Transcontinental Airway System Beacons

[Off_Pavement]

I just learned about these historical sites and thought I'd share as many of the remaining sites may be on public lands, and I don't know where else to post the information anyway. There are GPS locations for the known locations...

US Airmail Beacons

[tatest]

I have a set of the beacons, western half of the US at least, in one of my pre-1930s flight simulator installations. In the simulator there are dark zones as you fly beacon to beacon, even on a clear night. That might be a scenery visibility limitation in the simulation.

[wa_desert_rat]

LenSatic wrote:
You know, it might be pretty cool to take an RV trip down to NC and fly it once again. 😉 I know the name and address.

LS

It would be but I live in WA and that would be a heck of a trip. Not many people get to fly the airplane they took their first check ride in, however.

I bought that little T-cart for $1,250 in the spring of 1970, flew it across the country, used it for fishing and hunting on remote strips (it had oversized tires... not balloon but much bigger and a Scott tailwheel), used it for business, and dated my wife in it. Can't ask much more of any vehicle.

Never could figure out how to sleep in it, though. But slept under a tarp over the left wing in a sleeping bag a lot.

Not sure much of what I used to do in that airplane would still be legal in the lower 48.

WDR

[LenSatic]

You know, it might be pretty cool to take an RV trip down to NC and fly it once again. 😉 I know the name and address.

LS

[wa_desert_rat]

And it appears that it has crossed the USA at least twice. I bought it at the airport in Manassas, VA in 1970 and sold it while it was based at the Arlington, WA airport in about 1975. So now it's back on the east coast again. My, my, that little 2-seater really gets around! 🙂

I took my private pilot flight exam in that airplane... and even though it was *my* exam, the examiner actually flew the airplane most of the time. Taking us through the window I had reserved a Cherokee 140 for radio work. No radios in the T-cart so the examiner, realizing that I would fail the test if he didn't include something about radios, pointed to the oil pressure indicator and asked me, "If that were the VOR needle, which way would you turn to intercept the radial?". I answered correctly and got my license! LOL

44 years ago.

WDR

[wa_desert_rat]

It's a fabric-skinned aircraft so it can probably fly forever. I bought a Luscombe 8A in the 1980s and learned that a metal aircraft is far more difficult to repair if there are serious structural problems. And the combination of steel and aluminum almost guarantees structural problems. I should have kept the T-cart. 😛

WDR

[LenSatic]

wa_desert_rat wrote:


That T-cart was a terrific airplane. N96912 🙂

WDR

Looks like it's still flying in North Carolina:

N-number : N96912
Aircraft Serial Number : 9212
Aircraft Manufacturer : TAYLORCRAFT
Model : BC12-D
Engine Manufacturer : CONT MOTOR
Model : A&C65 SERIES
Aircraft Year : 1946
Owner Name : xxxxxxx xxxxxxx
Owner Address : xxxx xxxxxxx RD
MEBANE, NC, 27302xxxx
Type of Owner : Individual
Registration Date : 05-Jan-2005
Airworthiness Certificate Type : Standard

[wa_desert_rat]

I never let anyone else prop my airplane. The technique is inherently hazardous to your health.

When my wife was not quite my girlfriend I invited her to go on a picnic with me. I picked her up and drove her to the airport (Arlington just north of SEA) and got her into the passenger seat and strapped in. Then I showed her how to shut the engine down (mag switch) and how to put her foot on both brake tabs (heel brakes).

I handled the swtich-off, switch-on procedures, propped the little Continental, got into the left seat, took off and flew about 45 minutes to a grass strip on one of the San Juan islands (just north of Roche Harbor) where we had a nice picnic and explored the tide pools together and flew back to Arlington.

That was in 1974. She told me later that no other date could ever come up to that level. LOL

That T-cart was a terrific airplane. N96912 🙂

WDR

[LenSatic]

wa_desert_rat wrote:
I had the Interstate Highway System!!!

IFR: I Follow Roads! 😉

A friend of mine, when I was working on my Private, had a T-Craft and taught me to prop it (hand spin the propeller to start the engine).

The next time I propped an aircraft was Art Scholls' 180hp S-1 Pitts Special in Tucson. He said it would only take 3 to 5 pulls. It was 20! I thought I'd die from exhaustion or falling into the prop. I later found out that that engine had a cracked crank shaft. (And he didn't even give me a lapel pin.) RIP Art!

LS

[wa_desert_rat]

Great story. I flew a 1946 Taylorcraft BC12D (65 hp, no electrical system, no lights, no radio, no starter) from Manassas, VA to Seattle, WA in 1970; with only 50 hours in my logbook. But I had an advantage over the air mail pilots; I had the Interstate Highway System!!! Thank you for the link!!! Now I have something else (besides Patton's maneuvering and training areas) to visit in the great SW deserts.

[RamblinManGA]

Hi from AZ. . . very interesting, thanks for sharing. . . Craig

[LenSatic]

We accidently found one of those at Pole Mtn., WY. I knew about the beacons, but not the arrows on the ground. In fact, I didn't know what it was when we were standing on it and only learned about it later on some guy's blog site.

There's one near Rodeo, NM and the radio shack has been moved and turned into a cottage at a local motor court. It's the second airfield on this site: http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NM/Airfields_NM_SW.htm#rodeo

BTW, abandoned airfields would also be a fun to search for. My wife and I, since we are both pilots and worked for the airlines (as Dispatchers), also search for VORs wherever we go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHF_omnidirectional_range

Happy hunting!

LS

[greenrvgreen]

Hilarious!

Somebody should bring this to the attention of poi-factory.com. They love stuff like this over there, and someone might make a POI file out of it, if there isn't one already.

I can't wait to stand on an arrow!

[docnascar]

cool thanks for sharing.