For Those Of You That Have Actually Been To Area 51

Originally posted by daggyz
You can visit - but you can never leave!

I love 'Hotel California'.

(I am assuming this was a reference to that song. )

Originally posted by Pockets
reply to post by dbloch7986

 

I've not been, but if you are talking about going to the border you will have very little chance of seeing or hearing any thing apart from the camo dudes, to hear a sonic boom would be a very rare thing, if you are going to be disappointed if you don't see anything I wouldn't go, all you'll see is a couple signs and some pick up trucks

Thanks man. I appreciate that.

I really would like to hear a sonic boom but if I have little chance of hearing one then I probably won't visit. I would love to see a plane go supersonic one day but I know there are only four places in the US that is allowed.

Originally posted by karen61057
reply to post by dbloch7986

 

If you want to do something in Las Vegas that does not involve gambling I highly suggest renting a car and driving around Red Rock Canyon. You will see the most beautiful dessert vistas and amazing rock formations. Even some ancient rock paintings. From what I have seen of pics of area 51 there is not much to see out that way. Flat land and sand.
If you do play the tables I wish you GOOD LUCK ! Come home with a fortune.

I would love to win a bunch of money. Hopefully I can this time.

I will definitely check out Red Rock Canyon, thank you! I don't do a lot of gambling but I do a helluva lot of drinking.

reply to post by A51Watcher


Well I'm not sure what you're driving at but it's definitely not espionage. It's not like I am trying to infiltrate the base. I was just hoping to see some jets flying around and wondering if I could take pictures of them if I do. That's about it. I obviously don't expect to see anything top secret while I'm there because, as you said it is their job to prevent me. But I love aircraft, especially fighter jets and I have a great time just watching them fly around and carry out maneuvers. If the guards were to approach me I wouldn't need an excuse because I am not up to anything that needs excusing.

Thanks for the input though. I am not going to go try to circumvent the security or anything just trying to catch some jets flying around.

Originally posted by Nosred
reply to post by dbloch7986

 

I know people who have been inside it, all that's in it are planes. Just like any other Air force base.

edit on 13-6-2011 by Nosred because: (no reason given)

Yea buddy. I love aircraft. I am absolutely fascinated by fighter jets busting maneuvers like a baby is by a rattle. I can watch them flying around for hours.

Originally posted by gariac
reply to post by Nosred

 

Really? How many air force bases have RCS facilities?

Forgive my ignorance, but what is RCS?

Originally posted by Marrr
reply to post by dbloch7986

 

I'd go for it man. Hearing a sonic boom is something that has always fascinated me since childhood, I hope you get to hear one. You may want to check out the Red Flag schedules..

Make sure you go hiking a safe distance from the perimeter and out of sight of the dudes. Perhaps they'll send the Pavehawk out to look for you and you'll get a bonus. Also, oversupply yourselves with water and a can of fixaflat is sound thinking imo. Good luck

I might actually call Nellis AFB and see if I can find out if anything is going on that week. If they are having live fire exercises that would be an awesome sight to see. Thanks. I guess Area 51 is not my point of interest but actually Nellis AFB. I'll check out the website and see what info they have.

reply to post by gariac


Thanks so much man. Nellis AFB seems to be something that I would find much more interesting. I went to their website and they have some phone numbers. I am going to call them and see if there is any way I can legally sit and watch the fighter jets flying around (providing there are any operations going on at the time I am there). That would be kick ass.

Originally posted by gimme_some_truth
I've never been but have talked with several who have... Doesn't seem like much to do.You drive out into the middle of no where in a desert, than you come to a sign, that says you cant go past that point. Then.... That's about it...

Really....

I suppose there is a chance you might see a jet or something flying around. I mean, all it is, is a restricted area of Nellis Air Force Base....

Yeah I think I am going to call Nellis AFB and find out some info about when or if I would be able to watch some jets flying around. I'm sure its not uncommon. I mean a quick search on google about Red Flag Exercises came up with a website that had several good viewing spots on it.

reply to post by kro32


Yeah I am not interested in stirring anything up. It's not like I am going to try to get in the base. I would just love to see some jets flying around that aren't just putting on a show like at the airshows I go to.

Originally posted by EthanT
I'm planning a trip there later in Aug, also on the way to Vegas.

I found this site helpful on getting some ideas on what to do, and how far NOT to push it ;-)

www.dreamlandresort.com...

