Photo By Stephen Baack | A decommissioned air traffic control tower at Plant 42 falls April 29 during its...... read more read more
PALMDALE, Calif. — A distinctive structure on the Palmdale horizon came down April 29 as the original air traffic control tower at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 was demolished, ending a chapter in the facility’s aviation history that dates back more than 60 years.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District oversaw the demolition of the tower in partnership with the Air Force and contracting partners TLI Construction and MEC Environmental. The effort was part of a broader modernization plan to replace aging infrastructure and ensure the safety and efficiency of ongoing aviation operations at the site.
Safety First: Abatement and Demolition
Before demolition could begin, the project was placed on hold until users of the original tower could move into a newly constructed facility, which opened in November 2022. Work on the old tower officially started in early 2024.
“The first thing they did was abatement,” said Brittany Sonier, LA District engineering technician and contracting officer’s representative. “They started at the top floor and went floor by floor by floor and abated everything in the interior. Then, they went to the exterior and did all the abatement they needed to do on the exterior.”
Sonier pointed out white paint patches and strips still visible on the building’s exterior prior to demolition actually were measures designed to safely contain hazardous materials.
“Basically, they’re encapsulating lead,” she said. “They’re encapsulating any type of abatement that needed to keep it from becoming airborne.”
Common hazards addressed during abatement at older facilities like the Plant 42 tower include lead-based paint, asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. Sonier said these materials require careful containment and removal before any structure can be safely demolished.
Once the structure was pulled down, the contractors returned to confirm that no new hazardous materials were exposed. The next steps included separating materials, bulldozing debris and restoring the site.
“Once it’s completely done and they’ve removed all the debris, they’ll go back over it, remove all of the supports that go down about 10 or 15 feet and restore the site to how it was before it went down,” Sonier said.
Although relatively small in scope, the project required a tailored approach because of its atypical nature.
“It’s not a large project, and it’s not a complex project,” Sonier said, “but it’s an unusual one for us because we don’t normally fell something like this. Usually when we take something down, it’s piece by piece. The main thing USACE does here is just verify it’s safe and that it meets the parameters of the contract.”
The LA District is working with Edwards Air Force Base and the 412th Civil Engineering Squadron to deliver these projects in partnership with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
A Legacy of Innovation at Plant 42
For decades, Plant 42 has been synonymous with cutting-edge aviation and national defense. The facility played a critical role in the development and testing of some of the most advanced aircraft in U.S. history — including the SR-71 Blackbird, U-2 Dragon Lady, B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit. In more recent years, the site supported elements of the next-generation B-21 Raider program.
David Maher, who worked in the tower during the 1980s as a flight operations officer, reflected on the flight tower’s legacy.
“Plant 42 has been the home of Air Force aircraft dating back to the Korean War,” Maher said. “Quietly, largely anonymously, and very efficiently, it has provided a production capability and a flight capability unmatched anywhere in the world.”
The original control tower stood watch during key eras of innovation, offering those inside a direct view of test flights, engineering trials and historic firsts.
“It was a front-row seat to history,” Maher said.
Completed in late 2022, the new air traffic control tower was designed with enhanced safety systems and upgraded technology to support the operational needs of the Air Force and its mission partners at Plant 42. The construction contract, valued at more than $17 million, was awarded in fall 2020.
“The cost of a new and upgraded air traffic control tower is obviously high,” Maher said. “However, the impact of Plant 42, both historically and looking forward, is impossible to quantify. An investment now in keeping the facility thriving in the future is well worth it.”
A Tower Full of Memories
Maher remembers the building as modest in size, but rich in character.
“It was a narrow tower, and the stairwell going up was a tight spiral staircase, so you had to be careful going up and down,” Maher said. “The controller cab at the top was small but functional.”
While it wasn’t the flashiest facility, Maher said it served its mission well, and so did the people in it.
“The people I worked with up there were top-notch,” he said. “It was a great group — the controllers, the maintenance crews and everyone.”
He also noted how much pride came with being part of the flight operations mission during a high-paced era in aerospace development.
“We knew the importance of what we were doing,” Maher said. “Everything was about safety, precision and supporting those flight crews.”
Perched high above the desert, the tower offered a panoramic view of an installation known for its role in pushing the boundaries of aviation.
“You could see everything,” he said. “We had a great view of the flightline and surrounding desert. Watching those aircraft take off and land — especially the experimental ones — was something special.”
As Maher reflected on the tower's removal, he acknowledged the mixed emotions that often accompany change.
“Sure, there’s some nostalgia there,” he said. “But it served its purpose, and it was time.”
| Date Taken: | 05.20.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.20.2025 18:48 |
| Story ID: | 498527 |
| Location: | PALMDALE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 437 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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