Special places archive
August 2016
Lighthouses for aeroplanes
Concrete arrows and the US airmail beacon system is a post on the Sometimes interesting blog describing a system that has left strange concrete arrows across the American landscape. In contrast to marine lighthouses which have stood for centuries and are still lit every night, these aerial navigation aids had a short service life.
In 1924 the US Postal Service began to build a network of giant concrete arrows which pilots could see from the air during daylight, with flashing lights on towers for night navigation. By 1933 radio direction-finding systems had been developed, and the beacon system became obsolete.
A 1928 postage stamp celebrating the airmail beacon system.