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87-587: The range comprises two major groups of peaks. The southern section rises from a point near Burnt Peak in Lincoln County , reaching the summit of Mt. Grafton , 10,990 feet (3,350 m), just north of the border with White Pine County. To the west are remote Cave Valley and the Egan Range , while to the east are U.S. Route 93 and the Fairview Range (Lincoln County) . North of Mt. Grafton,

174-428: A U-3A for administrative purposes, a helicopter for search and rescue, and a Cessna 180 for liaison use, and Lockheed provided an F-104 Starfighter for use as a chase plane. The first A-12 test aircraft was covertly trucked from Burbank on 26 February 1962 and arrived at Groom Lake on 28 February. It made its first flight 26 April 1962 when the base had over 1,000 personnel. The closed airspace above Groom Lake

261-733: A C-5A and placed in dead storage. The tooling used to build the D-21Bs was ordered destroyed. Like the A-12 Oxcart, the D-21B Tagboard drones remained a Black airplane, even in retirement. Their existence was not suspected until August 1976, when the first group was placed in storage at the Davis-Monthan AFB Military Storage and Disposition Center . A second group arrived in 1977. They were labeled "GTD-21Bs" (GT stood for ground training). Davis-Monthan

348-403: A base support facility. The Ranch initially consisted of little more than a few shelters, workshops, and trailer homes in which to house its small team. A little over three months later, the base consisted of a single paved runway, three hangars, a control tower, and rudimentary accommodations for test personnel. The base's few amenities included a movie theater and volleyball court. There was also

435-608: A draw; the F-4 would win some fights, the MiG-21 would win others. There were no clear advantages. The problem was not with the planes, but with the pilots flying them. The pilots would not fly either plane to its limits. One of the Navy pilots was Marland W. "Doc" Townsend, then commander of VF-121 , the F-4 training squadron at NAS Miramar . He was an engineer and a Korean War veteran and had flown almost every Navy aircraft. When he flew against

522-476: A household in the county was $ 31,979, and the median income for a family was $ 45,588. Males had a median income of $ 40,048 versus $ 23,571 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 17,326. About 11.50% of families and 16.50% of the population were below the poverty line , including 19.60% of those under age 18 and 17.40% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2010 United States Census , there were 5,345 people, 1,988 households, and 1,282 families living in

609-598: A mess hall, several wells, and fuel storage tanks. CIA, Air Force, and Lockheed personnel began arriving by July 1955. The Ranch received its first U-2 delivery on 24 July 1955 from Burbank on a C-124 Globemaster II cargo plane, accompanied by Lockheed technicians on a Douglas DC-3 . Regular Military Air Transport Service flights were set up between Area 51 and Lockheed's offices in Burbank, California . To preserve secrecy, personnel flew to Nevada on Monday mornings and returned to California on Friday evenings. Project OXCART

696-606: A mile northwest of the main base, along with an acquired Soviet "Barlock" search radar placed at Tonopah Air Force Station . They were arranged to simulate a Soviet-style air defense complex. The Air Force began funding improvements to Area 51 in 1977 under project SCORE EVENT. In 1979, the CIA transferred jurisdiction of the Area 51 site to the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, California. Sam Mitchell,

783-425: A new 8,500 ft (2,600 m) runway to replace the existing runway. Reynolds Electrical and Engineering Company (REECo) began construction of "Project 51" on 1   October 1960 with double-shift construction schedules. The contractor upgraded base facilities and built a new 10,000 ft (3,000 m) runway (14/32) diagonally across the southwest corner of the lakebed. They marked an Archimedean spiral on

870-641: A ranch village and railroad siding named Las Vegas . However, that siding, which led to the future city of Las Vegas, was separated from Lincoln County upon the founding of Clark County effective July 1, 1909, by act of the Nevada Legislature. Area 51 is in Lincoln County and the county sheriff acts in proxy for the perimeter security forces. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has an area of 10,637 square miles (27,550 km ), of which 10,633 square miles (27,540 km )

957-453: A recreational area one mile north of the base. Other recreational facilities included a gymnasium, a movie theater, and a baseball diamond. A permanent aircraft fuel tank farm was constructed by early 1962 for the special JP-7 fuel required by the A-12. Seven tanks were constructed, with a total capacity of 1,320,000 gallons. Security was enhanced for the arrival of OXCART and the small mine

