Really Strange Facility.. Sign Says FAA????

I came upon this facility today at the end of a very UN-Traveled dirt road. Some few No Trespassing signs, but I have ways of getting around that.

I have personally never seen anything like this in 51 years.

It says on a sign posted to the fence that it is part of an Air Traffic Control System.. BUT... The only airport with 100 miles is a little rinky-dink airport called the Florence Airport in Florence SC

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/f638e532749b.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/6cda848d4f62.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/a5aba2a991e9.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/9c59d779c81d.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/060233a079ed.jpg[/atsimg]

Anyone have any ideas what it is?

And what is that Giant Bowling Pin sticking up out of the center of it?

I know it is probably something ordinary, I never find cool stuff, but it is strange to me..

Semper

[edit on 1/13/2010 by semperfortis]

Looks like a navigational beacon for air traffic. Looks pretty freaky but I have seen em before.

reply to post by semperfortis


I believe it's a Marker Beacon to let aircraft know their in the airspace of the local airport. If it is what I think it is, it beeps a signal that pilots know to listen for for so they know where they are...similar to this I believe


www.avmgt.com...

Great Pics, cool stuff! It could be a Radio Beacon for Aviation. I have never seen what one looks like, but there are many along aviation routes that were used before GPS became so common, and are still used in most light aircraft. They are often found far from airports, because that is where the navigation beacon is needed the most.

If not, then I have no idea. It does resemble a mini-HAARP!

Well, hmmm.

1) No security apparently.

2) Abandoned?

Whatever it is, it doesn't look that important (at least from the .gov's pov).

Perhaps it is some sort of unique or novel type of radar installation, but it does not quite fit that due to various reasons.

There appears to be some sort of large antenna on the outsides, which could be used for a lot of things.

I cannot make sense out of the "roof" structure that hangs over the majority of the facility.


Honestly? It looks vaguely like a Tesla coil or something. Just covered up by the bowling pin covering. But even that explanation does not seem to fit.

So, I will try to find something that looks like this, for reference, so we both can figure out what the hell it is.

Great find man, and thanks for getting some up close shots.

If this is a radio beacon, it should be easily identified on an aviation map. Where are our pilots at? I don't have access to any of this stuff anymore, but it should be a quick search from the local airport mentioned.

en.wikipedia.org...



[edit on 13-1-2010 by getreadyalready]

I just cant find a flight path beacon that looks anything like this.

Almost all of these beacon stations (found through a simple google) appear to be simply radio towers essentially.

So I will keep looking.

Maybe they put the bowling pin casing around the radio tower? IDK...

Here is one of the many pics I found, as a reference.

farm4.static.flickr.com...

[edit on 13-1-2010 by muzzleflash]

Originally posted by semperfortis
It says on a sign posted to the fence that it is part of an Air Traffic Control System.

It is a type of VOR
en.wikipedia.org...

www.airnav.com...

3 miles E of Florence, SC ?? Does that sound right Semper?

Vortac FLO?

ID Type Name Ch Freq Var Dist
TGQ NDB Elizabethtown 398.00 08W 18.3 nm
JB NDB Jigel 384.00 08W 26.7 nm
RSY NDB Robeson 359.00 08W 26.7 nm
MAO NDB Marion 388.00 06W 31.2 nm
HYW NDB Horry 370.00 08W 34.0 nm
DLC NDB Dillon 274.00 05W 34.1 nm
SUT NDB Yaupon 233.00 08W 38.0 nm
CLB NDB Carolina Beach 216.00 04W 38.8 nm
ACZ NDB Pendy 379.00 09W 44.2 nm
ME NDB Maxtn 257.00 08W 45.5 nm
CTZ NDB Clinton 412.00 08W 45.7 nm
LBT VOR Lumberton 110.00 08W 26.4 nm
FAY VOR/DME Fayetteville 025X 108.80 04W 43.6 nm
CRE VORTAC Grand Strand 123X 117.60 03W 27.6 nm
ILM VORTAC Wilmington 117X 117.00 07W 42.0 nm
FLO VORTAC Florence 099X 115.20 03W 46.9 nm

www.airport-data.com...

[edit on 13-1-2010 by getreadyalready]

Yeah i think it might be an abandoned bowling alley!

reply to post by getreadyalready


As the Crow Flies I guess that would be about right...

Thanks everyone

Just goes to show you that even after 50+ years, one can learn something cool..

Do any of you know why the huge grid? Is it broadcasting that much or is it for accuracy or what?

I am really aviation stupid

Semper

reply to post by semperfortis


The bowling pin is a 360 degree beacon signal. The other large tarpaulin roof is more than likely for visual reference. These "waypoints" provide a reference for pilots flying visual and instrument flights. The large visual reference is important for those using "ded reckoning" as their navigation guide.

One of the links I provided has a place to play around with laying out a flight path by selecting such waypoints.

reply to post by getreadyalready


COOL!!!

Thank you

I'll check out the links

Semper

Definitely, and without question it is a VOR station.

For those of you who own MS FS2004 or later, take off from KTUS on runway 11L in a Cub or other slow aircraft. Climb to only about 100 above ground level and fly to the very end of the runway, maintaining runway heading or 123 degrees. Within a mile of the runway's end you will see the Tucson VORTAC. It looks exactly like what is in the photo.

No doubt you can zoom in on this location using Google Earth as well and see the same thing.

Semper, here's a link that will explain it.

VOR station pic and primer

[edit on 13-1-2010 by Aircow]

I think it's a top secret training facility for an elite tactical group of master bowlers! The antennae are there to recieve transmission from the area's many bowling alleys. Those who are the best of the best are whisked away in the middle of the night, and interrogated. If they meet the criteria, they are then trained as B.O.W.L.E.R.s, or Benevolent Orb Wayfaring League of Elysian Rhetoric. Their job is to dull the American mind by hypnotizing via television with what they call a "sport" show. The contests consist of knocking down pins with these orbs. The total of the average "score" of a given team conveys coordinates of various ships poised to launch world leaders to safe havens on the moon and mars. Or perhaps I have been reading waaaayyy too much on ATS?

This is actually called a VORTAC.

It's a combination of a VOR and TACAN. The top part is the TACAN. The bottom part is the VOR. TACAN's provide distance (DME) on UHF frequencies so the the military can use them. They are old and are on the way out as any new military aircraft now are equipped with both VHF and UHF radios.

The "grid" help deflect the signal up and out so that the ground doesn't absorb the radio beams. TACAN's be picked up almost 200NM out.

Sorry folks. Move along please, nothing to see here....

[edit on 10-2-2010 by wrkn4livn]