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Old 07-11-2012, 02:13 PM
 
Location: Somewhere flat in Mississippi
10,062 posts, read 12,709,180 times
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I associate checkerboard water towers with military bases. Someone should start a list of them.
There is one in Greenville, MS at the Mid-Delta Regional Airport, which was once Greenville AFB.
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Old 07-11-2012, 03:01 PM
 
Location: the living desert
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Well there is one by Tucson Airport. I believe it is located where the AZ Air National Guard is located.
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Old 07-11-2012, 03:34 PM
 
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Checkerboard painted towers (Red/White) is a standard obstruction to aviation requirment that has nothing to do with the military. You will find them at civilain airports and at any obstruction to aviation designated location anywhere in the USA. It may appear more common at military facilities due to two reasons. One reason is the militray style operations often made it necessay to paint the thing beyond what is required even if all the other aids were employed as a safety measure against pilots still crashing into them because of the way they fly and behave. The second reason was the military didn;t care about how it looked. If a private entity was erecting a water tower and they had an option of painting it AO/W or installing expensive discrete navigation obstruction aids, they will go for the navigation aids instead of some in-your-face AO/W checkerboard in the sky. Painting is also much cheaper to maintain than a modern hazard system and the militray had the manpower to paint it.

Now the militray did adopt the use of the black and white markings as some identification which has nothing to do with aviation. Thats why you will often times see a checkeboard water tower at a military base out in the mddle of nowhere. It's not for aviation purposes but as part of a historical identification. I have not found out the significance of that black and white pattern, how it came about or anything, but most people belif it may have been a way to identify a base from the ground, sort of like a way for people to see the fort from a distance.
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Old 07-11-2012, 04:58 PM
 
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The checkerboard water towers I've seen are red and white. You can still find them across the U.S. at former air force bases. I've seen them on Google Maps at the former Perrin AFB near Denison, Texas and the former Chennault AFB in Lake Charles, LA.
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Old 07-11-2012, 05:33 PM
 
4,918 posts, read 22,602,397 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lonesome Rhodes View Post
The checkerboard water towers I've seen are red and white. You can still find them across the U.S. at former air force bases. I've seen them on Google Maps at the former Perrin AFB near Denison, Texas and the former Chennault AFB in Lake Charles, LA.
The red and white checkerboard (actualy white and what is officially called Aviation Orange) is a FAA avauiation hazard marking required of all hazards to avaition, be it at an airport, out in the pastures, civilian or military. It does not in any way signify anything specific to the military.

The black and white checkerboard is something that appears to have been adopted by the military and isn;t connected to aviation in anyway. Since its not avaiation conected, I really don;t know what its for, why they use it, and how it cam about.

You will see the AO/W checkerboard a lot at military facilities that are not aviation connected because that facility may have rotorcraft operations so they confrom to FAA guideleins. However, that isn't miltary related but a safety requirment. They also have to do it for any structure that is deemed a hazard to aviation if the structure falls withint he FAA requirment to be painted. watertowers usually always qualify.
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Old 07-11-2012, 06:03 PM
 
Location: New Mexico U.S.A.
26,527 posts, read 51,504,606 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mouldy Old Schmo View Post
I associate checkerboard water towers with military bases. Someone should start a list of them.
Checkerboard water towers has nothing to do with the U.S. Military....

The Federal Aviation Administration governs obstruction to aviation hazards.


U.S. Department CIRCULAR Of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration
Subject: CHANGE 1 TO OBSTRUCTION Date: 4/15/00
AC No: 70/7460-1K MARKING AND LIGHTING Initiated by: ATA-400 Change: 1

1. PURPOSE. This change amends the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) standards for marking and lighting structures to promote aviation safety. The Change Number and date of the change material are located at the top of the page.

The entire document, in PDF is here: http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/...70_7460_1K.pdf


Quote:
33. PAINT PATTERNS
Paint patterns of various types are used to mark structures. The pattern to be used is determined by the size and shape of the structure. The following patterns are recommended.

a. Solid Pattern. Obstacles should be colored aviation orange if the structure has both horizontal and vertical dimensions not exceeding 10.5 feet (3.2m).

b. Checkerboard Pattern. Alternating rectangles of aviation orange and white are normally displayed on the following structures:

1. Water, gas, and grain storage tanks.

2. Buildings, as required.

3. Large structures exceeding 10.5 feet (3.2m) across having a horizontal dimension that is equal to or greater than the vertical dimension.

c. Size of Patterns. Sides of the checkerboard pattern should measure not less than 5 feet (1.5m) or more than 20 feet (6m) and should be as nearly square as possible. However, if it is impractical because of the size or shape of a structure, the patterns may have sides less than 5 feet (1.5m). When pos.......

Last edited by Poncho_NM; 07-01-2013 at 09:40 AM..
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Old 06-25-2014, 11:23 AM
 
Location: Somewhere flat in Mississippi
10,062 posts, read 12,709,180 times
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Lost checkerboard water tower at former Craig AFB in Selma, Alabama:

http://www.cardcow.com/images/set139/card00247_fr.jpg

Site of water tower:

http://goo.gl/maps/8h0tR

Concrete checkerboards at former Amarillo AFB:

http://goo.gl/maps/k7MMP
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Old 06-25-2014, 08:59 PM
 
Location: SW OK (AZ Native)
24,167 posts, read 13,014,616 times
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Cache Road (pass by this a lot) outside of Lawton, OK.

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.6243...!3m1!1e3?hl=en
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Old 06-25-2014, 09:01 PM
 
Location: SW OK (AZ Native)
24,167 posts, read 13,014,616 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Columbia Blue View Post
Well there is one by Tucson Airport. I believe it is located where the AZ Air National Guard is located.
It is, by the 162nd FW all-ranks club. That basketball court was a swimming pool until the mid-90s when it was filled in. I was thrown in it once.

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.1327...!3m1!1e3?hl=en
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Old 06-25-2014, 09:26 PM
 
Location: West Phoenix
963 posts, read 1,330,195 times
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thats strange because the water tower at Falcon Field is blue, and has been that color since the late 70s
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