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1044-458: A secret base, but all research and occurrences in Area 51 are Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI). The CIA publicly acknowledged the base's existence on 25 June 2013, following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed in 2005, and declassified documents detailing its history and purpose. Area 51 is located in the southern portion of Nevada , 83 miles (134 km) north-northwest of Las Vegas . The surrounding area

1131-578: Is Shingle Peak , while the county's most topographically prominent peak is Mormon Peak . Lincoln County contains 16 official wilderness areas that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System . All are managed by the Bureau of Land Management . Several extend into neighboring counties (as indicated below). As of the census of 2000, there were 4,165 people, 1,540 households, and 1,010 families living in

1218-549: Is a salt flat in Nevada used for runways of the Nellis Bombing Range Test Site airport (XTA/KXTA) on the north of the Area 51 USAF military installation. The lake at 4,409 ft (1,344 m) elevation is approximately 3 + 3 ⁄ 4  mi (6 km) from north to south and 3 mi (5 km) from east to west at its widest point. Located within the namesake Groom Lake Valley portion of

1305-476: Is a popular tourist destination, including the small town of Rachel on the " Extraterrestrial Highway ". The original rectangular base of 6 by 10 miles (10 by 16 km) is now part of the so-called "Groom box", a rectangular area, measuring 23 by 25 miles (37 by 40 km), of restricted airspace. The area is connected to the internal Nevada Test Site (NTS) road network, with paved roads leading south to Mercury and west to Yucca Flat . Leading northeast from

1392-570: Is an open base, with public tours of the storage area at the time, so the odd-looking drones were soon spotted and photos began appearing in magazines. Speculation about the D-21Bs circulated within aviation circles for years, and it was not until 1982 that details of the Tagboard program were released. However, it was not until 1993 that the B-52/D-21B program was made public. That same year, the surviving D-21Bs were released to museums. During

1479-508: Is an open training range, and it is commonly thought to support the development and testing of experimental aircraft and weapons systems. The USAF and CIA acquired the site in 1955, primarily for flight testing the Lockheed U-2 aircraft. The intense secrecy surrounding the base has made it the frequent subject of conspiracy theories and a central component of unidentified flying object (UFO) folklore. It has never been declared

1566-682: Is land and 3.8 square miles (9.8 km ) (0.04%) is water. While only the third-largest county by area in the state of Nevada , it is the seventh-largest county in area in the United States , not including boroughs and census areas in Alaska . The south cliff of Mount Rummel, the summit of which is just north of the county line in White Pine County , contains Lincoln County's highest point, at 10,640 feet (3,240 m). The highest independent mountain completely within Lincoln County

1653-523: Is the common name of a highly classified United States Air Force (USAF) facility within the Nevada Test and Training Range . A remote detachment administered by Edwards Air Force Base , the facility is officially called Homey Airport ( ICAO : KXTA , FAA LID : XTA ) or Groom Lake (after the salt flat next to its airfield). Details of its operations are not made public, but the USAF says that it

1740-856: Is the high point of the range. Nearby are the Timber Creek and Berry Creek campgrounds (and trailheads). The range then makes a slow descent to lower elevations, dropping to Schellbourne Pass at 7,984 ft (2,434 m), where the Overland Stage Line , the Pony Express , and the Transcontinental Telegraph made their way through the Great Basin . Just west of the range was the Egan Canyon Pony Express Station. From there,

1827-633: The Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base , California, who were usually graduates from various test pilot schools. Tactical Air Command selected its pilots primarily from the ranks of the Weapons School graduates. In August 1966, Iraqi Air Force fighter pilot Captain Munir Redfa defected , flying his MiG-21 to Israel after being ordered to attack Iraqi Kurd villages with napalm. His aircraft

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1914-586: The Betzet Landing Field in northern Israel. (One version has it that they were led astray by an Arabic-speaking Israeli). Prior to the end of 1968 these MiG-17s were transferred from Israeli stocks and added to the Area 51 test fleet. The aircraft were given USAF designations and fake serial numbers so that they could be identified in DOD standard flight logs. As in the earlier program, a small group of Air Force and Navy pilots conducted mock dogfights with

2001-649: The Cold War , one of the missions carried out by the United States was the test and evaluation of captured Soviet fighter aircraft. Beginning in the late 1960s, and for several decades, Area 51 played host to an assortment of Soviet-built aircraft. Munir Redfa ' s defection with a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 from Iraq for Israel's Mossad in Operation Diamond led to the HAVE DOUGHNUT , HAVE DRILL and HAVE FERRY programs. The first MiGs flown in

