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USA, Nevada, Area 51

A secretive United States Air Force base in the Nevada desert, long associated with claims of reverse-engineered alien technology, classified aircraft testing and UAP sightings.

United States Air Force · 1955 · Nevada Test and Training Range, Nevada, USA · 2013

Area 51 is a US Air Force base within the Nevada Test and Training Range, used to test experimental aircraft and weapons, and also known as Homey Airport or Groom Lake.1 It is also referred to by the name Watertown.2 The United States Air Force (USAF) first acquired the site in 1955 to develop Lockheed’s U-2 spy plane,3 and after the USAF took full control in the late 1980s the facility was officially renamed Detachment 3 Air Force Flight Test Center.4 Its existence was not officially acknowledged until 2013.5 According to In Plain Sight, the base enjoys a mythical status among UAP researchers as a site of frequent sightings of strange glowing and hovering objects, as well as secret tests of more mundane but nonetheless super-secret aircraft,6 and remains a frequent focus of conspiracy theories about recovered extraterrestrial craft and sightings of gravity-defying UAPs.7 The same source notes that by 1989 there was widespread speculation that America had developed a new super-stealthy craft inside Area 51, potentially involving a breakthrough in Anti-Gravity Propulsion, giving rise to the mythical ‘Aurora’.8

Christopher K. Mellon monitored Area 51 - a highly secure US Air Force facility within the Nevada Test and Training Range - for the Senate Intelligence Committee.9 Mellon visited Area 51 and had full access to review every classified project onsite,10 and has said he never saw anything there that equated to the kind of technology demonstrated by the sighted UAPs, and certainly no captured alien spacecraft.11 Mellon has also said he never saw an enormous spending line for a TR3B-type craft, nor evidence of such a craft during his visits to Area 51 and adjacent ranges.12 According to In Plain Sight, Jim Goodall’s source Dave (SR-71 pilot) eventually became the facility manager at Area 51.13 Goodall said that after becoming facility manager, Dave asked around whether the base had ever flown anything that could reach 13,000 to 16,000 kilometres per hour, and the reply was always no.14

Bob Lazar is a Nevada businessman who went public in the late 1980s claiming to have worked as a physicist at Area 51 reverse-engineering the propulsion systems of recovered alien craft.15 During the 1989 Bob Lazar KLAS interview, Lazar spoke to journalist George Knapp on Las Vegas television station KLAS-TV, asserting - anonymously at first - his purported employment working on a recovered extraterrestrial flying saucer at a facility he called Site 4 (S-4).16 Site 4 (S-4) is a much-rumoured but never officially confirmed secret facility said to be located near but separate from Area 51,17 adjacent to USA, Nevada, Papoose Lake and south of Area 51 itself.18

David Fruehauf worked at Area 51 for six years from 1979 to 1985, commuting daily from USA, Nevada, Las Vegas on a private charter flight named Janet Airlines.19 He noticed a regular group of scientists and military officials at Area 51 who would board a bus to a facility he knew as Site 4 (S-4), which he understood to be even more secretive than Area 51 itself,20 though he did not know what work was carried out there; he observed that certain people boarded a Boeing 737 in the morning and were taken off in a different direction by bus on arrival at Area 51, while others went north towards the hangars.21 Fruehauf said that Lazar was never at Area 51 at the same time as him, but that he considered Lazar’s account very accurate and said it sounded totally believable.22 Fruehauf also said he knew witnesses who had seen Lazar somewhere at Area 51.23 Filmmaker Jeremy Corbell separately found a witness whom Lazar said had vetted him for his Area 51 security clearance.24 Jim Goodall said that a source of his went treasure-hunting about a 30-minute south-westerly drive from the main Area 51 base, near where Lazar said Site 4 (S-4) was located, and was confronted by armed security personnel demanding identification who appeared to arrive with no vehicle and no visible building or tunnel nearby.25

