Crowders Mountain PoInt of Interest
Airway Beacon and Flagpole Posts

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Name: Airway Beacon & Flagpole Posts & associated electrical cable posts
Type: Man-made, historical
GPS Coordinates: Top Post
Latitude:  N 35° 12.467'
Longitude:  W 081° 18.753'
Elevation:  1643 ft bad read?

Near Top Post
Latitude:  N 35° 12.460'
Longitude:  W 081° 18.761'
Elevation:  1993 ft bad read?

Lower Post
Latitude:  N 35° 12.487'
Longitude:  W 081° 18.769'
Elevation:  1670 ft  bad read?
Orientation:
PoInt Reached From: Kings Pinnacle, top
Description: Metal Posts near top of Kings Pinnacle, presumably the Airway Beacon and Flagpole posts from earlier years
Dimensions: Typically 3-4 ft high metal posts
Interior Features:
Exterior Features: There is a line of metal posts running down the mountain side, eventually becoming the standard wood electrical poles
The cable/wires have been removed


Charlotte Triangulation





Typical Airway Beacon Setup
Typical Airway Beacon Setup



Some Airway Beacons from NC & SC
PID Designation State County USGS Quad Elevation Mon/Obs date Mon/Obs  by Last report date First city Second city Marker type Bcn # Airport? Arrow? Airway
FY3395 AIRWAY BEACON 33 NC CASWELL YANCEYVILLE             36 27 06.6/079 20 55.6 33 N N  
FZ1410 ATLANTA NEW YORK AIRWAY BCN 28 NC FORSYTH KERNERSVILLE         ATLANTA NEW YORK 36 00 46.9/080 02 36.4 28 N N  
EB2545 JACKSONVILLE WASH AWY BCN 36 NC CUMBERLAND HOPE MILLS (1986) UNK 1949 (O)   1963 (D) JACKSONVILLE WASHINGTON AIRWAY BEACON 36 N N  
FA1836 ATLANTA NEW YORK AWY BCN 26 NC DAVIDSON LEXINGTON WEST (1994) UNK 1948 (O)   1948 ATLANTA NEW YORK AIRWAY BEACON 26 N N  
FA3230 KINGS MTN AWY BCN NC GASTON KINGS MOUNTAIN (1993) UNK 1935 (O)   1935     AIRWAY BEACON   N N  
FY3639 AIRPORT BCN GREENSBORO APT NC GUILFORD GUILFORD (1994) UNK 1954 (O)   2002     AIRWAY BEACON   Y N  
EZ4926 JACKSONVILLE WASH AWY BCN 39 NC HARNETT BUNNLEVEL (1981) UNK 1949 (O)   1955 (D) JACKSONVILLE WASHINGTON AIRWAY BEACON 39 N N  
FA5001 LINCOLN CO AIRPORT BEACON NC LINCOLN LINCOLNTON EAST (1993) UNK 1985 (O) NCGS 2001     AIRWAY BEACON   Y    
FA2431 CHARLOTTE NC NAT BANK BLDG BCN NC MECKLENBURG CHARLOTTE EAST (1988) UNK 1962 (O)   1977     AIRWAY BEACON        
FA2710 ATLANTA NEW YORK AWY BCN 24 NC ROWAN ENOCHVILLE (1993) UNK 1948 (O)   1965 (D) ATLANTA NEW YORK AIRWAY BEACON 24 N N  
