Area 51 - Its No Secret

[ProfessorMeThis]

This is an article at dreamlandresort.com by author and aerospace historian Peter W. Merlin.  I found it to be very informative and interesting.

https://www.dreamlandresort.com/pete/no_secret.html

From the first sentence:  "The biggest secret about Area 51 is that is was never secret" the article outlines a lot of the history of the site.

One of my favorite stories included in the article talks about the Area 51 softball team winning a tournament.
https://www.dreamlandresort.com/pete/no_secret_03.jpg

I hope you enjoy the read as much as I did.

[Raptured]

That was a great history lesson.  Thanks for sharing

[charlyv]

The place was certainly not a secret, but many of the things there were certainly a secret, and still are.
What is in those hangars is as scary as the rumors of what is in there.  That keeps it a valuable deterrent asset.

[Earthman4]

If you tell Air Traffic Control that you are near Area 51, they tell you it does not exist.

[UltraBudgie]

If you tell Air Traffic Control that you are near Area 51, they tell you it does not exist.

dunno but i imagine that is because that is slang or unofficial and real name is groomed lake testing range or some such, got to use official terminology

also, secret, haha!

[ProfessorMeThis]

Over the years the area has been referred to by several names.

https://www.dreamlandresort.com/faq/faq_...names.html

[Signal Witch]

If you tell Air Traffic Control that you are near Area 51, they tell you it does not exist.

Actually, Air Traffic Control does recognize the area, just not by the name “Area 51.”
Officially, it’s called Restricted Area 4808 North (R-4808N) and is part of the larger Nevada Test and Training Range.

Pilots and controllers refer to it by its restricted airspace designation, and it’s well-documented on aviation charts. While the base itself isn’t discussed openly over comms, the airspace is very real and strictly off-limits without clearance. Some folks also refer to it informally as “The Box.”

So while the name “Area 51” might get a shrug, the airspace is definitely acknowledged and enforced.

[Zaphod58]

Actually, Air Traffic Control does recognize the area, just not by the name “Area 51.”
Officially, it’s called Restricted Area 4808 North (R-4808N) and is part of the larger Nevada Test and Training Range.

Pilots and controllers refer to it by its restricted airspace designation, and it’s well-documented on aviation charts. While the base itself isn’t discussed openly over comms, the airspace is very real and strictly off-limits without clearance. Some folks also refer to it informally as “The Box.”

So while the name “Area 51” might get a shrug, the airspace is definitely acknowledged and enforced.

If you coordinate ahead of time, and the range is cold, you can sometimes get approved to short cut through. They still don’t let you get to close to TTR or Groom, but close enough to get pics with a telephoto lens. At least they used to. Someone did it either last year or the year before and got pics.

[Encia22]

If you coordinate ahead of time, and the range is cold, you can sometimes get approved to short cut through. They still don’t let you get to close to TTR or Groom, but close enough to get pics with a telephoto lens. At least they used to. Someone did it either last year or the year before and got pics.

Was it FredT... https://denyignorance.com/Thread-Basecam...rip-Nevada

Or someone else?

[Zaphod58]

Was it FredT... https://denyignorance.com/Thread-Basecam...rip-Nevada

Or someone else?

No, this guy deliberately set it up to go through the range and get what pictures he could.