Fremont, California: Plane-Wing Antenna Thing (Gone)

Multiple antennae on the property, yes I was looked at by caretaker, finally spotted upside down thingy well back on the lot, but the "wing" panel was missing.

This sighting has been previously listed as an "Upside-down Plane." On closer inspection, the most likely suspect we spotted does resemble an old plane wing, but is some kind of communications antenna attached to a wheeled trailer. It's adjacent to a collection of more normal-looking towers and antennae. In the middle of nowhere.

The contraptions out here are supposedly parts of an antenna testing lab for airplanes. There may have been a more elaborate wing at one point, configured upside-down to minimize ground reflection spoiling the tests.

We don't recommend taking this drive at night -- a couple miles of the winding route up the mountain is single-lane. If you encounter other vehicles, be prepared to back up to a wider spot to pass. Everything appears to be private property, so there's no stopping; wingman Phil Pasquini snapped a photo of the plane-wing thing....

The Upside-Down Airplane is a little-known curiosity in my hometown of Fremont, California. It is the shell of an airplane mounted upside-down on a tower, at the end of a private road in the middle of seemingly nowhere. No one is entirely certain of its purpose -- there are rumors it was used as a radio tower for spy work. It is guarded by a man who lives in a trailer nearby, and if you visit it at night, he will come out and shine an enormous spotlight on your car. Very bizarre but amusing and intriguing.