Hangar One

Description

Hangar One was built in the early 1930 to house the Navy dirigible USS Macon.  It is one of the largest unsupported buildings in the world, and a prominent local landmark.  Hangar One is visible from nearly anywhere on ARC/Moffett Field, and from much of the surrounding area.  (There is at least one other structure in the Bay Area referred to as "Hangar One".  The Alameda Naval Air Station also has a Hangar One.  That Hangar One is the home of a local distillery.  Generally, though, when people in the Silicon Valley say "Hangar One", they mean this one.)

Hangar One is 1,133 feet (343 m) long, 308 feet (93 m) wide, and 198 feet (60 m) tall; that's big enough to park an aircraft carrier inside (if you could get one there).  The hangar's unusual rounded shape and "orange peel" doors reduce the turbulence generated by wind.  This was of useful for the safe and efficient operation of the lighter-than-air USS Macon.  Although the hangar is not currenlty in use, its interior once included shops, laboratories, and offices.  An inner system of catwalks and elevators provides ready access to the hangar's vast skin.

Hangar One is currently closed and off-limits due to contamination concerns from PCBs, asbestos, and lead.  It is also filled with a ridiculous amount of pigeon droppings.  No joke, they may be the most hazardous contaminant in the building.  The diseases that can breed in well-aged pigeon poop would curl your hair.

The hangar's future is undecided; although it has been suggested periodically that the now-vacant hangar should be razed so that the land could be reused, a number of proposals also have been made over the years to renovate the structure, or convert it to other uses.  The most recent proposal is a US Navy plan to remove the skin (which is thought to be the most heavily contaminated portion) and apply a sealant to the frame.  The skeleton would then remain standing.

The effectiveness of thos strategy is questionable.  What good is a skeletal building, after all?  Moreover, after 70 years or so it's very possible that contaminants have leached into the surrounding soil, so stripping Hangar One wouldn't necessarily be effective in addressing the PCB contamination, not to mention lead and pigeon crap.

Hangar One bears at least a passing visual resemblence to Jabba the Hutt's sail barge in the movie "Return of the Jedi".  Although Hangar One would have been familiar to many of the people working on the movie (probably including George Lucas himself), it is unclear whether this was intentional.

Main Web Site

Location

Bldg 1

Ames-Moffett Field Map

Drive Time

not applicable

Public Transit

not applicable

Hours

none - Hangar One is off-limits.  Entering the building without permission and proper safety equipment is strictly prohibited, and possibly hazardous to your health.

Cost

not applicable