Air-traffic-control/Arrow or Flugleitung/Pfeil

[Henofred]

Hello,

Perhaps a stupid question, sorry. On several pictures of German airfields I have seen a building, the air traffic control or Flugleitung I assume, which has a big arrow on the frontage. Do you know what means this arrow? Does she wear signs or numbers? A color? Thanks a lot beforehand.

Best Regards,
Frederic

[Larry deZeng]

How about direction? Could the arrow be pointing toward the north or some other direction?

[Henofred]

Hello Larry,

The arrow is laid out vertically on the frontage, the point towards the ground. Its sizes are important, certainly to be seen from a distance by the airplanes.

Regards,
Frederic

[Henofred]

Hello,

I have attached an example found on the Web. When the building is smaller, the arrow appears much bigger...I think its size must be standardized.

Regards,
Frederic

[SES]

Hi,
The arrow points to the location of fire fighting equipment, simple as that .
bregds
SES

[Henofred]

Hello SES,

Thus simply for the equipment I assume, because there is no possibility to park fire fighting vehicles at this place... it is the case on the two pictures I have regarding German airfields in France. Do you know if this arrow is always hung on the frontage of the Flugleitung?

Regards,
Frederic

[SES]

Hi Frederic,
You are right, it is not for fire vehicles, but for man operated fire equipment. The arrow was used in many places also inside hangars.
bregds
SES

[Henofred]

Merci for the answers SES.

Regards,
Frederic

[SES]

Entirely my pleasure.
SES

[Larry deZeng]

Hi Frederic -

Although I lack SES's personal recollections of those times (), I concur with his answer. The minute he mentioned fire apparatus/equipment, I began to remember the downward-pointing red arrow painted on the inside walls of barracks (Kaserne Gebäude), warehouses, messhalls, etc., wherever a fire extinguisher was hung or sitting in a niche built into the wall. That was in Germany 12-13 years after the war ended, so even though these buildings had changed hands and had been repainted inside, the use of this symbol was retained. It apparently was required by German laws covering fire warnings, fire precautions, fire fighting, etc.

L.