Yellow arrows??

Kritchlow

Kritchlow

Final Approach
Joined
Dec 2, 2014
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Kritchlow
Anyone ever seen one, either from the air or on the ground??

I realize they're not yellow anymore, but still they are recognizable.

Aviation history at its best...
 
Lot of internet stories and photos about these in the last couple years.
 
Never in person.

I'll tell you one thing, if I was a career pilot student working towards my CPL, trying to navigate across the country by these arrows would be a must while hour building.
 
Kritchlow said:
Anyone ever seen one, either from the air or on the ground??

I realize they're not yellow anymore, but still they are recognizable.

Aviation history at its best...
Click to expand...


N-608-A180.jpg


:D
 
KVTA in Ohio has a yellow one and it forms the base of the beacon tower. So they do exist. Also saw a bunch out west on a tv show based on satellite observations.

David
 
Yup. I've taken CAP cadets to see a double arrow on a ridgetop about a mile west of Walnut Creek, CA. And of course the lighted beacon on Mt. Diablo.
 
hmmm - I had no idea such a thing existed....I learned something today//
 
I have never seen one of the arrows myself, but many of the towns in the southwest still have letters on nearby mountains to identify them.
 
I saw one in Montana when driving. There was a roadside historical marker about it. First I had ever heard of them. There was some thing on the net once, some UFO type thing. There was a picture of one and it was supposedly about ancient Aliens from outer space that built them.
 
Kritchlow said:
Anyone ever seen one, either from the air or on the ground??

I realize they're not yellow anymore, but still they are recognizable.

Aviation history at its best...
Click to expand...

Not all of them were yellow. Not all of them were concrete.

Kansas 1940.jpg
 
flhrci said:
KVTA in Ohio has a yellow one and it forms the base of the beacon tower. So they do exist. Also saw a bunch out west on a tv show based on satellite observations.
Click to expand...

All of the concrete arrows formed the base of a beacon tower, by design. The arrow at KTVT appears a bit undersized.

KTVT.jpg
concrete airway arrow.jpg
 
MAKG1 said:
Yup. I've taken CAP cadets to see a double arrow on a ridgetop about a mile west of Walnut Creek, CA. And of course the lighted beacon on Mt. Diablo.
Click to expand...

Id like to see that one. I fly between Yolo and Hayward most weeks. Will look closer, any tips on finding it? Im guessing on Shell Ridge somewhere?
 
Everskyward said:
I always thought those were symbols of college pride...
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Some are. I've seen several around Arizona towns however, that have no college association and there were some articles a while back talking about their early aerial navigation origins.

I believe some of the college of the college ones are actually re-purposed navigation ones.
 
flyingriki said:
Id like to see that one. I fly between Yolo and Hayward most weeks. Will look closer, any tips on finding it? Im guessing on Shell Ridge somewhere?
Click to expand...
It's on top of Acalanes Ridge, about 1.5 miles northwest of VPWAL. It's not very hard to spot if you're looking for it. Easier in winter when the grass is green, but you can spot it in summer, too, at least from 1000 AGL.
 
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MAKG1 said:
It's on top of Acalanes Ridge, about 1.5 miles northwest of VPWAL. It's not very hard to spot if you're looking for it. Easier in winter when the grass is green, but you can spot it in summer, too, at least from 1000 AGL.
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Not sure if this works: 37.90291 N 122.07797 W in Google Earth.
Is that it?
 
I have seen some of the arrows in New Mexico. Mostly they are the same color as the ground. A person has to know where they are, you just don't see one by chance.

800px-Transcontinental_Air_Mail_Route_Beacon_37A.jpg


At the Grants, NM airport there is an old Midcontinental Airway System lighted beacon complete with the beacon, all restored and available for self tours.

http://www.cibolahistory.org/aviation-heritage-museum.html
 
Zeldman said:
I have seen some of the arrows in New Mexico. Mostly they are the same color as the ground. A person has to know where they are, you just don't see one by chance.
Click to expand...

Chrome yellow was the color initially specified. Later installations were international orange and the earlier installations became international orange as repainting became necessary. I wouldn't expect to find much of either color today.
 
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