The origin of airway beacons can be traced as far back as the 1920s and 1930s during the time technology wasn't what it is today and there was no such thing as radio navigation for aircraft.
was virtually non-existent.
During that period, pilots relied on the system known as airway beacons. Airway beacons were responsible for visually guiding pilots to their various assigned destinations. They were literally used as radio stations that send out directional signals for navigation.
Airway beacons equally evolved with time, with an initial design almost as bright as bornfires and later optimized to electric bulbs. Mounted on high towers and lined up at substantial intervals,the airway beacons rotated six times a minute.
Another feature of the airway beacon was it's brightly coloured flashes ranging from the colours red and green. Red for airways,and green for airports.
When it comes to negatives, the effectiveness of airway beacons were limited by visibility as well as poor weather conditions.
Airways beacons have become extinct over time, thanks to evolving technology. However, a few remnants of airway beacons exist for historical purposes. We now live in the era of modern technological innovations where the development and use of radio navigation is now commonplace.
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