t opside V olume 79 , I s s u e 1 P a ge 14
Aviation , continued
There is a restored airway beacon and caretaker ’ s shack on the small privately owned airport in Numida , Pennsylvania . On September 29th Joe Giannattasio flew a Cessna 172 aircraft from Cape May , New Jersey to Northumberland County Airport and drove the remaining distance to investigate the tower at Numida firsthand . Joe reported , “ The tower is in great shape . The concrete arrow no longer exists and the shack , although restored , has been upgraded for present-day use .”
When asked about the response his scavenger hunt idea has received , “ I was excited to see this develop like a ‘ Indiana Jones ’ odyssey as members scoured the countryside , while practicing infection preventive behavior , in search of these historic structures .” Said Giannattasio . “ I wanted to share this story with Auxiliarists so they too can conduct their own expeditions and enjoy the adventure of the quest , and the thrill of discovery .”
The restored airway beacon at its original location at the Numida , PA airport .
Photo by COMO Joe Giannattasio
There is a good chance that many members throughout the country may not be able to personally visit the arrows and beacons because the majority of them have been demolished or they don ’ t live close to the few remaining markers . For those , you will have to be content with ‘ virtually ’ exploring the locations of remaining beacons and arrows from the safety , and comfort , of your home looking at them through Google Earth or other web alternatives .
The grass runway at the nearly 100-year old Numida airport in Pennsylvania .
Photo by COMO Joe Giannattasio