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All the United States Idaho Dubois Transcontinental Air Mail Route Beacon

Transcontinental Air Mail Route Beacon

This giant tower beacon was a key navigation tool for pilots delivering mail amid the night skies.

Dubois, Idaho

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Jamee Fiore
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Transcontinental Air Mail Route Beacon   dandjtrip / Atlas Obscura User
Transcontinental Air Mail Route Beacon   dandjtrip / Atlas Obscura User
Dubois, Airway Beacon concrete arrow.   dandjtrip / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Originally, planes navigated transcontinental flights through large, concrete ground markers. However, they were impossible to see at night. This forced most planes to remain grounded during the evening hours, making cross-country mail deliveries particularly lengthy.

To solve this problem, the United States Postal Service developed a series of beacon towers that stretched from New York to San Francisco. These towers were seen as the solution to a pilot's inability to navigate the night skies.

Today, many of these beacons and towers are shuttered, or no longer standing. However, in the small city of Dubois one such tower and beacon still remains. The tower is not far from Idaho Falls and still has its original power shack. Next to the tower is more than 4,000 feet of runway, where visitors can take pictures and view the tower. Advocates are working on transforming the power shack into an interpretive center. The tower has also been deemed a historic landmark. 

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Towers Landmarks Aircraft History

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About 25 minutes north of Idaho Falls. 

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Added By

dandjtrip

Edited By

owenstm34

  • owenstm34

Published

November 10, 2019

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Transcontinental Air Mail Route Beacon
Dubois, Idaho, 83423
United States
44.168827, -112.224365

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