Area 51 south hangar construction (Sept 2014)

I spent two days on Tikaboo Peak and the false summit. Panoramas will be coming eventually, but I figured I'd post a shot of the new hangar under construction at the south side of the operating facility at Groom Lake.

new south hangar under construction

This is a long exposure image of a Janet 737 taking off from Groom Lake.

737 take off from Groom Lake

a reply to: gariac

That's a pretty good shot actually. Morning shot? Not much temperature differential judging by the clarity.

originally posted by: _Del_
a reply to: gariac

That's a pretty good shot actually. Morning shot? Not much temperature differential judging by the clarity.

The trick is not too shoot too early in the AM. This shot was around 8AM. Early morning is bad because their isn't much light, so you end up doing a longer exposure. (Of course, since digital photos are essentially free once you own the gear, you shoot in the AM anyway.)

I took some photos the next day, but at the false summit rather than the peak. The wind was ridiculous, so no use climbing up to the peak. Anyway, the different perspective might indicate this new hangar has two peaked roofs.

a reply to: gariac

that seems like a very large hanger?

originally posted by: option158
a reply to: gariac

that seems like a very large hanger?

You mean someone is trying to hide more than one aeroplane ?

Great photograph Op Dont suppose you can do a thermal one, It could be very interesting to see if there's underground passages.

originally posted by: foxhound2459

originally posted by: option158
a reply to: gariac

that seems like a very large hanger?

You mean someone is trying to hide more than one aeroplane ?

Great photograph Op Dont suppose you can do a thermal one, It could be very interesting to see if there's underground passages.

There are but I doubt you would be able to see them.

a reply to: gariac

I keep saying, "One of these days", but I'd feel bad ruining somebody's test schedule.

originally posted by: option158
that seems like a very large hanger?

You should look at how large the A-12 hangars are.

Am I the only person that sees this as two hangars side by side? I see a vertical beam in the middle.

In fact, the shape reminds me a lot of the A-12 hangars.

The terraserver makes it look like one structure.
Terraserver link

A bit OT, but here is a lightning strike hitting what I believe to be Papoose mountain.
Zap!

This was shot on 9/26/2014, using a telephoto lens from a nice dry location.

Now what happened to that poster that wanted to live on Tikaboo for a year. If the heat and cold don't get you, the lightning will.

originally posted by: gariac
Am I the only person that sees this as two hangars side by side? I see a vertical beam in the middle.

In fact, the shape reminds me a lot of the A-12 hangars.

The terraserver makes it look like one structure.
Terraserver link

I can definitely make my eye's interpret it that way, yes.

I took some photos the next day, but at the false summit rather than the peak. The wind was ridiculous, so no use climbing up to the peak. Anyway, the different perspective might indicate this new hangar has two peaked roofs.

Great pictures gariac.
And unless it is something in the frame design, it does look like two peaks on that roof.

I see it too but maybe its one big one with two hanger doors per side just making it seem like two hangers. I guess time will tell.

Great shots gariac. I don't get out to the US often but would love to hike Tikaboo one day. Any other interesting sightings whilst you were out there?

originally posted by: gfad
Great shots gariac. I don't get out to the US often but would love to hike Tikaboo one day. Any other interesting sightings whilst you were out there?

They flew a base F-16. That was about it. I should have some scanner audio of a high speed taxi. It was night time and you couldn't see anything.

Whatever they flew over us around midnight didn't linger much. It was already out of sight by the time I got the tent door open.

originally posted by: boomer135
I see it too but maybe its one big one with two hanger doors per side just making it seem like two hangers. I guess time will tell.

Yes, I meant one hangar and two doors.

This structure seems way too high just to hide aircraft, as some have speculated.

a reply to: gariac

I agree, I really think this is more than just a scoot-and-hide, it is just so big!

Also the way that it is situated so far from the rest of the base with a short taxi onto the runway, to me, seems like it's ideal for a very black project that they want to test without too many eyes on the base seeing it.

What is your educated guess gariac?

originally posted by: gfad
a reply to: gariac

I agree, I really think this is more than just a scoot-and-hide, it is just so big!

Also the way that it is situated so far from the rest of the base with a short taxi onto the runway, to me, seems like it's ideal for a very black project that they want to test without too many eyes on the base seeing it.

What is your educated guess gariac?

I don't like speculating, because once you put some speculation in writing, it goes around the internet and people think it is real. When the F117 first started flying again, I speculated they were using it to test new RAM coatings since the shape itself was well documented. Now you look around the internet and people think that is fact.

Now it is obvious that the building is very tall. That could mean they have room for cranes, as in plane assembly. Or they will put in offices above the hangar. Or the building might not even be a hangar, since we haven't seen the doors yet.

I've been in the situation where I was desk jockey in a working industrial building and really don't like office space where bad things can happen. Jet fuel, hydrazine, yada yada yada. But it would be handy for all the players in a project to be in one building, if only to keep items (physical and virtual) from being moved around the base.

Most flights, unless wind conditions warrant it, take off towards the south. If you take off towards the north, you need to turn immediately else you will be in free territory. So the southern location on the base means more than likely the plane will have to taxi north before takeoff. However that didn't discourage the powers that be from locating the "old new" hangar around the south part of the base.

what about a lighter than air vehicle like the Lockheed P791?



Well not exactly that one since its not really classified, but perhaps a classified version of one. But the size of the hanger could suggest something like that. It would also explain why it doesnt need the long taxi ride to the take off runway.