2088-693: The Korean War ), under the direct command of the Air Materiel Control Department. In 1961, ATIC became the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) and was reassigned to Air Force Systems Command . ATIC personnel were sent anywhere where foreign aircraft could be found. The focus of Air Force Systems Command limited the use of the fighter as a tool with which to train the front line tactical fighter pilots. Air Force Systems Command recruited its pilots from

2175-668: The Lincoln County School District . The schools are: Before 1968, Lincoln County frequently backed the Democratic Party in presidential elections, with only five elections from 1904 to 1964 not won by a Democratic nominee. The 1968 election began the county's status as a Republican Party stronghold, with no Democrat managing to win 30% of its votes since Jimmy Carter in 1976. 37°38′N 114°53′W  /  37.64°N 114.88°W  / 37.64; -114.88 Area 51 Area 51

2262-448: The Lockheed U-2 strategic reconnaissance aircraft. Project director Richard M. Bissell Jr. understood that the flight test and pilot training programs could not be conducted at Edwards Air Force Base or Lockheed's Palmdale facility, given the extreme secrecy surrounding the project. He conducted a search for a suitable testing site for the U-2 under the same extreme security as the rest of

2349-624: The Tonopah Basin , the lake is 25 mi (40 km) south of Rachel, Nevada. The origin of the name "Area 51" is unclear. It is believed to be from an Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) numbering grid, although Area 51 is not part of this system; it is adjacent to Area 15. Another explanation is that 51 was used because it was unlikely that the AEC would use the number. According to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),

2436-475: The U.S. state of Nevada . As of the 2020 census , the population was 4,499, making it the fourth-least populous county in Nevada. Its county seat is Pioche . Like many counties in Nevada, it is dry and sparsely populated, though notable for containing the Area 51 government Air Force base. Lincoln County was established in 1866 after Congress enlarged Nevada by moving its state line eastward and southward at

2523-512: The 1890s. Mining continued until 1918, then resumed after World War II until the early 1950s. The airfield on the Groom Lake site began service in 1942 as Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field and consisted of two unpaved 5,000-foot (1,524 m) runways. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) established the Groom Lake test facility in April 1955 for Project AQUATONE: the development of

2610-528: The 4450th Tactical Group (Initially designated "A Unit"), which officially activated on 15 October 1979 at Nellis AFB , Nevada, although the group was physically located at Area 51. The 4450th TG also operated the A-7D Corsair II as a surrogate trainer for the F-117A, and these operations continued until 15 October 1982 under the guise of an avionics test mission. Flying squadrons of the 4450th TG were

2697-584: The 4450th Tactical Squadron (Initially designated "I Unit") activated on 11 June 1981, and 4451st Tactical Squadron (Initially designated "P Unit") on 15 January 1983. The 4450th TS, stationed at Area 51, was the first F-117A squadron, while the 4451st TS was stationed at Nellis AFB and was equipped with A-7D Corsair IIs painted in a dark motif, tail coded "LV". Lockheed test pilots put the YF-117 through its early paces. A-7Ds were used for pilot training before any F-117As had been delivered by Lockheed to Area 51, later

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2784-573: The A-12 OXCART as an unpiloted drone aircraft. Although Kelly Johnson had come to support the idea of drone reconnaissance, he opposed the development of an A-12 drone, contending that the aircraft was too large and complex for such a conversion. However, the Air Force agreed to fund the study of a high-speed, high-altitude drone aircraft in October 1962. The Air Force interest seems to have moved

2871-524: The A-7D's were used for F-117A chase testing and other weapon tests at the Nellis Range. On 15 October 1982, Major Alton C. Whitley Jr. became the first USAF 4450th TG pilot to fly the F-117A. Although ideal for testing, Area 51 was not a suitable location for an operational group, so a new covert base had to be established for F-117 operations. Tonopah Test Range Airport was selected for operations of

2958-780: The Air Force had stayed stagnant. Most of the Navy MiG kills were by Top Gun graduates. In May 1973, Project HAVE IDEA was formed, which took over from the older HAVE DOUGHNUT, HAVE FERRY and HAVE DRILL projects, and the project was transferred to the Tonopah Test Range Airport . At Tonopah, testing of foreign technology aircraft continued and expanded throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Area 51 also hosted another foreign materiel evaluation program called HAVE GLIB. This involved testing Soviet tracking and missile control radar systems. A complex of actual and replica Soviet-type threat systems began to grow around "Slater Lake",