Area 51 has drawn attention from senior US political figures. Harry Reid was the senator of Nevada, the state that housed Area 51,26 and during his Senate term he visited the Area 51 air force base, a site associated with speculation about strange glowing craft and future aerospace technology.27 Bill Clinton has admitted he had his aides research Area 51 ’to make sure there was no alien down there’.28 According to Jesse Mitchells, Barack Obama publicly dismissed as a myth the idea that beings are held captive in a basement at Area 51,29 and Jason Samosa said Clinton made the same claim as Obama about there being nothing underground at the base.30 Samosa said he finds it strange that both Clinton and Obama, given a brief opportunity to speak about UFOs, chose to single out the question of whether anything is underground at Area 51.31 During the 2015-03 Obama Jimmy Kimmel Live interview on aliens on Jimmy Kimmel Live in March 2015, Jimmy Kimmel said that if he were president he would immediately race to find the files about Area 51 and UFOs upon inauguration, and asked President Obama whether he had done that.32 Hillary Clinton said that during her 2016 presidential campaign she would consider a taskforce to investigate the Area 51 military base.33 Mitchells also said that James R. Clapper personally talked about having helped set up UFO tracking programmes at Area 51.34 Tom DeLonge said he camped out at night with two friends near Area 51, north of the town of Tonopah, midway between Las Vegas and Reno, before he quit Blink-182,35 and separately said he was invited to a meeting inside a secure concrete bunker at the base, passing through four layers of security including guns, electronic code entry systems, hallways playing white noise, and a series of solid doors with rotary locks and no windows.36 Eric Davis has said he drove around the border of the facility for a peek, provoking security guards from Wackenhut security to rumble his car.37

Dr Craig McPherson was a scientist and former employee of Area 51,38 working there from May 1956 until September 1988.39 According to McPherson, the Advance Studies Group (ASG) was a very secret group located on the second level of Area 51, Complex III,40 and after a 1973 accident, an object known as the Blue Chariot was taken to another facility in a very remote area of Area 51, adjacent to the old above-ground nuclear testing land.41 Separately, an enormous new hangar was reported under construction at Area 51, with speculation about whether extraterrestrial activity would move in permanently by November 2009;42 the hangar’s estimated size was approximately 61 by 152 metres and 30 metres tall.43 According to In Plain Sight, a leaked US National Reconnaissance Office security advisory from July 1991 listed a series of codenames and command locations in and around Nellis Air Force Base in the Nevada desert, including the Area 51 sites known as Groom Lake and Dreamland, around the time of the 1991 Nellis Air Force Base security lockdown.44 Willard Miller said he could provide the name and last known location of a senior officer he believed had first-hand knowledge of US government Alien Reproduction Vehicle (ARV) programmes at Area 51 and associated locations.45

