BEFORE RADIOS, PILOTS NAVIGATED BY GIANT CONCRETE ARROWS

Atlas Obscura ^ | July 5, 2015 | CHRIS WHITE

[FrankR]

I always thought the Superman’s key to the fortress was so huge, a man should just be able to walk right thru the huge keyhole. And, why disguise it as an aircraft beacon, only Superman could lift it anyway.

[mad_as_he$$]

There are the remains of two arrows within a few miles of where I am sitting. Easy lunch runs with a 4X4.

[central_va]

IFR=I follow roads

[central_va]

Before GPS getting lost under VFR was all part of the fun. Now it is thought of as an in flight emergency.

[Chuckster]

That is either giving away your age or revealing that you are a total DC Comics Geek; possibly both.

[COBOL2Java]

I remember a comic when Superman found himself far, far in the future when our sun was a red giant and he lost all his powers. All that was left on earth were robots of Lois, Jimmy and the Chief. He had to journey to his Fortress of Solitude (there wasn’t any water left, but there was “dehydrated” water capsules, natch), and he climbed into the lock.

I forget how he was able to get back into his own time.

[Rodamala]

They also used to paint the name of the towns on warehouse roofs. Saved my butt one day.

[Rodamala]

I must be an outlier... I understood how to locate my position by either dead reckoning or by intersecting 2 VORTAC radials... when I was 13 years-old.

[kik5150]

A rare double arrow (route split) near Lafayette, California.

[Ronald_Magnus]

Absolutely fascinating. I wanted to locate the St. George, UT arrow referenced in the article using Google Earth, and there she be.

[DBrow]

Or I watch Big Bang Theory. I am a history buff, though.

[21twelve]

“...because not much could go wrong with giant concrete arrows on the ground. According to the Assistant Postmaster-General of the time, as quoted in the December 1923 issue of Popular Mechanics, there was a plan to build a similar system over the Atlantic.”

I looked for the big concrete arrows on the Atlantic ocean on Google Earth. Didn’t find them. In re-reading the article I see that those were just proposed. Silly me. ;)

[az_gila]

Nice graphic here from the AOPA -

[central_va]

So in toto that group symbolizes “Large breast ahead” ?

[Bubba_Leroy]

I actually remembered that one. It was in the early 1960s.

You can buy one for only $275! If you do, tell me how it ended.

[Bubba_Leroy]

Found it.

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2013/04/19/comic-book-legends-revealed-415/3/

[MUDDOG]

From comics.org:

"The Superman Revenge Squad tricks Superman into following them into the far future where the sun has turned red and Superman loses his powers. Superman crosses the barren and strange future world to reach the Fortress of Solitude where he finds the means to return home."

I get old Classics Illustrateds for less than $10.