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Concrete Arrows Pointing the Way Across America - Printable Version

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Concrete Arrows Pointing the Way Across America - Leonard - 01-13-2014

[Image: ku-xlarge.png]

[Image: airmail-beacons01.jpg]

In the 1920s, America began coast-to-coast Airmail service, but the pioneer pilots had trouble navigating the route, since navigation charts of the day were fugazi and you couldn't exactly pull over to ask a farmer for directions. And traveling at night, when it would have been most efficient, or in bad weather was impossible.

[Image: airmail-beacons05.jpg]

[Image: airmail-beacons03.jpg]

To solve this Congress then funded these gi-normous arrow-shaped Airmail Beacons, some up to 70 feet long, to trace a route across the country.The easily-discernible design made the arrows visible from a distance of ten miles, and each arrow pointed the way towards the next, some three miles distant. That's according to the Postal Museum; however, this blog claims the towers were 10 miles apart with a 40-mile visibility. It's possible the former is describing the earlier towers and the latter is describing updated versions.

What's not in dispute is that the beacon towers are all gone, the steel having been broken up and recycled for America's World War II effort. But the no-longer-used arrows remain, their paint long since worn off by the elements, the arrows themselves too difficult to make breaking them up worthwhile. And unless Omer Haciomeroglu sends his Concrete Recycling Robots into the American hinterlands, they'll likely be there forever.

[Image: airmail-beacons04.jpg]

From............... http://www.core77.com/blog/transportation/what_are_these_giant_concrete_arrows_across_the_american_landscape_25236.asp


RE: Concrete Arrows Pointing the Way Across America - GPnative - 01-13-2014

Cool, I had never heard of these before.


RE: Concrete Arrows Pointing the Way Across America - BeerMe - 01-13-2014

Me either.. Interesting


RE: Concrete Arrows Pointing the Way Across America - tvguy - 01-13-2014

I saw them before and I think it was right here on this. forum and rather recently.

VS and or BBQ or ponder posted in in the all purpose RVF threadSmiling


RE: Concrete Arrows Pointing the Way Across America - PonderThis - 01-13-2014

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I posted it. As I recall, it pretty much flopped. Smiling


RE: Concrete Arrows Pointing the Way Across America - GPnative - 01-13-2014

I am surprised it hasn't been the topic of some sort of tin foil hat conspiracy theory like they are in place to direct space aliens where to land or they point to where Hoffa is buried.


RE: Concrete Arrows Pointing the Way Across America - Leonard - 01-13-2014

(01-13-2014, 12:21 PM)PonderThis Wrote: Yeah, I'm pretty sure I posted it. As I recall, it pretty much flopped. Smiling

Sorry if this was posted before.


RE: Concrete Arrows Pointing the Way Across America - PonderThis - 01-13-2014

Hey, you got at least as much activity out of it as I did, and maybe more. Smiling


RE: Concrete Arrows Pointing the Way Across America - Prospector - 01-13-2014

Still exciting info. Student pilots learn about this early in their navigation block and aviation history study. Was the basic nav before the radio nav or beacon nav


RE: Concrete Arrows Pointing the Way Across America - tvguy - 01-13-2014

(01-13-2014, 02:42 PM)Prospector Wrote: Still exciting info. Student pilots learn about this early in their navigation block and aviation history study. Was the basic nav before the radio nav or beacon nav

exciting?Razz I'm gonna go with interestingSmiling


RE: Concrete Arrows Pointing the Way Across America - tvguy - 01-13-2014

(01-13-2014, 02:42 PM)Prospector Wrote: Still exciting info. Student pilots learn about this early in their navigation block and aviation history study. Was the basic nav before the radio nav or beacon nav

exciting?Razz I'm gonna go with interestingSmiling


RE: Concrete Arrows Pointing the Way Across America - Prospector - 01-13-2014

(01-13-2014, 02:54 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(01-13-2014, 02:42 PM)Prospector Wrote: Still exciting info. Student pilots learn about this early in their navigation block and aviation history study. Was the basic nav before the radio nav or beacon nav

exciting?Razz I'm gonna go with interestingSmiling

Go fly with me....I'll make it exciting.....then you can wash the interesting out of your pants when you get home. Smiling

Of course, hanging out of UH-1 can be exciting too