#TRANSCONTINENTAL AIRMAIL ARROWS CODE#

The fields were constructed with rotating incandescent electric lights mounted on 50-foot towers set to sweep six times per minute. To accommodate for emergencies, intermediate landing fields were established every 25 miles along the route.

#TRANSCONTINENTAL AIRMAIL ARROWS CODE#

Below the main white beacon, a secondary set of red and green lights would flash a Morse Code letter to identify the beacon to pilots. In clear weather the beacon lights could be seen for 10 miles (16 km). At the top of the towers, a rotating beacon with 5,000 candlepower and would flash every ten seconds. The first towers contained acetylene-gas powered lights which were fed by fuel stored in a shed at the base. To increase visibility of the concrete arrows, they were painted bright yellow. The beacons featured a 50-foot tower with rotating lights placed on top of concrete foundations in the shape of giant arrows measuring between 50 and 70 feet long.

The early iterations of the system used approximately 1,500 airmail beacons, each constructed roughly between 3 and 5 miles apart. had limited air mail service by 1918, and by 1924 had established a system of airway beacons to help guide airmail pilots from coast to coast. The answer at the time was a system of lit beacons at various spots around the country. 'Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds,' as the saying goes. Night flying simply wasn't done, unless you absolutely had to, and even then it was very dangerous. At night, as you can imagine, it was much more difficult, if not impossible. Not much in the way of fancy equipment back then. Take exit 112 from I-80 E/US-95 N (62.3 mi), continue on NV-396 for 19.0 milesīack in the day, if you were flying an airplane, you looked down at the ground to see where you were. Our Supper : Cheeseburgers at Top Gun in Fallonĭirections: Follow US-95 N and I-80 E to Pershing County. Our Breakfast: Breakfast skillets at the Cowpoke Cafe in Lovelock

Transcontinental airmail arrows