KEZS Tower Dismantling for Transplant to 68C
December 2, 2010
These old 51 ft. beacon towers were the backbone of the Post Office Department's lighted beacon airway navigation system established in 1923. This early airway navigation system placed beacons every 10-15 miles along the airmail routes for pilots to follow, one to the next [relevant website]. Each site was constructed to the same generic design and engineering specification [pop-up example figure]. When the lighted beacon system was superseded by the LF radio Range (LFR) system (the "four course A-N Range"), and Radio Direction Finding (RDF) in the '30s and '40s, many of these beacon towers were relocated to airports to provide a visual signal at night that "here is a lighted airport". Air navigation systems continually evolved with technology to the Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR, or "Omni") system in the '50s, with DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) added in the '60s, Loran for aviation usage in the '80s, to GPS ubiquity in the '90s. These big old towers are a remarkable piece of aviation navigation history. We will be refurbishing this retired tower from Shawano and will erect it near the hangar clubhouse at Iola to preserve an artifact of aviation history for our visitors to appreciate. |
![[pop-up example figure]](javascript:popimage('beacon.jpg','Beacon','copyhistory=0,toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,directories=0,location=0,status=0,menubar=0,resizable=0,width=554,height=664');){kind=link}
Jim's Crane. Very cool tool!...
(Blenker truck driver)...
Rocky & Gary arrival...
Old tower's last breath at KEZS...
Positioning the crane...
Going up to the top...
Tool bucket coming up...
The big light is free...
Beacon aweigh!...
Beacon coming down...
Step one done...
Rocky, Clarence, and the beacon...
It's a big light!...
A serious parabolic reflector...
Getting ready to grab the tower...
The modern new guy, with the old guy in the background...
Some brush removal before chopping the base...
Let's think about this a minute...
Time for a little torch work...
and a portable reciprocating saw...
then a couple sledgehammer taps...
and the tower swings free...
Up and over the fence...
Heading for the flatbed...
Sooo gently...
Top platform first, to get at the clearance light poles...
An interesting perspective...
Pulling off those clearance light whiskers...
Positioning forward on the flatbed...
Load looks good...
The beacon will ride in Rocky's pickup...
The little new beacon is watching over the roof of the FBO office...
This should ride well lying down...
Strapping down the spindly big old tower...
Rocky, comforting the beacon for its ride to Iola...
Gary, reflecting on the situation...
Gary, Jim, and Rocky, tidying up the crane's lift straps...
A driver happy with his load...
Good job, Jim...
Thanks also to Blenker Transport...
Exposing the concrete pads; they'll need to be broken off on another trip...
The old tower, leaving its home of nearly 80 years to a new exhibit position at Iola (68C)...
All unloaded at 68C, resting 'til next spring, when it can be sandblasted and painted...
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This page last updated on December 7, 2010
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