[MRCA] Airport Beacon

Thu Aug 6 17:14:26 EDT 2009

I agree that it should be preserved, as there are very few of these
beacons left, much less one with such a special purpose as this one. It
seems to have a strong historical connection with the lab and it's
mission and would be an appropriate display.

If it turns out that the tower/beacon cannot be saved, at least the
beacon assembly should be saved and displayed in the museum.  Perhaps a
deal can be struck with the salvage company to save the beacon rather
than dropping the whole thing to the ground.  The tower seems to be too
small to justify an explosive demo, so they may crane it down and cut it
up.

I am trying to check our museum archive here at Pax to see if I can find
any 1940-50 era charts that might depict the beacons.  I also have
queried an old aeronautical chart archive on the net.

73 de Tom/W4OKW
Retired Navy Pilot

Tom Clarke
Wyle Labs,  Aeronautics
NATOPS Program Support Specialist
USN/USMC National Airworthiness Office
Naval Air Systems Command, AIR-4.0P
(301) 995-3793/DSN 995-3793
Fax: (301) 757-6599
Cell (301) 904-2053
frederic.clarke at navy.mil

-----Original Message-----
From: Ray Chase [mailto:enrpnr at erols.com] 
Sent: Thursday, August 06, 2009 10:47 AM
To: robandpj at earthlink.net
Cc: Military Radio Collectors Association
Subject: Re: [MRCA] Airport Beacon

I always assumed that it was a standard airways beacon but Fred Carl 
claims that it was erected during WWII to warn aircraft to stay clear of

this site where very secret radar work was being done.  Kind of makes 
sense since it was red only and that there was another at Deal where 
radar work was also being done.  As such, it has a historic past and 
should be saved, any ideas or volunteers to safely move it?
Ray

Robert Flory wrote:

>An additional detail:  It is one-sided, which is to say that it is red
>only, nothing on the other side.  
>
>Rob
>
>
>  
>
>>[Original Message]
>>From: Al Klase <al at ar88.net>
>>To: Military Radio Collectors Association <mrca at mailman.qth.net>
>>Date: 8/5/2009 10:35:18 PM
>>Subject: Re: [MRCA] MRCA Mini Meet Photos
>>
>>Hi Tom,
>>
>>We, that is Infoage, would like to get a handle of the beacon.  I'd 
>>assumed it was an airways beacon, but Breck observed that one side is 
>>red rather than green, making it an "airport" beacon.
>>
>>The Infoage folks have indications that it was erected in the WWII era

>>and that there was a second one at the AT&T test site in Deal, NJ a
few 
>>miles away.
>>
>>Infoage (http://www.infoage.org) is at the former U.S. Army Camp
Evans, 
>>as in Evans Signal Laboratory, the Army's center for radar development

>>from 1942 onward.
>>
>>We do know that they flew Hueys into this site to install radar in the

>>1960's, but believe the beacon predates this by at least 15 years.
>>
>>If someone can check old records or aeronautical charts, we'd
appreciate 
>>hearing the results.
>>
>>The beacon is slated for demolition by the community college that 
>>controls that part of the site.  Infoage is free to move it to a save 
>>location, but it's hard to muster the resources to do that.  It might
be 
>>different if we better understood it's historical significance.
>>
>>Anybody have a 100-foot crane?
>>
>>Al
>>
>>Clarke, Tom AIR4.0P NATOPS wrote:
>>    
>>
>>>Hi Breck,
>>>
>>>Sure looks like you guys had a great time!
>>>
>>>Regarding the airport-less rotating beacon - This was probably left
>>>      
>>>
>over from the old pre-WW2 "Lighted Airway" system. These were replaced
by
>the four course radio beacons, and then the currently used VOR system.
>  
>
>>>See
>>>      
>>>
>http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Government_Role/navigation/POL1
3.htm
>  
>
>>>I just returned from a trip through Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana,
>>>      
>>>
>Idaho and Utah and saw several of those towers out in the middle of the
>prairie.  Some still had the rotating beacon and course alignment
lights
>(green spotlights that aligned with the airway) and some were just
lonely
>towers.  There is only one actually in operation, and it is maintained
for
>historical purposes.  It is in Great Falls, Montana.  Another has been
>restored in Oak Ridge, TN, but I don't think it is lighted.
>  
>
>>>That's probably more than you wanted to know!
>>>
>>>73 de Tom/W4OKW
>>>Across the Bay in Southern MD.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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---
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>>-- 
>>Al Klase - N3FRQ
>>Jersey City, NJ
>>http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/
>>______________________________________________________________
>>MRCA mailing list
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