
"Today, Montana is the only state that still utilizes part of this historic network through our rugged western mountains.

AIR NAVIGATION BEACONS CODE
As an example, beacon number 15 would have a code digit of 5 (the units digit), hence the letter R, and Morse code: "dit dah dit" (.-.). To help remember the letters and their sequence number, pilots memorized the following phrase: "When Undertaking Very Hard Routes, Keep Direction By Good Methods." The beacons were depicted on navigation charts along with their number and Morse code. A pause of 1.5 seconds separates each letter. The course lights turn on for 0.5 second for a dot, 1.5 second for a dash with a 0.5 second between each dot or dash. The letters represent the digits of 1 through 10 (W = 1. Each beacon is identified with a sequential number along the airway, and flash the red or green course lights with the Morse code of one of 10 letters: W, U, V, H, R, K, D, B, G or M. These course lights flash a Morse code letter identifying the beacon to the pilot. Red lights denote an airway beacon between landing fields while green denotes a beacon adjacent or upon a landing field. Just below the white beacon, a set of red or green course lights point along each airway route. Montana took steps to modernize their beacons encasing newer light systems in clear domes. In clear weather they could be seen for 40 miles (64 km). spinning at 6 rpm, creating a quick 1/10 second flash every 10 seconds. The rotating beacon features a 24 inch (610 mm) parabolic mirror and a 110-volt, 1 kilowatt lamp. An airway beacon has two distinct light characteristics: A revolving narrow white light beam about 5 degrees wide in azimuth and a set of fixed colored course lights of about 15 degrees width.
