmarks. Thanks for the article.

Here's a map of the original route.




And a map of the later spur routes. I imagine arrows could be found along any of these routes. They were only in use for about 4 years or so. There are a few places in the mountains (so they say) that still have the towers and shacks adjacent to the arrows. Would love to see one of those.

Wow 99! That's the second biggest arrow I ever saw!

Nice find.

Very cool.

Very interesting...

I have a question. When I was a very young kid (early 50s) there were rotating beacons on the tops of a few of the high ridges and hills here in the PNW. I was told at the time they helped airplanes navigate on air routes to the cities. Is that not true? Sounds like in what I read on the above site they were decommissioned before that.
Anybody know what is right??

I never questioned what I "knew" till now...

lc

A lot of the information I read said that some of the beacons operated well into the 1960's. Maybe somewhere left operating as an additional safety feature.

A friend told me about these and said there is one near Golconda Summit which is along I-80 between Battle Mountain and Winnemucca, NV. I've yet to see it, but think it might be forth a special trip soon

On a Google search I found this one...


I searched Lake Point, UT on Google Earth and started looking around and it didn't take long to find it. People have even posted pictures of it on there. Here are the coordinates: 40°42'16.31"N 112°15'13.00"W

There is one somewhere east on the Boise airport. I've never been able to find it, but KTVB tv did a 2 minute "fill in" report about it several years ago. They said it was about 15 miles east of the airport, and showed a reporter prancing around on it and acting stupid. I can't find the article on their website, it may be to old for that.

http://surveymarks.planetzhanna.com/air ... stern-u-s/

Here you go guys this link has a whole bunch of them plus the coordinates...

Cool, found one on Google Earth at:

40.925091°, -117.398051°

Just where Kurt said it would be. I'd looked before too and just hadn't seen it until now.

wow, that's awesome... I gotta go find one now from the air.

I can vouch that many were operating across the Mojave desert and around Reno as late as 1966-67.
I would entertain myself on long night patrols counting my way though the night.

I was told at the time the ones working had the A-N transmitters.

One study I did had me set up a portable radar next to one for 24 hours once a month. Scrambled the radio, but I was gone before anyone came out. Got caught after maybe 6 months.

The beacons worked well from the air in that dark country.
--Bill

robw56 wrote:http://surveymarks.planetzhanna.com/airway-beacons-list-western-u-s/

Here you go guys this link has a whole bunch of them plus the coordinates...

I couldn't get the coordinates to work well in google maps. e.g. http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark ... Box=DX4140

Anyone know how to take those coordinates and get them to point at the arrow that aforementioned site claims is there?

With respect to the lighted airway beacons..

They still exist! Had the opportunity to fly them from Couer'd Alene Idaho to Missoula MT and thence to Helena a few years ago. Amazing experience to fly this route at dusk, following the beacons. The Missoula to Helena leg was done in the dark and made for interesting navigation.

Dr.Mike

Anyone know how to take those coordinates and get them to point at the arrow that aforementioned site claims is there?

Google maps likes this form 33 28 47.30467N X 117 38 41.75025W

tcj wrote:

Anyone know how to take those coordinates and get them to point at the arrow that aforementioned site claims is there?

Google maps likes this form 33 28 47.30467N X 117 38 41.75025W

Try it using this format:

33 28' 47.30467", -117 38' 41.75025"

blackrock wrote:

tcj wrote:

Anyone know how to take those coordinates and get them to point at the arrow that aforementioned site claims is there?

Google maps likes this form 33 28 47.30467N X 117 38 41.75025W

Try it using this format:

33 28' 47.30467", -117 38' 41.75025"

The ' = minutes of angle, "=seconds of angle, and the - in front of the 117 = W

F'ked up for sure but that's how it works. The degrees of angle are implied.

Deleted, Never mind...