  1. Area 51 is a US Air Force base within the Nevada Test and Training Range, also known as Homey Airport or Groom Lake
    “Area 51, also known as Homey Airport or Groom Lake, the super-secret US Air Force base within the Nevada Test and Training Range used to test experimental aircraft and weapons.”
    In Plain Sight ch37:7069-7237 View the source record →
  2. Area 51 is also known by the name Watertown
    “an executive with the Department of Defense who worked in special access programs in an area called Watertown. also known as area 51”
    Tom DeLonge's 'Sekret Machines' FULL Documentary #ufo #uap 00:00:19.0-00:00:25.9
  3. The US Air Force first acquired Area 51 in 1955 to develop the U-2 spy plane
    “First acquired by the air force in 1955 for developing aerospace company Lockheed's U-2 spy plane”
    In Plain Sight ch13:9486-9578 View the source record →
  4. After the USAF took over in the late 1980s, Area 51 was renamed Air Force Flight Test Center, Detachment 3
    “After the Air Force took over in the late 1980s, the name Area 51 was officially changed to: AIR FORCE FLIGHT TEST CENTER, DETACHMENT 3”
    Project Serpo char:16633-16773
  5. Area 51's existence was not officially acknowledged until 2013
    “Area 51's existence was not even acknowledged until 2013”
    In Plain Sight ch13:9585-9637 View the source record →
  6. Area 51's mythical status among UAP researchers, sightings of glowing objects, secret aircraft testing
    “and it enjoys a mythical status among UAP researchers as a location where there have been frequent sightings of strange glowing and hovering objects, as well as secret tests of more mundane but nonetheless super-secret test aircraft.”
    In Plain Sight ch13:9642-9866 View the source record →
  7. Area 51 is frequently the focus of conspiracy theories about recovered craft and gravity-defying UAPs
    “Area 51 is frequently the focus of conspiracy theories about recovered ET craft and sightings of gravity-defying UAPs.”
    In Plain Sight ch37:7246-7359 View the source record →
  8. By 1989, speculation of a super-stealthy 'Aurora' craft developed inside Area 51
    “The speculation was rife by 1989 that America had developed a new super-stealthy craft inside Area 51, perhaps even a breakthrough in anti-gravitics, hence the mythical 'Aurora'.”
    In Plain Sight ch13:10654-10824 View the source record →
  9. Christopher Mellon monitored Area 51 for the Senate Intelligence Committee
    “One of the top-secret Department of Defense sites Mellon monitored for the Senate Intelligence Committee was Area 51, a highly secure US Air Force facility within the massive Nevada test range.”
    In Plain Sight ch13:9266-9479 View the source record →
  10. Mellon visited Area 51 with full access to review every classified project onsite
    “Mellon visited Area 51, and had full access to review every classified project onsite.”
    In Plain Sight ch13:10834-10913 View the source record →
  11. Mellon never saw technology at Area 51 equating to sighted UAPs or a captured alien spacecraft
    “But he says he never saw anything there that equated to the kind of technology demonstrated by the UAPs that were sighted – and certainly no captured alien spacecraft.”
    In Plain Sight ch13:10921-11077 View the source record →
  12. Mellon never saw a spending line or evidence for a TR3B-type craft at Area 51 or adjacent ranges
    “One would think there would have been an enormous spending line for something like that, but I at least never saw it, nor did I see evidence of such a craft during visits to Area 51 and adjacent ranges.”
    In Plain Sight ch28:11340-11535 View the source record →
  13. Dave, Jim Goodall's SR-71 pilot source, became facility manager at Area 51
    “Goodall's SR-71 pilot source, Dave, eventually became the facility manager at Area 51, the secret US test site for high-tech black world aerospace technology.”
    In Plain Sight ch13:18778-18925 View the source record →
  14. Dave asked whether the base had ever flown anything at 13,000-16,000 km/h; the answer was always no
    “'And he started asking around, "Hey, did we ever fly anything out of here that can go eight or ten thousand miles an hour?"' The reply was always no.”
    In Plain Sight ch13:18938-19083 View the source record →
  15. Bob Lazar's claim to have worked at Area 51 reverse-engineering alien propulsion
    “Lazar is a Nevada businessman who went public in the late 1980s with incredible, and much disputed, claims that he worked as a physicist at Area 51 on reverse-engineering propulsion systems of recovered ali”
    In Plain Sight ch13:19774-19967 View the source record →
  16. Lazar's 1989 KLAS-TV interview with George Knapp about Site 4 (S-4)
