I've never really been a history buff but these remnants of the old airway system fascinate me. I'd like to fly one of the routs some time and try to photograph as many of them as I could find.

In trying to find a picture and more info on the Strevell Strip, I came across this article that I don't think has been listed yet.

http://sometimes-interesting.com/2013/12/04/concrete-arrows-and-the-u-s-airmail-beacon-system/

If things work out, we are going to go look at one tomorrow...maybe even see if there is a feasible landing site nearby for later in the spring.

Good article. I noticed he used two of my maps in the article too. He referenced me as "user"

Scott, I finally found and read all 5 pages of this thread. I love this stuff.

Not concrete arrows, but still sort of follows this subject....
Another lead for all of you: I seem to recall a story in Flying mag ( at least I think it was Flying", could have been AOPA Pilot mag... )
about the last guy in the US that was employed to paint arrows on building roof tops. I think it was back in the late 1980's. He talked about coordinating with building owners to get up on roofs to paint arrows that pointed toward airports. Anybody have that article or remember it?

I remember the arrow on the roof of the tire shop in Shed Oregon ( between Eugene and Albany Ore. ) that marked the airway I took a photo because I knew that it would be gone some day. Checked G-Earth, its gone.

Will post pic it if I can find it.
Thanks.

Also.... At one time the grocery store in Coburg Oregon was owned by a local crop dusted. As a service to the flying community he painted a big arrow on the roof pointing to the Eugene Ore airport. I think it also had the distance. So here is my challenge to you....Got a pole barn? a hangar or shop? A board and string for a straight edge plus some paint?. Maybe somebody in the '99's has experience painting those nice compass roses that you know could lend some advice. Lets see want you paint on roof to keep the tradition alive.

Update: April 2016, I made a post a few minutes ago with a pic from G-Earth picture. It was actually in the little town of Tangent Oregon. Thanks.

Just found this little gem. Map of the US listing all the names of the airway routes. Pretty cool! And very large. Use caution when loading in your browser.

http://historicalcharts.noaa.gov/jpgs/A ... -1919a.jpg

Another article

http://www.amerisurv.com/PDF/TheAmerica ... ch2014.pdf

Yesterday I made it out to the Locomotive Springs concrete arrow in Northern Utah. Pretty cool standing on a piece of aviation history.





Traces of the yellow paint are still visible.



The generator building foundation.

That is fricken' cool!!

There is one more on the Idaho/Utah border that I want to go check out but I ran out of time yesterday.

Here is the one at the Cottage Grove State Airport (61S) in Oregon...

Pretty cool. I've been to Cottage grove several times over the years but it was before I knew about these arrow things. I never even noticed it. I'll have to take a look next time I'm there.

This question was posted:


Yesterday I landed at Promontory Point, Utah. While BS'ing with the shrimp pilots one of them mentioned they had found the remains of one of the old 1920's air route light stations. My ears perked up and I asked if it was close by. They said, "Yes, its right over there", pointing to the north east end of the airstrip. I just had to go look, and sure enough there was the remains of several concrete structures. No arrow, but it appears this was an actual Concrete Lighted Arrow marker. Here is a photo of me looking at part of it:

Here is a Google Earth photo of the same thing. I have added identification of the various parts. The unlabeled structure in the lower right hand corner is one of the shrimp pilots camp trailers:

Could have been. There is another one still intact just a few miles up the west side of Promontory. Then another one at Locomotive Springs that I posted pics of.

The picture on the cover of the American Surveyor showing the best looking and most preserved beacon is in Grants, NM. I have found several arrows from Gallup to Grants. It's a great relic of aviation history!

Saw this beacon at Grants Milan Airport (KGNT) in New Mexico, Summer 2014.
It was actually a set up that had been relocated from another area… but it is nicely restored.




If you are ever near here…take time to visit the Uranium Mining Museum in Grants, NM.
It's worth a few hours and the gentlemen who run the tours were uranium miners for years…good stories to share.

I don't know exactly why, but I really want to see one of these arrows. Does anyone know if there are any near the High Sierra fly-in?

Alex

I wouldn't be surprised. Look back in this thread. There should be some good maps with their locations marked.

Alex,

There is one just west of Reno on a hill south of the Truckee River - not too far from the flyin and maybe on the way depending on where you are coming from. The nearest other one (that I know of) headed east is out by Lovelock, NV.

Greg

If you drive the Lincoln Highway (Old 40) West out of Truckee, up over Rainbow Bridge to Donner Summit, near the summit is one of those historical signs devoted to the old airway beacon at the summit. It's quite a history, with people living up there through the winter to keep it going, operating a radio, and the roof shoveled to keep the arrow visible. It was a long snowshoe trip to get a visitor from town.

From the Donner Summit Historical Society website:

9. Soda Springs Ski Area, the oldest ski area in California, dates back to 1938 when it was called Beacon Hill after the aircraft beacon that sat atop it. In those days airplanes flew from beacon to beacon, each beacon flashing a different signal. At least three planes missed their beacons but found Donner Summit in ways they probably wished they hadn’t.

More detail here: http://www.donnersummithistoricalsociet ... route.html

I found this one on Umtanum Ridge just west of the Yakima River half way between Yakima and Ellensburg.

WENAS AIRWAY BEACON Y 1
Coordinates: 46.84020665, -120.5281213