FY2511 AIRWAY BEACON 47 NC VANCE SOUTH HILL SE (1990) UNK 1933 (O)   1933     AIRWAY BEACON 47 N N  
EZ5306 RALEIGH GREEN AND WHITE AWY BN NC WAKE LAKE WHEELER (1993) UNK 1933 (O)   1933     AIRWAY BEACON   N N  
ED2582 ATLANTA NEW YORK AWY BCN 11 SC ANDERSON ANDERSON NORTH (1983) UNK 1935 (O)   1935 ATLANTA NEW YORK AIRWAY BEACON 11 N N  
ED2570 ATLANTA NEW YORK AWY BCN 12 SC ANDERSON BELTON WEST (1983) UNK 1935 (O)   1935 ATLANTA NEW YORK AIRWAY BEACON 12 N N  
CK3819 AIR BEACON 13 SC BEAUFORT SPRING ISLAND (1958) UNK 1932 (O)   1958 (D)     AIRWAY BEACON 13 N N  
CK3440 AIR BEACON 17 SC CHARLESTON ADAMS RUN (1972) UNK 1932 (O)   1953 (D)     AIRWAY BEACON 17 N Y  
CK3312 AIR BEACON 18 SC CHARLESTON RAVENEL (1971) UNK 1932 (O)   1960 (D)     AIRWAY BEACON 18 N N  
FA3272 ATLANTA NEW YORK 188 MI AWY BN SC CHEROKEE BLACKSBURG NORTH (1971) 820 1935 (O)   1997 (N) ATLANTA NEW YORK AIRWAY BEACON 188 MI N N  
FA3277 ATLANTA NEW YORK AWY BCN 17 SC CHEROKEE GAFFNEY (1971) UNK 1935 (O)   1935 ATLANTA NEW YORK AIRWAY BEACON 17 N N  
FA3231 ATLANTA NEW YORK AWY BCN 18 SC CHEROKEE KINGS CREEK (1971) UNK 1935 (O)   1935 ATLANTA NEW YORK AIRWAY BEACON 18 N N  
CK3486 AIR BEACON 16 SC COLLETON BENNETTS POINT (1960) UNK 1932 (O)   1954     AIRWAY BEACON 16 N Y  
EB2624 AIRWAY BEACON EAST OF CLIO SC DILLON MINTURN (1971) UNK 1933 (O)   1933     AIRWAY BEACON   N N  
EB2807 AIR BEACON J R 28 SC FLORENCE EFFINGHAM (1986) UNK 1935 (O)   1935     AIRWAY BEACON 28 N N  
ED2159 ATLANTA NEW YORK AWY BCN 13A SC GREENVILLE MAULDIN (1983) UNK 1935 (O)   1957 (D) ATLANTA NEW YORK AIRWAY BEACON 13A N N  
ED2158 ATLANTA NEW YORK AWY BCN 13B SC GREENVILLE MAULDIN (1983) UNK 1935 (O)   1948 (D) ATLANTA NEW YORK AIRWAY BEACON 13B N N  
CK3797 AIR BEACON 12 SC JASPER PRITCHARDVILLE (1971) UNK 1932 (O)   1955 (D)     AIRWAY BEACON 12 N N  
ED1955 ATLANTA NEW YORK AWY BCN 14 SC SPARTANBURG REIDVILLE (1983) UNK 1935 (O)   1935 ATLANTA NEW YORK AIRWAY BEACON 14 N N  
FA3290 ATLANTA NEW YORK AWY BCN 16 SC SPARTANBURG COWPENS (1983) UNK 1935 (O)   1935 ATLANTA NEW YORK AIRWAY BEACON 16 N N  
DD3242 JACKSONVILLE RICHMOND AY BN 24 SC WILLIAMSBURG ST STEPHENS (1990) UNK 1934 (O)   1934 JACKSONVILLE RICHMOND AIRWAY BEACON 24 N N  
DD3342 JACKSONVILLE RICHMOND AY BN 25 SC WILLIAMSBURG KINGSTREE (1990) UNK 1934 (O)   1934 JACKSONVILLE RICHMOND AIRWAY BEACON 25 N N  



