WHAT IS AREA 51?

• The United States Air Force facility commonly known as Area 51 is a highly classified
remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base, within the Nevada Test and Training
Range. According to the CIA, the correct names for the facility are Homey
Airport and Groom Lake, though the name Area 51 was used in a CIA document from
the Vietnam War. The facility has also been referred to as Dreamland and Paradise
Ranch, among other nicknames. The special use airspace around the field is referred
to as Restricted Area 4808 North.
• The base's current primary purpose is publicly unknown; however, based on historical
evidence, it most likely supports the development and testing of experimental
aircraft and weapons systems (black projects). The intense secrecy surrounding the
base has made it the frequent subject of conspiracy theories and a central component
to UFO folklore. Although the base has never been declared a secret base, all research
and occurrences in Area 51 are
Top Secret Information. On 25 June 2013, following
a Freedom of Information Act request filed in 2005,
the CIA publicly acknowledged the existence of the
base for the first time, declassifying documents
detailing the history and purpose of Area 51.
 WHERE IS IT LOCATED?
• Area 51 is located in the southern portion of Nevada , 83 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Situated at
its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield. The site was acquired by
the United States Air Force in 1955, primarily for the flight testing of the Lockheed U-2 aircraft. The
area around Area 51, including the small town of Rachel on the "Extraterrestrial Highway", is a
popular tourist destination.
 HOW SECURE IS IT?
• Beyond the gate, cameras see every angle. On the distant hilltop, there's a white pickup truck with a
tinted windshield peering down on everything below. Locals says the base knows every desert
tortoise and jackrabbit that hops the fence. Others claim there are embedded sensors in the
approaching road.
• What exactly goes on inside of Area 51 has led to decades of wild speculation. There are, of
course, the alien conspiracies that galactic visitors are tucked away somewhere inside. One of the
more colorful rumors insists the infamous 1947 Roswell crash was actually a Soviet aircraft piloted
by mutated midgets and the wreckage remains on the grounds of Area 51. Some even believe that
the U.S. government filmed the 1969 moon landing in one of the base's hangars.
• For all the myths and legends, what's true is that Area 51 is real and still very active. There may not
be aliens or a moon landing movie set inside those fences, but something is going on and only a
select few are privy to what's happening further down that closely-monitored wind-swept Nevada
road. "The forbidden aspect of Area 51 is what makes people want to know what's there,"
says aerospace historian and author Peter Merlin who's been researching Area 51 for more than
three decades.
 THE ORIGINS OF THE MYSTERY
• In the early 1950s, U.S. Navy and Air Force sent low-flying aircraft on reconnaissance missions over
the USSR, but they were at constant risk of being shot down. In November 1954, President
Eisenhower approved the secret development of a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft called the U-
2 program. One of the first orders of business was to track down a remote, covert location for
training and testing. They found it in the southern Nevada desert near a salt flat known as Groom
Lake, which had once been a World War II aerial gunnery range for Army Air Corps pilots.
• Known by its map designation as Area 51, this middle-of-nowhere site became a new top-secret
military base. To convince workers to come the base was given a more enticing name: Paradise
Ranch.’
 MAKING A MYTH

• U-2 testing began in July 1955, and immediately reports came flooding in about unidentified flying
object sightings. Naturally, Air Force officials knew the majority of these unexplained sightings were
U-2 tests, but they were not allowed to reveal these details to the public. So, "natural phenomena" or
"high-altitude weather research" became go-to explanations for UFO sightings. Other aircrafts kept
being tested.
• Even so, the alien conspiracies gained ground in 1989 when Bob Lazar claimed in an interview on
Las Vegas local news that he'd seen aliens and had helped to reverse-engineer alien spacecrafts
while working at the base. Many have disregarded this as fiction and are even offended at the
notion, including Merlin, who has spent years talking with former Area 51 engineers and employees
angered by all the fuss about E.T.
 THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE

• Today, Area 51 is still very much in use. According to Google Earth, new construction and expansions
are continuously happening. On most early mornings, eagle-eyed visitors can spot strange lights in
the sky moving up and down. No, it's not a UFO. It's actually the light comunication system used by
some planes. As for what's happening these days in America's most secretive military base, few
know for sure. Possible testings include stealth technology, advanced weapons, electronic warfare
systems and, in particular, unmanned aerial vehicles.
• While the lore around Area 51 may be nothing more than imaginative fiction, that won't stop people
from gawking just beyond those chain link fences.
 HOW TO EXPLORE AREA 51

• Fact or fiction, aliens are a big tourism draw. In 1996, the state of Nevada renamed Route 375 as
the "Extraterrestrial Highway," and destinations such as the Alien Research Center and the Little
A'Le'Inn. To Area 51's west, there's the Alien Cathouse which is advertised as the only alien-themed
brothel in the world. Geocaching also attracts visitors here since the highway is considered a "mega-
trial" with over 2,000 geocaches hidden in the area.
• `Then there's the actual base. While getting inside is not in the cards for most, curious civilians can
actually drive up to front and back gates. However, one should be careful when planning a trek to
Area 51. It's the desert, after all, so bring plenty of resources. Phone service and GPS probably won't
work, so have printouts and actual maps. Gas stations are few and far in between, so carry spare
fuel and tires.
• Also, remember the government doesn't really want you peering into Area 51. People who dug
deeper into the subject confirmed that they have been closely observed or even intimidated by
guards and security. Do not trespass under any circumstances or arrests and heavy fines await you.