    “Years later, in 1989, Lazar went public in an interview with investigative journalist George Knapp on Las Vegas TV station KLAS, asserting (anonymously, at first) his purported employment working on a recovered extra-terrestrial flying saucer at the supposed S-4 facility, adjacent to Papoose Lake south of Area 51”
    In Plain Sight ch13:20633-20945 View the source record →
  17. Site 4 (S-4) is a much-rumoured, unconfirmed facility separate from Area 51
    “which is a much-rumoured but never officially confirmed secret facility supposedly located near but separate from Area 51”
    In Plain Sight ch13:20099-20218 View the source record →
  18. Site 4 (S-4) is adjacent to Papoose Lake, south of Area 51
    “adjacent to Papoose Lake south of Area 51”
    In Plain Sight ch13:20906-20945 View the source record →
  19. David Fruehauf worked at Area 51 1979-1985, commuting from Las Vegas on Janet Airlines
    “Fruehauf worked at Area 51 for six years from 1979 through to 1985, commuting each day from Las Vegas to the desert site on a private charter flight named Janet Airlines.”
    In Plain Sight ch13:22336-22497 View the source record →
  20. Fruehauf noticed a group boarding a bus to Site 4 (S-4), more secretive than Area 51
    “Fruehauf says he noticed a regular group of scientists and military officials who would board a bus to a facility he knew to be even more secretive than Area 51. He knew its codename was Site Four, S-4.”
    In Plain Sight ch13:22507-22707 View the source record →
  21. Fruehauf did not know the work at Site 4, observed people boarding a Boeing 737 and being bussed off separately
    “'We knew about S-4 but we didn't know what they did,' he says. 'All we knew was there was certain people that got on the 737 in the morning and when we got to Area 51, they were taken off in a different direction in a bus and we went on to the north going up towards the hangars.'”
    In Plain Sight ch13:22711-22981 View the source record →
  22. Fruehauf said Lazar was never at Area 51 the same time as him, but found his account believable
    “Lazar was never at Area 51 at the same time as Fruehauf, but Fruehauf said Lazar's account was very accurate. 'He sounded totally believable to me,' Fruehauf said.”
    In Plain Sight ch13:22991-23149 View the source record →
  23. Fruehauf said he knew witnesses who saw Lazar at Area 51
    “He also claimed he knew witnesses who saw Lazar somewhere at Area 51.”
    In Plain Sight ch13:23155-23221 View the source record →
  24. Jeremy Corbell found a witness who Lazar said vetted him for Area 51 clearance
    “Filmmaker Jeremy Corbell also found a witness whom Lazar said vetted him for his Area 51 security clearance.”
    In Plain Sight ch13:24124-24222 View the source record →
  25. Goodall's source encountered armed security with no visible vehicle or building near Site 4
    “another Area 51 source of his went treasure-hunting near where Lazar said the mythical S-4 site was located, a 30-minute south-westerly drive from the main Area 51 base... 'there were a handful of black clad security guys with weapons wanting to know, "What are you doing here? Let's see some ID,"' Goodall said. He said what struck his source the most was that the security men did not arrive by vehicle, yet there was no evidence of any building or tunnel they came from.”
    In Plain Sight ch13:21211-21839 View the source record →
  26. Harry Reid was the senator of Nevada, the state that housed Area 51
    “He was also the senator of the state that housed Area 51, and that came with insider knowledge that piqued his curiosity.”
    Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs ch9:18956-19067 View the source record →
  27. Reid visited the Area 51 air force base during his Senate term
    “One of the secret sites he visited during his term was the Area 51 air force base in his Nevada home state, the scene of so much conspiratorial speculation about strange glowing craft and science-fiction-style future aerospace technology.”
    In Plain Sight ch17:1865-2092 View the source record →
  28. Bill Clinton had his aides research Area 51 to check for aliens
    “President Clinton has also admitted that he had his aides research Area 51, 'to make sure there was no alien down there'.”
    In Plain Sight ch14:2073-2187 View the source record →
  29. Obama dismissed as a myth the idea of beings held captive under Area 51
    “And then he goes on to talk about, you know, Area 51 and how that, you know, that's a myth, the idea that we have them like, you know, chained up in the basement or whatever.”
    The UFO Cover-Up Leads to One Secret Society — and One Final Event 00:52:01.5-00:52:09.8
  30. Samosa: Clinton said the same as Obama about nothing underground at Area 51
    “What's so interesting about that is Clinton said exactly the same thing. ... They both said, yeah, there's nothing underground under area 51.”
    The UFO Cover-Up Leads to One Secret Society — and One Final Event 00:52:10.3-00:52:17.2
