Canberra airport tree cross??

The cross would have been an additional aid for pilots approaching Canberra in the early days of radio-based navigational aids, when the technology was at best only partially reliable. In addition, a lot of aircraft would not have had any navigational equipment and in times of reduced visibility the cross of trees would have been much more visible than almost any other ground detail, and at a known distance from the field, would have allowed a pilot to head north west and soon locate the field.

The other visual point I hadn’t heard of, the only thing I can see in Google Earth is a circle of trees lined up with runway 35 near the back of the racecourse. Is that what is referred to as ‘painted’ on the railway tracks, as I cannot see anything ‘painted’ anywhere that would be as visible from an aircraft as the cross of trees.

RedDogInCan said :

Here’s a clue – it has written on it exactly what it is – an aircraft beacon. It belongs to the Departmet of Defence and was established years ago before such things as radio beacons and GPS to allow aircraft to locate themselves with respect to the nearby airfield.

If you look along the railway line near Hume you will see another painted on the tracks – this one is still in use in case of landing instrument failure.

Can you please give a more precise description of the location of this painted cross, I couldn’t see anything around Hume.

Father-in-Law used to change the bulbs in these beacons around Canberra… it was a fulltime job for two men. Apparently the bulbs, about the size of a 10ltr bucket, were exciting to watch explode as they hit the ground… not sure if they still use the same bulbs…

RedDogInCan said :

Here’s a clue – it has written on it exactly what it is – an aircraft beacon. It belongs to the Departmet of Defence and was established years ago before such things as radio beacons and GPS to allow aircraft to locate themselves with respect to the nearby airfield.

If you look along the railway line near Hume you will see another painted on the tracks – this one is still in use in case of landing instrument failure.

Is this it at 35°22’55.63″S 149°10’52.66″E and 35°23’3.85″S 149°10’44.92″E ?

Here’s a clue – it has written on it exactly what it is – an aircraft beacon. It belongs to the Departmet of Defence and was established years ago before such things as radio beacons and GPS to allow aircraft to locate themselves with respect to the nearby airfield.

If you look along the railway line near Hume you will see another painted on the tracks – this one is still in use in case of landing instrument failure.

Isn’t there an old munitions bunker around there somewhere???

It might be a marshaling point for the rapture.

landing guide for reptoid attack fleet?

i, for one, would welcome the new overlords…

Sammy said :

Presumably they’re the redwoods (Sequoia) planted by Charles Weston for Walter Burley Griffin?

No, the Sequoia are beside the airport, the tree cross is a little further south.

Presumably they’re the redwoods (Sequoia) planted by Charles Weston for Walter Burley Griffin?