5 Images
Display Status

This object is on display in America by Air at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

America by Air

Object Details

Key Accomplishment(s)

Last Operational Air Beacon in the U.S.

Brief Description

Night flying presented special hazards for air mail pilots. In the 1920s, the Post Office established a system of lighted airways marked by powerful rotating beacons. Placed 16 km (10 mi) apart, they rotated every 10 seconds and were visible 60 km (40 mi) away.

Country of Origin

United States of America

Type

EQUIPMENT-Ground Control Apparatus

Physical Description

Airway Beacon Light, last one operational in USA. A 24" rotating beacon light, with coded red signal light and control units. Top five feet of tower included. Removed from Crestline, Whitewater, California (near Palm Springs).

Dimensions

3-D: 185.4 × 172.7 × 454.7cm, 438.6kg (73 in. × 68 in. × 14 ft. 11 in., 967lb.)

Materials

Steel, aluminum, copper, glass, paint

Alternate Name

Airway Beacon and Tower

Inventory Number

A19730705000

Credit Line

Transferred from the Federal Aviation Administration

Data Source

National Air and Space Museum

Restrictions & Rights

Open Access (CCO)
For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use.

You may also like

    Red tower with light at top. Story

    A Guiding Light: The Airway Beacon Tower