  31. Samosa found it strange both presidents singled out the underground question
    “What a weird thing to zero in on. ... It's like, if I'm asked about UFOs, there's a thousand things I could mention in the 30 second snippet I'm going to give you. Why?”
    The UFO Cover-Up Leads to One Secret Society — and One Final Event 00:52:13.8-00:52:22.6
  32. Kimmel asked Obama on Jimmy Kimmel Live whether he had sought the Area 51/UFO files
    “Jimmy launched with, 'If I was the president . . . the moment I was inaugurated, my hand would still be hot from touching the Bible, and I would immediately race to wherever they hold the files about Area 51 and UFOs. And I would go through everything to find out what happened. Did you do that?'”
    In Plain Sight ch18:4328-4618 View the source record →
  33. Hillary Clinton said she would consider a taskforce to investigate Area 51
    “As the campaign rolled on, Hillary Clinton also made no secret of the fact that, if she became president, she would consider a taskforce to investigate the mysterious Area 51 military base in Nevada, long linked to UFO/UAP conspiracies.”
    In Plain Sight ch20:17299-17522 View the source record →
  34. Mitchells: Clapper talked about helping set up UFO tracking programmes at Area 51
    “we've had tracking programs at area 51, which James Clapper personally talked about helped set up”
    The UFO Cover-Up Leads to One Secret Society — and One Final Event 00:53:28.5-00:53:33.9
  35. DeLonge camped near Area 51 near Tonopah before quitting Blink-182
    “DeLonge does not put an exact date on an event that convinced him the phenomenon was real but sometime before quitting the band, he camped out with two friends near the secret Area 51 base in Nevada. It was late on a chilly desert night, somewhere north of a small town named Tonopah, which sits midway between Las Vegas and Reno.”
    In Plain Sight ch18:6005-6330 View the source record →
  36. DeLonge described being taken through a secure bunker at Area 51
    “He says he was invited back a second time, this time to a secure concrete bunker actually inside Area 51. He says he went through four layers of security: guns, electronic code entry systems, hallways with speakers playing 'white noise, and a series of solid doors flanking my view, each with rotary locks and not a single window in sight'.”
    In Plain Sight ch18:17134-17467 View the source record →
  37. Eric Davis drove around the Area 51 perimeter and was confronted by Wackenhut guards
    “Amusingly, like so many before him, Davis also admits driving around the border of the secretive Area 51 government facility in the Nevada desert for a peek, provoking the security guards from Wackenhut security to rumble his car.”
    In Plain Sight ch15:13052-13278 View the source record →
  38. Craig McPherson was a scientist and former employee of Area 51
    “Interview with Dr Craig McPherson, scientist and former employee of Area 51”
    Project Serpo char:1469-1542
  39. McPherson worked at Area 51 from May 1956 to September 1988
    “Dr McPherson worked at Area 51 from May 1956 until September 1988.”
    Project Serpo char:1546-1607
  40. The Advance Studies Group was located on Area 51's Complex III, second level
    “The ASG was a very secret group located in the second level of Area 51, Complex III.”
    Project Serpo char:5141-5221
  41. After a 1973 accident, the Blue Chariot was moved to a remote Area 51 facility
    “The BC was then taken to another facility, which was located in a very remote area of Area 51. This area was adjacent to the old above ground nuclear testing land.”
    Project Serpo char:6882-7040
  42. A large new hangar was reported under construction at Area 51
    “ENORMOUS NEW HANGAR UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT AREA 51... IS ET MOVING IN PERMANENTLY COME NOVEMBER 2009?!”
    Project Serpo char:16151-16246
  43. The new hangar's estimated dimensions were 61 by 152 metres, 30 metres tall
    “The estimated size is 200 ft x 500 ft and 100 feet tall.”
    Project Serpo char:16424-16475
  44. A leaked July 1991 NRO advisory listed codenames and locations including Groom Lake and Dreamland
    “It was a July 1991 security advisory, listing a series of codenames and command locations in and around the massive Nellis Air Force Base in the Nevada desert, which includes within its boundaries the notorious super-secret Area 51 sites known as Groom Lake and Dreamland.”
    In Plain Sight ch14:10221-10483 View the source record →
  45. Willard Miller offered to name a senior officer with knowledge of ARVs at Area 51
    “The name and last location of a senior officer who I believe had first-hand knowledge U.S. government alien reproduction vehicles (ARVs) at Area-51 and associated locations.”
    EWD Notes - Eric Davis Meeting with Adm. Wilson char:5810-5973

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