3045-487: The Baja Scorpions tested the aircraft with functional check flights and L.O. verification, the operational airplanes were then transferred to the 4450th TG. On 17 May 1982, the move of the 4450th TG from Groom Lake to Tonopah was initiated, with the final components of the move completed in early 1983. Production FSD airframes from Lockheed were shipped to Area 51 for acceptance testing. As the Baja Scorpions tested

3132-636: The C-5 at night, flown to Lockheed, and unloaded at night before reassembly and flight testing. Groom performed radar profiling, F-117 weapons testing, and training of the first group of frontline USAF F-117 pilots. While the "Baja Scorpions" were working on the F-117, there was also another group at work in secrecy, known as "the Whalers" working on Tacit Blue. A fly-by-wire technology demonstration aircraft with curved surfaces and composite material, to evade radar,

3219-486: The CIA to take action, the project designated "Q-12". By October 1963, the drone's design had been finalized. At the same time, the Q-12 underwent a name change. To separate it from the other A-12-based projects, it was renamed the "D-21". (The "12" was reversed to "21"). "Tagboard" was the project's code name. The first D-21 was completed in the spring of 1964 by Lockheed. After four more months of checkouts and static tests,

3306-416: The F-117. The recently inactivated (2008) 410th Flight Test Squadron traces its roots, if not its formal lineage to the 4450th TG R-unit. Since the F-117 became operational in 1983, operations at Groom Lake have continued. The base and its associated runway system were expanded, including the expansion of housing and support facilities. In 1995, the federal government expanded the exclusionary area around

3393-598: The HAVE DRILL program was expanded; a few selected fleet F-4 crews were given the chance to fight the MiGs. The most important result of Project HAVE DRILL is that no Navy pilot who flew in the project defeated the MiG-17 Fresco in the first engagement. The HAVE DRILL dogfights were by invitation only. The other pilots based at Nellis Air Force Base were not to know about the U.S.-operated MiGs. To prevent any sightings,

3480-496: The Lockheed test team at Area 51 accepted delivery of the first full-scale development (FSD) prototype 79–780 , designated YF-117A. At 6:05 am on 18 June 1981 Lockheed Skunk Works test pilot Hal Farley lifted the nose of YF-117A 79–780 off the runway of Area 51. Meanwhile, Tactical Air Command (TAC) decided to set up a group-level organization to guide the F-117A to an initial operating capability. That organization became

3567-497: The M-21 launch aircraft. The two crewmen ejected and landed in the ocean 150 miles offshore. One crew member was picked up by a helicopter, but the other, having survived the aircraft breakup and ejection, drowned when sea water entered his pressure suit. Kelly Johnson personally cancelled the entire program, having had serious doubts about its feasibility from the start. A number of D-21s had already been produced, and rather than scrapping

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3654-624: The MiG-17's guns in thirty seconds. It was important for the F-4 to keep its distance from the MiG-17. As long as the F-4 was one and a half miles from the MiG-17, it was outside the reach of the Soviet fighter's guns, but the MiG was within reach of the F-4's missiles. The data from the HAVE DOUGHNUT and HAVE DRILL tests were provided to the newly formed Top Gun school at NAS Miramar . By 1970,

3741-458: The MiG-17s. Selected instructors from the Navy's Top Gun school at NAS Miramar , California, were chosen to fly against the MiGs for familiarization purposes. Very soon, the MiG-17's shortcomings became clear. It had an extremely simple, even crude, control system that lacked the power-boosted controls of American aircraft. The F-4's twin engines were so powerful it could accelerate out of range of

3828-483: The MiG-21, he would outmaneuver it every time. The Air Force pilots would not go vertical in the MiG-21. The HAVE DOUGHNUT project officer was Tom Cassidy, a pilot with VX-4 , the Navy's Air Development Squadron at Point Mugu . He had been watching as Townsend "waxed" the Air Force MiG-21 pilots. Cassidy climbed into the MiG-21 and went up against Townsend's F-4. This time the result was far different. Cassidy

