Question for pilots

[Acorn]

I live a couple miles from our county's airport and today I noticed that the tower no longer had a rotating beacon light. Are they a thing of the past? What was their purpose? I imagined it was to let pilots know there was an airport there but I guess with radio and GPS they are obsolete.

 

[ned]

I suspect it is still there- Finleyville G05 reports a green/white beacon dusk to dawn
I was at 3 airports today and they all showed they had them on AirNav but to be honest I never looked---might not see them in the day time

 

[Fox Mike]

Per FAA Regs: "At some locations with opertaing control towers, ATC personel turn the beacon on and off when controls are in the tower."

 

[Big Old Boy]

I understand many small unmanned airports can key a frequency to turn on runway lights and beacons.

 

[Bull Barrel]

Its usually the UNICOM freq and keying the mic a set number of times.

 

[Bob Wright]

You do bring back memories!

Many years ago when traveling, we often drove at night, cooler and less traffic. I was too young to drive then (Yes, we automobiles then.) and I remember looking out the car windows and seeing the lights of those beacons sweep across the sky as we passed towns with airports.


Bob Wright

 

[mhblaw]

...or flying over "fly over country" at night, keying the mic to turn on airport runway lights!

 

[Johnnu2]

It's been a long time since my flying days in the late 60's but, as I remember it, the purpose of the rotating beacon on the tower was twofold: 1) to let you know there was, indeed, an airport there and 2) to tell you if it was a military or civilian air field. If I recall correctly, the tower beacon flashed a single red and green signal if civilian; or a red-green-green signal if military. Just as an FYI, we also used to have what I would call 'light guns' in the tower that would flash a pilot a signal in the event of radio failure; it would be a simple green or red signal telling the pilot that you were clear to land/takeoff if green; and red, if not clear to land/takeoff. I would hope that they are still operating..........
J

 

[Bull Barrel]

Green/white for civilian.

 

[bogus bill]

In 1977 I flew from California to Wisconsin and back with a radio that transmitted but I couldn't receive on. I mostly used smaller uncontrolled strips with no tower. I did have to ask for a green light in Santa Fe. I paid twice on the trip to have the radio fixed. As soon as I got a ways out of the airports I found I had the same problem. When I got back and had it checked out for the third time they found all that was wrong was a broken ground wire. Cost me a lot to find that out. I finally just sold my plane a month or two ago. My flying was okay, it was all the rules, red tape and expense that I couldn't handle. Besides my wife wouldn't and couldn't fly with me. I owned that plane for forty years although I was inactive most of that time. If a person wants to fly, you need to either be rich or doing it for a living! I was neither.

 

[Montelores]

The airport rotating beacons have their origin in the early airways before radio navigation aids.

http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/no-longer-afraid-of-the-dark-11347460/

Monty

 

[bogus bill]

Near me, north of St. George Utah, is a concrete arrow for navigation in the old mail pilot days. I believe you can see it on google earth. I was told about this one from a old time pilot. I believe they had a number of them from Vegas to Salt Lake city etc.
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/15067335.jpg

 

[bogus bill]

Also near me, is this monument on top a mountain top. A old pilot friend, Col Matheson had it erected to honor a mail pilot that crash landed on the spot. Cedar City was snowed in and he couldn't locate the field so crash landed on top the mountain. He originally survived but fell off a cliff carrying the mail bag trying to walk out. The Col. had it erected a few years ago. He is a local historian and a retired AF pilot.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

bogus bill
I owned that plane for forty years although I was inactive most of that time. If a person wants to fly, you need to either be rich or doing it for a living! I was neither.

BB,
That is complete bull crap and what keeps a lot of people out of general aviation.
My Son, Grandson and I have 6 flying airplanes and we are damn sure not rich. But we do know how to work/fix stuff that breaks. I have been doing this since 1963 while working for wages. Two ways to have a plane. The HIGH $$$$$$$$$$$ way or work your arsh off to be able to fly. I do the work you arsh off way.

 

[Fox Mike]

Green/white for civilian.

Green, white, white for military.

 

[ned]

I've got to go with WJ on this one. I figure it cost me $400 a month before I turn the key- hanger, insurance an maintenance set aside. I fly 80 hours a year so probably spend 2X that so I work when I can and do without other things...choices... but I could /would not do it if my wife did not want to fly with me---BB you made the right choice under the circumstances and WJ you have too.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Ned,
Good for you and you are correct.

do without other things...choices...

Unless I'm restoring a plane my expenses is mostly the gas, oil, batteries and such .
I have my own hangar do my own maintenance and don't have insurance. I have always been lucky enough to have friends sign off my work when needed and had cheap hangar space or tie-downs. Yes airplane ownership can be very expensive for some. I see that way with most of my neighbors.
But there are a lot of us cheap guys out there that Joe Public never hears about.
Like has been stated in life it is always the choices you make.
I now tinker more than I fly. But I always have something to do by walking out to the hangar.