Perhaps it was the idealism and the excitement about new technology of the time, or perhaps it was a polite way to guarantee a few extra feet–either way, the plan didn’t work. From a modern perspective, it seems poorly thought out at best. The proposed idea had passengers disembark at the 102nd floor onto a steep set of stairs and into a room about 25 feet across, which would house lounges, baggage rooms, ticket counters, and customs agents. From there, passengers were led to a terrace about two and a half feet wide and eventually onto an elevator that would take them to the street level.

Nobody researched the cost of such a project, nor was marketing research performed to determine if people were interested in such services; most importantly, there were no feasibility studies. Therefore, the engineers encountered the major obstacle and ultimate dooming factor of the project only after the mast was built—wind. At such a high elevation, the wind can create a whirlpool effect and often blows as fast as 30 miles per hour. Three attempts to connect to the tower failed, primarily due to the wind.

The plan to dock airships was quickly scrapped and soon after NBC began broadcasting from the tower.