The Summit or Beacon Hill light, number 38, was located one and one-half
miles north of the Lincoln Monument at T15N, R72W, Section 14, at 8777
feet. A permit was granted on July 26, 1930 to U.S. Department of
Commerce, Lighthouse Service, Airways Division, to use a plot of land,
200 feet square, for beacon site and suitable buildings for caretaker of
the light. The 1933 Corps of Engineer's map indicates a power or
telephone line going to the beacon. (photo
1 photo 2
photo 3 photo 4)
(41° 16' 5" N, 105° 26' 2" W) In May of 2004 the site was visited and
coordinates confirmed with GPS. Several newer towers now occupy the area
but the concrete arrow remains. There also remains some remnants of the
old generator system and building foundation.
Beacon number 39 was in Section 33, T15N, R70W about ¾ mile
north of McIntyre's. The elevation is shown as 7528 feet. (photo
1 photo 2
photo 3)
From Happy Jack Road 210 take County road 1 ½ miles to a more or less double
turnoff to the east. Take the left branch about 1 ½ mile to the center of
Section 33. (Land ownership??)
(41° 13" 34" N, 105° 14' 36" W) In May of 2004 the site was visited and
coordinates checked by GPS. The concrete arrow remains but no buildings.
The Silver Crown Beacon number 40 was located almost dead center of Section
7, T14N, R68W at 41° 11' 49" N, 105° 02' 53" W. The elevation is about 6729
feet. (Of note: On the Round Top Lake Quadrangle 7.5 minute of 1961, "Airline
Camp" is shown located in Section 3, T14N, R68W. This is close to the site of
the 1935 airline crash.)
On the Archer Quadrangle of 1963, a beacon is shown located in Section 21 of
T14N, R 65W, about one half-mile northwest of U.S. 30 overpass. This was probably
beacon number 42. There is no remaining portion of the beacon tower or base.
(41° 09' 53" N, 104° 40' 28" W)
In 1932 the standard airway beacon was a 24-inch rotating unit of
approximately 1 million candlepower. In 1933 a new standard was adapted to
utilize a 36-inch rotating unit which showed two beacons of light 180 degrees
apart. Each beam was about 1,250,000 candlepower. The beacons were designed to
show six flashes per minute. The older 24-inch unit rotated six times per minute
and the newer 36-inch unit rotated 3 times per minute. The 24-inch beacons were
spaced at 10 mile intervals. The newer 36-inch units allowed spacing up to 15
miles between units. Except for the number 8, LeRoy Beacon, the Wyoming beacons
were all 24 inch units and retained their original spacing of about 10 miles.
The LeRoy Beacon had a 36-inch light. Two blinking colored course lights were
mounted with each beacon, green indicating the presence of a landing facility
and red indicating the absence of a landing field. In addition, each beacon
course light blinked a code indicating which beacon was being observed. Every
ten beacons the code was repeated.
The Silver Crown Beacon for example flashed two dashes for identification.
The same signal was used by Sidney, approximately 100 miles away.
Electricity for remote sites required a gasoline-powered generator. In
isolated regions permanent quarters were provided for the caretaker of the power
plant generator.
Some of these beacon sites were also utilized for the newer radio beacons
that were being installed in the early 1930s. The light beacons were retained at
these sites. In 1933, radio range beacons were installed at Knight, Rock Springs
and Cheyenne. By 1936, additional radio range beacons were installed at Laramie
and Medicine Bow.
The building roof at each beacon site along the airway was marked with its
number and SL-O indicating that you were on the Salt Lake to Omaha Airway. For
example, Cherokee Beacon had on its roof "24 SL-O".
The beacons at the airports were normally located on the highest point of
land or atop a building near the site rather than being centered at the landing
field.
It behooved a pilot to know his International Morse Code quite well.
Cheyenne's auxiliary code beacon flashed the letter "C" (dash dot dash dot), its
radio range station broadcast "CX" (dash dot dash dot, dash dot dot dash) and
the course light blinked a modified code for the numeral 1, (dot dot dash).
Intermediate landing fields were provided about every 50 miles affording a
theoretical maximum distance of 25 miles to a field in the event of a problem.
These intermediate fields were indeed just fields. None of them were paved or
oiled and most had a landing space of about 2500 feet.
In 1936, only Cheyenne and Laramie were listed as "Airports" and only
Cheyenne had paved or oiled runways. Laramie Airport has a restored beacon and
tower. The beacon appears to be a 36 inch double unit.
The above historical article was written and submitted by Mel Duncan of
Wyoming, May 2004.
Can you help?
Do you have access to any old photos related to Flight Service buildings,
equipment, personnel, or other related historical data? Help restore the memories of Flight
Service.
Forward photos by one of the following
methods:
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Webmaster (depending on size).
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electronic version on a CD disk or other device and I will return it
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Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center
Mick Batt, AJL-11
STB, Bldg 23, Room 236
P.O. Box 25082
Oklahoma City, OK 73125
- Mail the original photos and I will
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