3915-523: The Nevada Test Site. Johnson named the area "Paradise Ranch" to encourage workers to move to "the new facility in the middle of nowhere", as the CIA later described it, and the name became shortened to "the Ranch". On 4   May 1955, a survey team arrived at Groom Lake and laid out a 5,000-foot (1,500 m) north–south runway on the southwest corner of the lakebed and designated a site for

4002-474: The Soviet MiG-21 was, itself, secret, it was tested at Groom Lake. A joint Air Force-Navy team was assembled for a series of dogfight tests. Comparisons between the F-4 and the MiG-21 indicated that, on the surface, they were evenly matched. The HAVE DOUGHNUT tests showed the skill of the man in the cockpit was what made the difference. When the Navy or Air Force pilots flew the MiG-21, the results were

4089-496: The United States were used to evaluate the aircraft in performance, technical, and operational capabilities, pitting the types against U.S. fighters. This was not a new mission, as testing of foreign technology by the USAF began during World War II. After the war, testing of acquired foreign technology was performed by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC, which became very influential during

4176-567: The aircraft suffered a technical issue that resulted in both crew members ejecting from the aircraft, resulting in the death of Schultz. The Lockheed Have Blue prototype stealth fighter (a smaller proof-of-concept model of the F-117 Nighthawk ) first flew at Groom in December 1977. In 1978, the Air Force awarded a full-scale development contract for the F-117 to Lockheed Corporation's Advanced Development Projects. On 17 January 1981

4263-584: The aircraft was shipped to Groom Lake and reassembled. It was to be carried by a two-seat derivative of the A-12, designated the "M-21". When the D-21/M-21 reached the launch point, the first step would be to blow off the D-21's inlet and exhaust covers. With the D-21/M-21 at the correct speed and altitude, the LCO would start the ramjet and the other systems of the D-21. "With the D-21's systems activated and running, and

4350-427: The aircraft with functional check flights and L.O. verification, the operational airplanes were then transferred to the 4450th TG at Tonopah. The R-Unit was inactivated on 30 May 1989. Upon inactivation, the unit was reformed as Detachment 1, 57th Fighter Weapons Wing (FWW). In 1990, the last F-117A ( 843 ) was delivered from Lockheed. After completion of acceptance flights at Area 51 of this last new F-117A aircraft,

4437-480: The airspace above the Groom Lake range was closed. On aeronautical maps, the exercise area was marked in red ink. The forbidden zone became known as "Red Square". During the remainder of the Vietnam War , the Navy kill ratio climbed to 8.33 to 1. In contrast, the Air Force rate improved only slightly to 2.83 to 1. The reason for this difference was Top Gun. The Navy had revitalized its air combat training, while

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4524-523: The base to include nearby mountains that had hitherto afforded the only decent overlook of the base, prohibiting access to 3,972 acres (16.07 km ) of land formerly administered by the Bureau of Land Management . The United States government has provided minimal information regarding Area 51. The area surrounding the lake is permanently off-limits to both civilian and normal military air traffic. Security clearances are checked regularly; cameras and weaponry are not allowed. Even military pilots training in

4611-553: The base's north side while hangar   7 was new construction. The original U-2 hangars were converted to maintenance and machine shops. Facilities in the main cantonment area included workshops and buildings for storage and administration, a commissary, a control tower, a fire station, and housing. The Navy also contributed more than 130 surplus Babbitt duplex housing units for long-term occupancy facilities. Older buildings were repaired, and additional facilities were constructed as necessary. A reservoir pond surrounded by trees served as

4698-486: The correct names for the facility are Homey Airport (XTA/KXTA) and Groom Lake, though the name "Area 51" was used in a CIA document from the Vietnam War . The facility has also been referred to as "Dreamland" and "Paradise Ranch", among other nicknames, with the former also being the approach control call sign for the surrounding area. The USAF public relations has referred to the facility as "an operating location near Groom Dry Lake". The special use airspace around

4785-416: The county. The population density was less than one person per square mile (and less than 1/km ). There were 2,178 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile (0/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 91.50% White , 1.78% Black or African American , 1.75% Native American , 0.34% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 2.69% from other races , and 1.92% from two or more races. 5.31% of

4872-417: The county. The population density was 0.5 inhabitants per square mile (0.19/km ). There were 2,730 housing units at an average density of 0.3 per square mile (0.12/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 91.1% white, 2.3% black or African American, 1.1% American Indian, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% Pacific islander, 2.2% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.2% of