Info for the Kings Mountain Airway Beacon

The NGS Data Sheet

See file dsdata.txt for more information about the datasheet.
DATABASE =  ,PROGRAM = datasheet, VERSION = 7.86
1        National Geodetic Survey,   Retrieval Date = APRIL 15, 2011
 FA3230 ***********************************************************************
 FA3230  DESIGNATION -  KINGS MTN AWY BCN
 FA3230  PID         -  FA3230
 FA3230  STATE/COUNTY-  NC/GASTON
 FA3230  USGS QUAD   -  KINGS MOUNTAIN (1993)
 FA3230
 FA3230                         *CURRENT SURVEY CONTROL
 FA3230  ___________________________________________________________________
 FA3230* NAD 83(2001)-  35 12 27.84586(N)    081 18 45.09308(W)     ADJUSTED  
 FA3230* NAVD 88     -              **(meters)            **(feet)            
 FA3230  ___________________________________________________________________
 FA3230  LAPLACE CORR-           2.20  (seconds)                    DEFLEC09
 FA3230  GEOID HEIGHT-         -31.41  (meters)                     GEOID09
 FA3230  HORZ ORDER  -  THIRD
 FA3230
 FA3230.The horizontal coordinates were established by classical geodetic methods
 FA3230.and adjusted by the National Geodetic Survey in August 2005.
 FA3230
 FA3230
 FA3230.The Laplace correction was computed from DEFLEC09 derived deflections.
 FA3230
 FA3230.The geoid height was determined by GEOID09.
 FA3230
 FA3230;                    North         East     Units Scale Factor Converg.
 FA3230;SPC NC       -   164,158.657   399,075.691   MT  0.99987289   -1 20 05.0
 FA3230;SPC NC       -   538,577.19  1,309,300.83   sFT  0.99987289   -1 20 05.0
 FA3230;SPC SC       -   374,288.800   581,138.019   MT  1.00015468   -0 10 23.8
 FA3230;SPC SC       - 1,227,981.63  1,906,620.80   iFT  1.00015468   -0 10 23.8
 FA3230;UTM  17      - 3,896,125.207   471,553.713   MT  0.99960997   -0 10 48.7
 FA3230
 FA3230                          SUPERSEDED SURVEY CONTROL
 FA3230
 FA3230  NAD 83(1986)-  35 12 27.86479(N)    081 18 45.09119(W) AD(       ) 3
 FA3230  NAD 27      -  35 12 27.36600(N)    081 18 45.79800(W) AD(       ) 3
 FA3230
 FA3230.Superseded values are not recommended for survey control.
 FA3230.NGS no longer adjusts projects to the NAD 27 or NGVD 29 datums.
 FA3230.See file dsdata.txt to determine how the superseded data were derived.
 FA3230
 FA3230_U.S. NATIONAL GRID SPATIAL ADDRESS: 17SMU7155396125(NAD 83)
 FA3230_MARKER: 22 = AIRWAY BEACON
 FA3230
 FA3230  HISTORY     - Date     Condition        Report By
 FA3230  HISTORY     - 1935     FIRST OBSERVED   CGS
 FA3230
 FA3230                          STATION DESCRIPTION
 FA3230
 FA3230'NO DESCRIPTIVE TEXT AVAILABLE.



Airway beacon


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

An Airway beacon was a rotating light on a tower used for visual navigation by airplane pilots along a specified airway corridor. Approximately 1,500 Airway beacons were constructed, covering 18,000 miles (29,000 km) in the U.S. to guide pilots from city to city. Construction by the Post Office and the U.S. Department of Commerce occurred between 1923 and 1933.[1] They were spaced 10 miles (16 km) apart and featured a 24 inch (610 mm) parabolic mirror and a 110-volt, 1000 watt lamp.[2] In clear weather they could be seen for 40 miles (64 km).[1] The beacons rotated at 6 rpm, creating a flash every 10 seconds for 1/10 second duration.[2] The Saint Paul, Minnesota beacon sits on top of a 110 foot (34 m) steel tower in Indian Mounds Park.[3] The Low Frequency Radio Range system began to replace this visual system in 1929.[1] The last visual airway beacon was supposedly shut down in 1973,[1] however fourteen airway beacons are still operating in Western Montana, and are charted on the Great Falls sectional chart. They are maintained by the Montana Department of Aeronautics and were transferred to the state in 1973.

Identification


Illustration of Airway beacon, showing designated number. In this example, for units digit "1", Morse code should be ".--" (W).

The beacons were spaced 10 miles apart, each one was identified with a number, and they flashed the Morse code of one of 10 letters: W, U, V, H, R, K, D, B, G or M. The letters represented the digits of 1 through 10 (W = 1, ..., M = 10), and the beacons along an airway were numbered sequentially. To help remember the letters and their sequence number, pilots memorized the following phrase: "When Undertaking Very Hard Routes, Keep Direction By Good Methods." The beacons were depicted on navigation charts along with their number and Morse code. As example, beacon number 15 would have a code digit of 5 (the units digit), hence the letter R, and Morse code: "dit dah dit" (.-.).[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "The Evolution of Airway Lights and Electronic Navigation Aids". U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission. http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Government_Role/navigation/POL13.htm. Retrieved 2007-08-28. 
  2. ^ a b Wood, Charles. "How it Began". Charles Wood. http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/howitbegan.htm. Retrieved 2007-08-28. 
  3. ^ Cosimini, Greg (1999-07-09). "Indian Mounds Park "Airway" Beacon". University of Minnesota. http://www.tc.umn.edu/~cosim001/beacon.html. Retrieved 2007-08-28. 
  4. ^ "Beacon House was part of changes in air transportation". Oakridger.com. July 7, 2009. http://www.oakridger.com/columnists/x135741391/Beacon-House-was-part-of-changes-in-air-transportation.




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