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Mystery in the desert

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posted on Jul, 30 2012 @ 06:13 PM
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Ok, fellow AvNerds. I'm back out on the road, and the other day, coming out of California, near Barstow, I discovered a couple of mysteries.

One involves power lines. There were two sets of four power lines (8 total) running parallel, and four more running at an angle. One set of lines (4), went through a transformer farm. None of the others did.

The really bizarre mystery though, was right smack in the middle of the desert, with nothing but a majorly overgrown chunk of concrete near it, was an ILS. There was no visible air strip near it, except the one over grown one that looked like it hadn't been used since before ILS was invented.

So, the questions are, why the transformers on the four lines, and more importantly, why the HECK is there an ILS in the middle of nowhere?



posted on Jul, 30 2012 @ 06:15 PM
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you mean vasi lights or antannae



posted on Jul, 30 2012 @ 06:17 PM
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reply to post by GBP/JPY
 


It was an antenna. It looked in pretty good shape too, like it was either fairly recent, or upkept well.



posted on Jul, 30 2012 @ 06:39 PM
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please give the lat lon or distance to nearest town so we can look it up on ggogle earth.



posted on Jul, 30 2012 @ 06:41 PM
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As someone who ran I-40 weekly for over 5 years...I think I know the spots, and I can help if they are where I think you mean...but can you be more specific or maybe Google Earth an overhead of the section of highway this is at? ...or were you on I-15? I wasn't up and down that nearly as much north of Barstow. Probably couldn't help there...



posted on Jul, 30 2012 @ 07:00 PM
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reply to post by Zaphod58
 


----

Used to be one north of Red Bluff as well.
No airfield in sight, not even a flat spot large enaugh to land a twin otter.

If you put the right frequency in the box it would capture too.

Dunno why they put it there and if it's still active.



posted on Jul, 30 2012 @ 07:03 PM
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You are driving near a large weapons range where a variety of assets do training. Saw a couple A-10's and helicopters last time I was through there.



posted on Jul, 30 2012 @ 07:20 PM
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reply to post by Wrabbit2000
 


It was on I-40, near exit 33 I think it was. I can't really get specific as the truck doesn't have any kind of GPS that would give coordinates.



posted on Jul, 30 2012 @ 07:56 PM
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34°51'18.96"N 116°52'15.14"W

It is somewhere in that area. There is an airport in the area, but it's a pretty good distance from the ILS. Too far for it to be useful I would think. I THINK those coordinates are the exact spot of the antenna, but it's hard to tell on Google Earth.



posted on Jul, 30 2012 @ 07:59 PM
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There is an airfield here 34°51'23.11" N 116°47'16.93" W

I'm guessing that it is one of the outer/middle markers for the east-west runway.
edit on 30/7/2012 by OccamAssassin because: (no reason given)



posted on Jul, 30 2012 @ 08:01 PM
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reply to post by OccamAssassin
 


Usually the ILS antenna are found near the runways though. They are glide slope indicators for the runways. You usually see them between runways, on the airport itself, not out in the distance like that. At least the ones that I've usually seen.



posted on Jul, 30 2012 @ 08:19 PM
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reply to post by OccamAssassin
 



An outer marker, I'm guessing.



posted on Jul, 30 2012 @ 08:28 PM
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You guys might be right, but it seems like it was awfully far away from where the airport actually was to be an outer marker. But if I go back by there again I'll try to see just how far it really is from the airport. I remember it being farther than you would think for a marker, but that was a long day, and California is an evil state if you are a truck driver, so I might be misremembering distances.



posted on Jul, 30 2012 @ 09:56 PM
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Well, as some pointed out, the Barstow Dagget Muni airport is to the east and to the west is the Marine base. I don't know how much you can call those separate things because I've seen a few to dozens of helicopters on the tarmac of the Muni- airport at various times and they were Marine. Google shows what looks like a formal helicopter base on the rear of the Muni property which explains that.

I've seen them doing touch and go landings of Marine Osprey aircraft right around there as well. Now those were impressive as ever to see because it was just right there off the interstate. So close and those things are BIG in person. Anyway... Nothing much surprises me immediately around that Marine base but I think this is tied both to the Muni airport and the USMC stuff.

Nice catch in seeing it.



posted on Jul, 30 2012 @ 10:11 PM
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reply to post by Wrabbit2000
 


Yeah, I was pissed yesterday because they used Osprey for the flyover at the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race, and I went through Indy heading east Saturday afternoon, and heading west Saturday night, so had to miss seeing them. I STILL haven't seen one damnit.



posted on Jul, 30 2012 @ 10:32 PM
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Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Well, as some pointed out, the Barstow Dagget Muni airport is to the east and to the west is the Marine base. I don't know how much you can call those separate things because I've seen a few to dozens of helicopters on the tarmac of the Muni- airport at various times and they were Marine. Google shows what looks like a formal helicopter base on the rear of the Muni property which explains that.

I've seen them doing touch and go landings of Marine Osprey aircraft right around there as well. Now those were impressive as ever to see because it was just right there off the interstate. So close and those things are BIG in person. Anyway... Nothing much surprises me immediately around that Marine base but I think this is tied both to the Muni airport and the USMC stuff.

Nice catch in seeing it.


Thank you for that response. I had to read through the rest to make sure that I didn't step on any toes. I spent a summer in Twenty-Nine Palms and got to know the area a little. There are runways in the middle of dry lake beds. A lot of combined arms exercises take place out there and I had a memorable opportunity to participate in one. Different runways for different planes, helos, UAV, etc. There are a lot of different live ranges out there, so roads are sparse and go on forever, plus...this base connects to Nellis A.F.B. through back roads and even to Dreamland. It's an amazing part of the country and I'd love to go back. Lots of things happen out there...you have to spend time under the stars to understand. That was the best part...sleeping under the stars (optional)...so many stars and shooting stars...and "other" things.

Unbelievable sunrises and sunsets. Highly recommended.



posted on Jul, 31 2012 @ 12:23 AM
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Seems kind of dangerous to have something producing a GSI that is not associated with an actual runway. Also odd that several seasoned pilots are not recognizing it as specific instrumentation. Just my thoughts.
edit on 31-7-2012 by dainoyfb because: of typo.



posted on Jul, 31 2012 @ 02:23 AM
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Any chance that what you saw was Hector VOR?

Look up Hector VOR on google maps and it shows you the big circular pad out in the middle of nowhere. It's on the east side of Barstow-Daggett though.

Pic:
www.flickr.com...
edit on 31-7-2012 by _Del_ because: Added photo



posted on Jul, 31 2012 @ 11:12 AM
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reply to post by _Del_
 


Actually that does look exactly like it. Like I said it was a long day, and California is an evil state, so I might have gotten my locations backassward, but that looks like what I saw.



posted on Jul, 31 2012 @ 11:15 AM
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underground base ?




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