4959-555: The dirt-road entrances to several small ranches, before converging with State Route 375, the "Extraterrestrial Highway" , south of Rachel . Area 51 shares a border with the Yucca Flat region of the Nevada Test Site, the location of 739 of the 928 nuclear tests conducted by the United States Department of Energy at NTS. The Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository is southwest of Groom Lake. Groom Lake

5046-409: The dry lake approximately two miles across so that an A-12 pilot approaching the end of the overrun could abort instead of plunging into the sagebrush. Area 51 pilots called it "The Hook". For crosswind landings, they marked two unpaved airstrips (runways 9/27 and 03/21) on the dry lakebed. By August 1961, construction of the essential facilities was complete; three surplus Navy hangars were erected on

5133-589: The east are Spring Valley and the high Snake Range , (including Great Basin National Park, Wheeler Peak , and Mt. Moriah ). Within this section of the Schell Creek Range are Cave Lake State Park and the scenic road over Success Summit into Duck Creek Basin. The crest continues to rise, reaching South Schell Peak at 11,785 feet (3,592 m), Taft Peak at 11,734 feet (3,577 m), and North Schell Peak which, at 11,883 feet (3,622 m),

5220-432: The expense of Utah and Arizona territories. It is named after Abraham Lincoln , the 16th President of the United States . Original legislation called for the creation of a "Stewart County", after Nevada Senator William M. Stewart , but this was later changed in a substitute bill. Crystal Springs was the county's first seat in 1866, followed by Hiko in 1867 and Pioche in 1871. Lincoln County initially included

5307-583: The fact is that the resumptions of D-21 tests took place against a changing reconnaissance background. The A-12 had finally been allowed to deploy, and the SR-71 was soon to replace it. At the same time, new developments in reconnaissance satellite technology were nearing operation. Up to this point, the limited number of satellites available restricted coverage to the Soviet Union. A new generation of reconnaissance satellites could soon cover targets anywhere in

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5394-678: The field is referred to as Restricted Area 4808 North (R-4808N). Lead and silver were discovered in the southern part of the Groom Range in 1864, and the English company Groome Lead Mines Limited financed the Conception Mines in the 1870s, giving the district its name (nearby mines included Maria, Willow, and White Lake). J. B. Osborne and partners acquired the controlling interest in Groom in 1876, and Osborne's son acquired it in

5481-401: The first USAF F-117 unit, the 4450th Tactical Group (TG). From October 1979, the Tonopah Airport base was reconstructed and expanded. The 6,000-foot runway was lengthened to 10,000 feet. Taxiways, a concrete apron, a large maintenance hangar, and a propane storage tank were added. By early 1982, four more YF-117As were operating at the base. After finding a large scorpion in their offices,

5568-420: The flight test squadron continued flight test duties of refurbished aircraft after modifications by Lockheed. In February/March 1992 the test unit moved from Area 51 to the USAF Palmdale Plant 42 and was integrated with the Air Force Systems Command 6510th Test Squadron . Some testing, especially RCS verification and other classified activity was still conducted at Area 51 throughout the operational lifetime of

5655-418: The lake, the wide and well-maintained Groom Lake Road runs through a pass in the Jumbled Hills. The road formerly led to mines in the Groom basin but has been improved since their closure. Its winding course runs past a security checkpoint, but the restricted area around the base extends farther east. After leaving the restricted area, Groom Lake Road descends eastward to the floor of the Tikaboo Valley , passing

5742-428: The last CIA commander of Area 51, relinquished command to USAF Lt. Col. Larry D. McClain. In 2017, a USAF aircraft crashed at the site, killing the pilot, Lt. Colonel Eric "Doc" Schultz. The USAF refused to release further information regarding the crash. In 2022, unconfirmed reports emerged that the crash involved an SU-27 that was part of the classified Foreign Materials Exploitation program. The reports claimed that

5829-436: The launch aircraft at the correct point, the M-21 would begin a slight pushover, the LCO would push a final button, and the D-21 would come off the pylon". Difficulties were addressed throughout 1964 and 1965 at Groom Lake with various technical issues. Captive flights showed unforeseen aerodynamic difficulties. By late January 1966, more than a year after the first captive flight, everything seemed ready. The first D-21 launch

5916-555: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. According to the 2000 census the five largest ancestry groups in Lincoln County are English (21%), German (18%), Irish (11%), Mexican (4%) and Italian (4%). There were 1,540 households, out of which 29.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.20% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.40% were non-families. 31.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.10% had someone living alone who

