REI Airport Beacon Tower Painting Project

By RAA President, Ted Gablin

The Redlands Municipal Airport (FAA identification KREI) is home to an airport beacon and tower with a heritage. They date back to the time when lighted airways were created to allow US mail to be flown by aircraft across the US at night over 100 years ago. Many airmail pilots died trying to fly the mail at night, so the US government created the lighted airway system in the early 1920’s to help airmail pilots to navigate safely.

The beacon towers were located every 10 miles. Their powerful beacons were powered by a generator at each site. There is an exhibit of a restored beacon, 51’ tower, and generator building at Flabob Airport in Jurupa Valley. The exhibit honors US airmail pilots.

Airway beacons and towers remained in service for years before being decommissioned. The last one was removed in 1972. It was located in the Banning Pass just east of Cabazon in an area of Riverside County called  Whitewater. The beacon and tower were removed and are currently on exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum. You can read about it and lighted airways at this link: A Guiding Light: The Airway Beacon Tower | National Air and Space Museum     

According to a 1966 Redlands Daily Facts newspaper article, REI’s beacon and tower were surplus FAA equipment donated to the city of Redlands in 1966. The beacon was originally installed on Box Springs mountain near March Air Force Base. The tower was initially installed as part of the US Airway Beacon system and was once located approximately three miles southwest of Beaumont.

The airport beacon at Redlands Airport is functional. The powerful beacon rotates every night, still guiding pilots. But, both the beacon and tower were in dire need of a painting. RAA members and tenants expressed an interest to get the tower and beacon repainted back to its original international orange and white colors. Painting the beacon tower would protect the structure from corrosion. It also improves the curb appeal of the airport for the community, visitors, airport businesses and users.

The original paint on the structure was suspected to be lead paint. Concerns over the potential cost of environmental remediation ended a fund-raising drive the RAA considered to raise funds to paint the tower. Personnel at the City of Redlands involved with the airport understood the historical significance of the tower and how a proper paint job could improve the airport’s curb appeal. That could make the airport more attractive to tenants, businesses and visitors. Our current Airport Supervisor, Ted Richardson, recognized the potential benefit to the airport that could be achieved by a tower painting project. He had the old finished tested for lead, and yes, it was lead paint. Remediation could be accomplished by carefully removing the loose paint and sealing old paint that was not easily removed. Bids were obtained and using accumulated Cal Trans maintenance grant money along with some of the airport maintenance budget a contractor was hired to refinish the tower.  That work was completed over a two-week period on some of the hottest days of August. The contractor worked diligently and did a wonderful job refinishing the tower and beacon.  The final result is spectacular. The local community has noticed too. The project was documented on our Redlands Airport Association Facebook page. It received over 100 likes/comments.  Here is a photo of the completed tower. You can also view a drone flyover of the completed project at this link: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1385856079705955