Area 51

What is "Area 51?" - In the mid 1950's a 60 square mile tract of land was turned over to the Atomic Energy Commission by the U.S. Air Force. The rectangle, 90 miles north northwest of Las Vegas, included the southern half of Groom dry lake. Measuring 6 miles north/south and 10 miles east/west, it was used by the Lockheed Corporation to test advanced spy planes for the CIA. In keeping with the AEC system of numbering various areas on the Nevada Test Site, this was called an "Area", but to distinguish it from the real NTS, they jumped ahead to the start of the next 'even' block of numbers, "51". With the end of the CIA involvement with the facility in 1968, the name "Area 51" fell into disuse. Today it is never officially used; official pronouncements refer to the area as a "test facility near Groom Lake, Nevada". But the name still is in common usage, now referring to the entire area with high security that surrounds the main test facility.

Who chose Groom Lake as a test facility? - There are two schools of thought on this. The first says that in January of 1955, Tony LaVier, a Lockheed test pilot, along with his crew chief Dorsey Kammerier, flew to numerous dry lakes in the southwestern U.S. to find one suitable for U-2 test flights. When they landed at Groom Lake they looked no further. LaVier said, "On a scale of 1 to 10 it was a 10 plus.".
  Another line of thinking is that while LaVier and Kammerier did make their reconnaissance flight to find a suitable test facility, they did not examine Groom Lake. In his book, "Dark Eagles", Curtis Peebles says that their list was looked over by Richard Bissell, the CIA official overseeing the U-2 program and his Air Force liaison officer Col. Osmond "Ozzie" Ritland. None of LaVier's sites seemed suitable, but Ritland recalled a small 'X' shaped airfield on the Nellis Bombing Range near a dry lake. He took Bissell, LaVier, and Kelly Johnson, head of Lockheed's Advanced Research and Development, on a flight over that dry lake and they knew immediately that this place, Groom Lake, was just what they needed.
  Which story is right? I don't know, and it may be we'll never know for sure. In either case the final decision would have been a consensus between Kelly Johnson and Richard Bissell.

Is "Area 51" moving? - This is a popular misconception. While activities may have changed since the last major new aircraft (at least that we know about) was tested at Groom, there still is much happening there. The security is as tight as ever and there still are plane loads of personnel commuting each day from Las Vegas in the Janet Airlines 737's. Current projects seem to include testing foreign aircraft and radar, as well as advanced engines for planes such as the much rumored "Aurora" hypersonic spy plane. This idea of "Area 51" moving was also advanced by a story in Popular Mechanics magazine in June of 1997. The article had numerous mistakes, including the author getting lost, and erroneously drew the conclusion that " Area 51" was closed.
  In recent years there has been more emphasis (and more press reports) on UAV's (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and SSTO (Single Stage to Orbit) spacecraft. Most of these projects are not secret and their testing doesn't need a tightly secured facility such as Groom Lake. Thus they are tested (and launched) at open locations like Edward's Air Force Base, with landings at White Sands missile range and Michael AFB in Utah. But rather than replacing it, this is in addition to the research being done at "Area 51".

How strict is security at "Area 51"? - Security for the Groom Lake facility is some of the tightest of any military in the U.S. The border, which is actually the border of the Nellis Bombing and Gunnery Range, is patrolled by private guards who work for, as best as can be determined, Bechtel Engineering. They are the famous "Cammo Dudes", so named because they wear camouflage clothing with no name tags or badges. These guards are most often seen where Groom Lake road crosses the border, driving their equally famous white Jeep Cherokees. Because they're private guards they don't arrest someone who crosses the border, but instead they hold the trespasser, call the Lincoln county sheriff's office and wait until the deputies arrive and make the arrest.
  This area also has surveillance cameras and motion detectors. Because this part of the border is closest to good roads and populated areas, it gets the most attention. The rest of the border is also patrolled, but on a more limited basis. The inner portion of the base is guarded by the military.

How will I know where the border is located? - The border of "Area 51", actually the border of the Nellis Bombing and Gunnery Range, is marked, but these markings vary from one location to another. If you're on a road the markings are quite obvious, with numerous signs including the famous "Use of deadly force authorized ". The most critical part to civilian visitors, near Groom Lake Road and throughout Tikaboo Valley, has the poorest markings. This consists of orange metal fence posts, but no fence, spaced about 50 feet apart. (The reason there is no fence is because the local rancher has the right to let his cattle graze within the Nellis Range.) The posts are difficult to see in the daytime, and impossible to see at night. If you hike in this area, be sure you have good maps and a good awareness of where the border is located.
  Other areas farther away from the test facility at Groom Lake are better marked. They're usually fenced with gates across the roads, and on the more traveled road there are manned guard stations at the border.

What are the dangers to someone visiting the area? - The greatest dangers come not from the military or private guards, but from nature and ones self. Most of the land around the base is high desert; annual rainfall is less than 10 inches and temperatures vary from near zero in winter up to the hundreds in summer. Proper clothing and plenty of water, especially in summer, are necessities. So is a first aid kit. Almost everything here, plant and animal, can either bite, sting or stab. And although I've broken this rule myself, it's a good idea not to travel alone.
  Another item to pay attention to is the condition of your vehicle. A breakdown when you're more than 20 miles from civilization could be life threatening. A spare tire or two is essential, along with small tools and water and oil. Cautious driving is also a big help. This is mostly open range with cattle, one of nature's dumbest creatures, free to wander down the middle of the road and stare at oncoming headlights.