[av?] Writing on the hills

[Pi1otguy]

Driving near March AFB (RIV)I noticed several letters on the mountains just a few miles north. Directly north of RIV there is a giant "M" on the south facing side of those hills. On the west facing side a few miles away is a yellow "C" that is visible from the eastern parts of a nearby town (Riverside, CA). I've also seen another letter (an "R"?) on the way the Big Bear but I can't pin point its location.

They are obviously maintained and painted regularly as nothing has grown over them and they are colored. Are these letters for civil or military use? Are these letters part of some Air Force "checkerboard" type approach?

Google maps: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...78,-117.250557&spn=0.118764,0.307274&t=h&z=12
(zoom in on satellite pic)

 

[Unbeliever]

Some cities and/or neighborhoods do that to set themselves apart. For example, there's a "d" in the hills north of Duarte, (605/210), Rose Hills (south of El Monte) has "Rose Hills" on that hill. South Pasadena has "South Pasadena" on a hill next to the 110.

Oh, and I think there's some other one..... Holly-something. I see it in movies and TV-shows a lot. Any one know which one that is? *grin*

--Carlos V.

 

[jmaynard]

This isn't just a California thing...there's a giant M on a hillside near Platteville, Wisconsin, that's carefully maintained by the students of UW-Platteville. Seems that the university started out as the Wisconsin School of Mines...

 

[wanttaja]

Oh, and I think there's some other one..... Holly-something. I see it in movies and TV-shows a lot. Any one know which one that is? *grin*

Obviously, it's the one in Kent, Washington.

Paste the following lat/long in Google Earth:

47°21'57.15"N, 122°14'43.77"W

Zoom in very, very close.

Read the shadow of the letters (since they're shadows, the letters are backwards and the name starts on the right.)

Ron Wanttaja

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Here is one we hiked up to last summer, check out those switchbacks:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...76932&spn=0.00314,0.00957&t=h&z=17&iwloc=addr

 

[Pilawt]

Years ago I visited the campus of New Mexico State University. I noticed a large 'A' on a mountainside east of the campus. When I asked my host about it, he replied, "Oh, that's for the football players. Next week they put up a 'B'."

(I found out later that the NMSU team name is "Aggies"!)

Rose Hills (south of El Monte) has "Rose Hills" on that hill.

The "Rose Hills" sign does not refer to a town, rather a large cemetery of the same name. Several of my relatives are just below the 'R'.

Depicted in the photo below of a mountainside east of Phoenix AZ, is a familiar local aid to the navigationally impaired.

 

[Pi1otguy]

Some cities and/or neighborhoods do that to set themselves apart.
--Carlos V.

Somehow I was hoping for some great story about them being put up for aviators to use in low vis or something.