Not sure what to make of this...Just north of Area 51

originally posted by: RavenX

originally posted by: ScientiaFortisDefendit
a reply to: RavenX

Picture? Screen grab? Some of us don't have google earth at our disposal.

Also, and this is a personal peeve, it "piqued" your interest.

I apologize, here is a quick screen grab. oh and yeah sorry yes you are correct it "piqued" lol.



let me know if the above link to the picture doesn't work.

OUTSTANDING!! Thanks a million!

Art or not. It's pretty cool..
At first glance it looks like the mapping of a Circuit board. Thanks for sharing.
I'm going to take another hand full of Percocet now!

a reply to: Zaphod58

Thanks.
Btw:
Do you think they (NATO) will ever stop testing the 40 year old engines (AWACS) and replace them with quieter onces?
I mean ... your answer is probably right but the structure is not very effective. I hear them testing their old engines all the time (and they're noisy as hell).

a reply to: Daalder

No, a structure like that isn't. We used to have something like this. It was kind of interesting because when they ran the engine, you couldn't hear it, and there was a plume of steam shooting up into the air.

As for the AWACS, Saudi Arabia, the UK, and France have already changed to the CFM-56 engines. NATO is talking about extending the E-3 into 2035, which means at some point they're going to have to look at replacing the TF33. Not only are there no more of them being built, almost nothing flies with them anymore, so they are going to have trouble getting parts and replacements for them.

looks like a skateboarders wet dream.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Aldakoopa

I mean that it's not anything exotic, or top secret, or exciting, or anything of the sort.

It's an art project.

roadtrippers.com...

I figured it wasn't top secret. I just wanted to know, it's... different.

a reply to: Aldakoopa

Most people think that since something is near Area 51, it's got to be exciting, or secret. Which is why I said that.

How does one get to own so much land in that particular area?

Also, kinda weird of all places he would choose there.

originally posted by: PhoenixOD
looks like a skateboarders wet dream.

When I first discovered it a while back, I thought "damn that is one AWESOME skate park"!
Turns out to be a massive art project.

originally posted by: Taggart
How does one get to own so much land in that particular area?

Also, kinda weird of all places he would choose there.

NYT article

In 1970, Heizer hired G. Robert Deiro, a pilot from Las Vegas, to help him find the property. It had sand and gravel, running water from a creek, isolation, the right climate -- and it was cheap. Almost 90 percent of Nevada is public land. This was private property surrounded by public land. Heizer gradually acquired three square miles, at $30 an acre. The last parcel was paid off two years ago. "Even I could save $150 a month," Heizer says. "Bob helped me get it, parcel by parcel. He went into county records and researched the owners. They all wanted to sell. Why not? Barren land in the middle of nowhere? It was the best thing that ever happened to them."

Heizer shows up in Rachel once in a while with his (cough cough) assistants.

If you drive through Garden Valley, there are a few small ranches out there. Maybe the same for Coal Valley, but it has been years since I drove out there. Basically there is nothing related to the Nellis range out there other than military aircraft do fly over it.

A nice drive is to go through Garden Valley then over the mountain to route 6. There is nothing base relate, but it is still fun. There are oil wells out in the Railroad Valley, which you will see before you get to route 6.

The NTTR has communications/NACTS sites here and there, so I suppose "nothing to see here" isn't totally correct. Maybe not much to see is more accurate.

Route 6 is far enough that you lose the glow from Las Vegas. Since nothing happens during the weekends, various spots along route 6 are great for star gazing. We're talking so dark that if there is no moon, you will be tripping over bushes.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Thanks again for your answer. The info is quite useful.
Though I hope they run out of parts for the TF33 soon. It is kind of annoying.

In the middle of nowhere.

a reply to: Daalder

They got a bunch of them when they put the new engines on the KC-135s, but it won't be more than 10-12 years before they're in trouble unless they re-engine the B-52s soon, which will open a lot of engines up.

a reply to: gariac

Thanks for that much appreciated.


Answers both my questions

originally posted by: Taggart
How does one get to own so much land in that particular area?

Also, kinda weird of all places he would choose there.

In the desert around Vegas the "Democratic process" they use is weird and different.
It appears that people are left to define their own limits.
Brings all kinds of philosophical questions along the lines of societal rights to self determination to mind.

originally posted by: Cauliflower

originally posted by: Taggart
How does one get to own so much land in that particular area?

Also, kinda weird of all places he would choose there.

In the desert around Vegas the "Democratic process" they use is weird and different.
It appears that people are left to define their own limits.
Brings all kinds of philosophical questions along the lines of societal rights to self determination to mind.

Private property in Nevada is sold just like in any other state. Every county has a recorder office. There is no mystery here.

Conversion of federal property is another story, as are BLM leases. But Heizer bought private property.

BLM auction

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Aldakoopa

I mean that it's not anything exotic, or top secret, or exciting, or anything of the sort.

It's an art project.

roadtrippers.com...

Wonder if there were people asking what was the point of this unexciting and boring art installation, when the artists built Stonehenge?

Personally, i think an art installation of this scale, spread out over 40 years and cost millions of dollars to build so far is both exotic and exciting.

If i were the artist, i might have preferred something like a full sized Giza pyramid, complete with shafts, underground passages and tunnels...but that's personal taste.

You actually think if this was something top secret that they would let google earth show this to the public?? No...

originally posted by: LaaLuxx
You actually think if this was something top secret that they would let google earth show this to the public?? No...

I don't know. They don't blur Groom Lake on Google Earth.

that is some weird art. thanks for sharing