We're probably gonna:

(1) stop for an Ale at the Lil Ale'in in Rachel, NV
(2) Check out the black gate
(3) Check out the Black Mailbox (that's white!)
(4) Get a dorky picture at the Warning signs on way to main gate.

And, camp for the night somewhere nearby, because a UFO sighting is like guaranteed, right?

edit on 13-6-2011 by EthanT because: (no reason given)

Yeah I saw that website. It looked pretty cool.

I was hoping to see a UFO or some funny lights or something. That would be cool. Unlikely as it is. What are the black gate and the black mailbox? Is the black mailbox for the letters to aliens or something?

Originally posted by EthanT
A couple things that sounds more adventurous, with perhaps a better view of the base, but don't have time for this year:

(1) Powerlines overlook
(2) Hike Tikaboo Peak.

Apparently Sterling Peak off the 95 gives views to Papoose Lake ( at 45 miles distant though)

Maybe next year .....

Yeah I saw that the powerlines overlook was on a website as a good spot to watch red flag operations.

That would be cool to see.

reply to post by dbloch7986


You can drive up to the Power Line Overlook, but it isn't the greatest place to spot planes. You may have seen some shots of heavies I got there once, (including a special ops c-141) but the general consensus is you climb a hill near Coyote Summit t watch the flag. Coordinates are
N37 34 00.8 W115 40 11.1
This is a location where planes will fly very low because they are trying not to get hit (electronically) from radar near the "farms."

From Tikaboo, you can observe Red Flag as an event. You aren't likely to see planes close up. But with binocs, you can tell where the players are located. One of the coolest sites I ever saw from Tikaboo was a Maverick missile launch.

reply to post by dbloch7986


The base publishes Red Flag in the notams, and also as press releases .But I believe there are no Red Flags for some time. They are doing Air Warrior, which involves flights from Nellis and Creech to Ft. Irwin. The planes won't be near Rachel. What you do see near Rachel is Nellis Fighter Weapons School, but they don't give out information regarding FWS.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there are two dead periods for FWS. These are the last two weeks of June and the last two weeks of December. The period of greatest activity are the first two weeks of June and the first two weeks of December. That is the Mission Employment (ME) phase. The FWS curriculum is on a 6 month schedule.

The good news is during the dead period, anything you see flying is some sort of test. Nellis has OT (operations test) aircraft, and of course Groom could be flying something.

reply to post by dbloch7986


My bad. I always try to write out the abbreviation once. RCS is Radar Cross Section. They determine how the plane will appear on radar. The name of the game in stealth is to appear as small as possible. There is static RCS, where the plane is on a pole, and dynamics RCS, where they attempt to view the radar return in flight. This is done with the DYCOMs (you'll have to look that one up) or special test aircraft such as N104TB (the Hanscom radar plane).

There are three RCS sites (well at least three) in California. Helendale (Lockheed), Tejon (Northrup), and the China Lake. Groom has the only site I know of in Nevada.

reply to post by dbloch7986


Red Rock Canyon is worth checking out. Also Overton, just east of Vegas. [Valley of Fire.]

Another thing you might wanna do is head out to the E.T. highway, stop at the Ale-Inn and have a cheeseburger and listen to what the locals say actually goes on our there in the high desert!

reply to post by dbloch7986


They open the Edwards Open House with a sonic boom. It is a high altitude one, but that is one place where you know you will get to hear one on a schedule.

They didn't have an open house last year, so maybe they will have one this year. I think Edwards has the best static displays. The flying is good there too. IIRC, that is the only place I ever saw a B-1B do a Cuban-8. Shadowhawk probably knows this for sure.

reply to post by kro32


It would be very rare for the deputy to talk to you.

I've been to some of the remote gates like Bald Mountain on the weekend and nobody bothers to show up. They just watch from the camera.

Originally posted by CosmosKid
Another thing you might wanna do is head out to the E.T. highway, stop at the Ale-Inn and have a cheeseburger and listen to what the locals say actually goes on our there in the high desert!

This.

Drove around Nevada once, and stopped by the 'Inn. So-so food, but the place is fascinating from the inside, and the locals are actually fairly easy to talk to, if a bit... eclectic.

The best part of Nevada is that once you are outside of Las Vegas it feels a bit otherworldly. There's a general sense of *something out there* and I'm perfectly fine not uncovering or even glimpsing the mystery.

It's amazing that we're a nation of 300+ million people and in that state you can find huge stretches of land and highway in which you can be utterly alone and enjoy perfect silence.