National Parachute Test Center NAS El Centro Whirl Tower

USA / California / Seeley / Wheeler Road
 interesting place, closed / former military, United States Army, historic ruins
The Whirl Tower was active between the 1940s and 1960s. It was used to test parachutes by launching a parachute-equipped dummy into the air at speeds ranging from 50mph to 500mph. It was orignally operated by Vought technicians. The test center was moved to China Lake Naval Weapons Station in the '70s.

Due to a fire in the control room under the tower and decades of no maintenance, the US Navy tore the tower down.

www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1960s/1960/feb60.pd...
ludb.clui.org/ex/i/CA4911/
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   32°52'18"N   115°44'55"W

Comments

  • Hubby, me and our son visited this place years ago. It has since, sadly, been demolished. Not sure if because of the declining integrity of the building around it, or exactly why, but it was completely demolished.
This article was last modified 4 years ago