No Web site about extraterrestrial would be complete without a section on Area 51. The not-so-secret base in the Nevada desert has become a mecca for UFO enthusiasts, government conspiracy buffs and military enthusiasts the world over. Like so many other aspects of the UFO phenomenon, Area 51 has more than it's share of rumors -- that it houses alien spacecraft, that it is a test range for secret "black project" aircraft, that aliens help the U.S. government there. The sad truth is, very little is known about the base. What is generally known and cannot be refuted is listed here. All we expect is for you, the reader, to draw his or her own conclusions. As with everything on this web site, the data contained here is not to be considered the end-all, be-all authority on the subject, merely a compilation of the data and personal experiences of the UFO Reporter staff.
Area 51 gets it's rather high-tech name from a very mundane source. Supposedly, the name originated from a designation on the original maps of the Nevada Test Site the base was built on. These U.S. Geological Survey maps did zoned the desert into large squares called areas. Area 51 was the square the secret base was built in. Because it did not officially exist, it therefore had no name, yet it apparently had to be called something. Area 51 seemed to be the logical choice for the general public, since it was the only official designation available. The actual layout of the base is deceiving. The base at Area 51 is surrounded by the very real and publicly-known Nellis Air Force Range.
Because it is located on or near the Groom Dry Lake, Area 51 has also been called the Groom Lake Facility, or more simply, Groom Lake. Adding to the list of names for this secret base is the term Dreamland, which was originally a name given to the airspace over the base by aviators who were not allowed anywhere near it.
The base at Area 51 has been used as the proving ground for some of America's most famous aircraft before they were known. This includes the SR-71, U-2 and F-117A Stealth Fighter. Photos taken by military buffs over the years prior to the aircraft being made public confirm this. This, in the opinion of most military analysts, establishes without a doubt that the base was used as a secret testing facility for aircraft. That, unfortunately, is the extent of our confirmed knowledge of the base.
As with anything secret in origin, rumors and theories fly wildly. Area 51 has long been a subject of conjecture about topics like captured Roswell aliens, UFO visitations, and so forth. This hype hit the mainstream media in 1989 when Bob Lazar, an alleged former employee of the base, came forward on Las Vegas television claiming he had worked on one of nine flying saucers housed there, apparently trying to reverse engineer the craft's anti-gravity technology. Lazar's story has both supporters and detractors, but it opened up the legend of Area 51 to the world.
Whether its secret aircraft, alien spacecraft or a combination of the two, security is the watchword around the base at Area 51. The entire parameter of the base is plastered with warning signs stating that use of deadly force is authorized against trespassers. Numerous sensing equipment can be seen dotting the landscape, as well as motion sensors and even ammonia sensors (that can detect human skin) littering the ground. It is clear that visitors are by no means welcome at Area 51. Aside from the equipment, there are numerous sightings of unmarked olive drab and white colored vehicles which shadow visitors from within the base parameter.
The government has taken steps to assure the base goes unobserved, even if it is not unknown. Two areas popular with UFO and military enthusiasts were recently purchased by the government and closed to the public. White Sides and Freedom Ridge were famous for their impressive (and legal) views of the Area 51 base and became a large tourist attraction for several years. From these points, Area 51's airstrips, radar towers and many of the bases hangers and other facitlies could be seen. Only one legal view still exists for now, Tikaboo Peak which is still some distance from the base and requires a 1 1/2 hour hike from a remote dirt road.
What evidence can be gathered about the actual operation of the base comes from a lawsuit filed by ex-employees of the base who complained of health problems they say were a direct result of the activities going on at the base. In the lawsuit, these former civilian employees of the base described a weekly process in which many types of hazardous chemicals were dumped into pits 100 yards long and some 25 feet wide. According to them, nothing but the civilian employees were to leave the base, and they could take nothing with them. All equipment -- everything from computers and other office equipment to whole vehicles and even uneaten food -- were thrown into these pits and set afire with jet fuel. These fires lasted for up to 12 hours, according to the plaintiffs. The resulting vapors were believed to have caused the unusual health problems of many of the civilian employees because the government would not allow for them to use protective gear while the burnings were taking place.
The lawsuit is still underway, with the government invoking the national security priviledge and moving that the plaintiffs' names be made public. The plaintiff's who allege thay were made to sign secrecy oaths and fear government retaliation should their identities be made known. As the story progresses, it is hoped that more information about the base will be made public. For more information on this story, please check www.ipcress.com/area51/news.html.
Recent reports from Southern Nevada indicate a tremendous drop in the strange activity around Area 51. The base is still operational, but it is believed by many Ufologists that the popularity of the base has made it a less-desirable choice for secret projects. Reports have cropped up about similar bases in Ohio and Colorado over the past few years. Likely, the Air Force is spreading out its development of high-tech aircraft or is gradually phasing out Area 51 entirely.
