Area 51: Just a decoy?

eveer since the F-117 was released Groom Lake has almost become common place in the media. The advantages that it enjoyed when originally constructed, a thriving base, no population, no recognition have now been negated by the rise in publicity. I was wondering if the real secret aircraft testing areas has been moved while smaller planes and the US Mig squadrons have stayed. Any thoughts?

I seem to recall recently a Discovery channel programme which talked about certain of Area 51's functions being moved to another location, but I can't recall off the top of my head where to.

Well, This article suggests it was moved to Utah some years ago.

eveer since the F-117 was released Groom Lake has almost become common place in the media. The advantages that it enjoyed when originally constructed, a thriving base, no population, no recognition have now been negated by the rise in publicity. I was wondering if the real secret aircraft testing areas has been moved while smaller planes and the US Mig squadrons have stayed. Any thoughts?

Area 51 has aquired more and more surrounding land. It has existed since the early 50's, and is still more than capable of serving it's purpose. The same number of Janet flights still take off from the LA terminal, and the same buses continue to go to the base. The residential section has expanded (according to the latest satellite recon pics), not gone vacant...and more buildings have been erected. Likewise, nearby activity around Papoose Lake (part of the base's grounds) also seems to continue, the road is still there, and scarring on the sands is also evident, indicating sand-colored runways that don't show well on satellite pics.

I'd say Area 51 is alive and well.

As SimonGray has said the property is the size of Switzerland. So there is plenty of room to test aircraft. So long as nobody goes to far into the property, nobody can actually see anything that goes on. If there ever were say aliens then yes they would have been moved. I think that the aircraft functions have stayed though. Then again it's not like tests are limited to Groom Lake. It's possible that they can take off from one base test over the Groom Lake facility property and then land either there or another base. Or the planes could take off from there and fly over another place. Remember aircraft know no property lines.

Well as they say...we know about Area 51....what about the other 50?

But on a serious note, the US government owns 80% of Nevada....so they could have put the "other stuff" any where...

"The federal government owns more than 80 percent of Nevada's land and puts that land to some remarkable uses: everything from national parks to nuclear test sites. This parched place is the driest of all states, with an average annual rainfall of fewer than nine inches."

www.pacificislandtravel.com...

I think IntelGurll will agree that Nevada is pretty baren. There are some populated areas - Las Vegas/Henderson (Clark County) and Reno areas. Nellis is also located in NV.

As for DOE installations, there still are some radioactive areas - from all our testing. Training is an excellent activity for Nevada - the open areas, and the desert like conditions are effective for middle east type areas.

Area 19 is one area people are a little hot about - due to the powerlines that terminate in the area with no visible facilites need high voltage.

In fact the only reason Las Vegas exists is because Nevada is so barren. Because it's so barren, they had to legalize gambaling so that they could have some revenue, the very foundation of Vegas. Nevada has a nice mix of mountains, flatlands, and canyons. It's pretty versitle for a desert. Other than the cities and the Grand Canyon Nevada has nothing going for it. It's probably the most desolite place in the US next to Alaska. Also due the extreme temperatures it's pretty easy to spot intruders by thermal.

Just because people know there is a base out there called Area 51 or the facility near Groom lake as the goverment likes to call it that does not mean anyone knows what is going on there. You cant hide the largest runway in the world for ever.

You can hide what goes on there and they do that very well at Area 51. Thanks to Excutive order 95-45 signed by Clinton, Groom lake is exempt from any enviormentaly law.

For what they do out there it is still perfect. Nobody knows what projects they are working on right now. The stuff about it moving was a misinformation campaign, helped in part thanks to Popular Mechanics . But activity has increase at Area 51 since this rumor came out.