Whirlpool Aero Car

Coordinates: 43°07′05″N 79°04′08″W / 43.11798°N 79.06877°W / 43.11798; -79.06877

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Whirlpool Aero Car

The Whirlpool Aero Car or Spanish Aero Car is a cable car located in Niagara Falls, Ontario which transports passengers over a section of the Niagara River referred to as the whirlpool.

History

The Aero Car was conceived by J. Enoch Thompson and built in 1913 by The Niagara Spanish Aerocar Co. Limited. Opened in August 1916, it was designed by a Spanish engineer, Leonardo Torres y Quevedo, and was upgraded in 1961, 1967, and most recently 1984.

Despite what appears to be a risky adventure, there has only been one fatality which was a suicide.^{[citation needed]}

Whirlpool Rapids viewed from the Aero Car.

Technical specifications

The Aero Car is suspended on six interlocking steel cables each 25 mm (1 inch) in diameter. It is powered by an electric 50 horsepower (37 kW) motor and travels at approximately 7 km/h (5 mph). In the event of a power failure a diesel generator safely pulls the car back to dock. It also has a rescue car which holds four passengers and one operator which has never been used except for training purposes.

The Aero Car is suspended between two Canadian points, although between the two points it crosses the Canadian and American borders four times on a full trip. At either end of the crossing it is 250 feet (86 m) and in the centre 150 feet (42 m) above the river. At 1800 feet (550 m) across, the Aerocar has one of the longest spans in the world without a supporting tower. The rapids entering the whirlpool below the aerocar are visible moving at an estimated 35 to 37 km/h and the flow of the water coming through the river is about 2,800 m³/s (623,000 imp gal/s) in the summer months and 300,000 imperial gallons per second (1,400 m³/s) in the winter months. From the Aerocar you get a breathtaking view of Whirlpool State Park in Niagara Falls, New York, as well as the Robert Moses Generating Station in Lewiston, New York. From side or center of the car you are bound to view the violent motion of the 60 acre (0.25 km²) whirlpool below. It coils and uncoils revealing the power of the Niagara River. You also notice numerous fisherman and hikers below getting down via a series of nature trails on the Canadian and American sides.

See also

• Incline railways at Niagara Falls
• Niagara Parks Commission People Mover

References

• Niagara Falls - Spanish Aerocar
• Whirlpool Aero Car
• Ride The Air - Whirlpool Aero Car

External links

• Location of the whirlpool with photos and web sites related to the area
• Images from the Historic Niagara Digital Collections