6003-459: The population. In terms of ancestry, 39.8% were English , 19.5% were German , 12.4% were Irish , 6.1% were Danish , 5.9% were Dutch , and 1.8% were American . Of the 1,988 households, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.5% were non-families, and 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size

6090-420: The project. He notified Lockheed, who sent an inspection team out to Groom Lake. According to Lockheed's U-2 designer Kelly Johnson : We flew over it and within thirty seconds, you knew that was the place   [...] it was right by a dry lake. Man alive, we looked at that lake, and we all looked at each other. It was another Edwards, so we wheeled around, landed on that lake, taxied up to one end of it. It

6177-402: The range ascends to Becky Peak at 10,008 feet (3,050 m) before quickly descending to the floor of Steptoe Valley near Lages Station. Berry Creek is a SNOTEL weather station situated on the western face of South Schell Peak, at an elevation of 9100 feet (2774 m). Berry Creek has a subalpine climate ( Köppen Dfc ). Lincoln County, Nevada Lincoln County is a county in

6264-552: The range drops quickly to a line of lower summits, eventually reaching 7,723-foot (2,354 m) Connors Pass. That is where U.S. Route 50 , the "Loneliest Highway in America", crosses the range, connecting the nearby community of Ely with the Great Basin National Park and west-central Utah . North of Connors Pass the range continues into its higher northern section. To the west is Ely, Nevada , while to

6351-433: The testing team (Designated "R Unit") adopted it as their mascot and dubbed themselves the "Baja Scorpions". Testing of a series of ultra-secret prototypes continued at Area 51 until mid-1981 when testing transitioned to the initial production of F-117 stealth fighters. The F-117s were moved to and from Area 51 by C-5 during darkness to maintain security. The aircraft were defueled, disassembled, cradled, and then loaded aboard

6438-533: The whole effort, Johnson again proposed to the Air Force that they be launched from a B-52H bomber. By late summer of 1967, the modification work to both the D-21 (now designated D-21B) and the B-52Hs was complete. The test program could now resume. The test missions were flown out of Groom Lake, with the actual launches over the Pacific. The first D-21B to be flown was Article 501, the prototype. The first attempt

6525-473: The world. The satellites' resolution would be comparable to that of aircraft but without the slightest political risk. Time was running out for the Tagboard. Several more test flights, including two over China, were made from Beale AFB , California, in 1969 and 1970, to varying degrees of success. On 15 July 1971, Kelly Johnson received a wire canceling the D-21B program. The remaining drones were transferred by

6612-503: Was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.16. The median age was 39.9 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 44,695 and the median income for a family was $ 56,167. Males had a median income of $ 51,475 versus $ 26,366 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 18,148. About 7.5% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over. Public schools in Lincoln County are under

6699-459: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.15. In the county, the population was spread out, with 30.10% under the age of 18, 6.00% from 18 to 24, 21.90% from 25 to 44, 25.90% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 107.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.20 males. The median income for

6786-534: Was a perfect natural landing field   [...] as smooth as a billiard table without anything being done to it. The lake bed made an ideal strip for testing aircraft, and the Emigrant Valley's mountain ranges and the NTS perimeter protected the site from visitors; it was about 100 mi (160 km) north of Las Vegas. The CIA asked the AEC to acquire the land, designated "Area 51" on the map, and to add it to

6873-522: Was a prototype, and never went into production. Nevertheless, this strange-looking aircraft was responsible for many of the stealth technology advances that were used on several other aircraft designs, and had a direct influence on the B-2; with the first flight of Tacit Blue being performed on 5   February 1982, by Northrop Grumman test pilot, Richard G. Thomas . Production FSD airframes from Lockheed were shipped to Area 51 for acceptance testing. As

6960-498: Was closed in the Groom basin. In January 1962, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expanded the restricted airspace in the vicinity of Groom Lake, and the lakebed became the center of a 600-square mile addition to restricted area R-4808N. The CIA facility received eight USAF F-101 Voodoos for training, two T-33 Shooting Star trainers for proficiency flying, a C-130 Hercules for cargo transport,

7047-648: Was established in August 1959 for "antiradar studies, aerodynamic structural tests, and engineering designs" and all later work on the Lockheed A-12 . This included testing at Groom Lake, which had inadequate facilities consisting of buildings for only 150 people, a 5,000 ft (1,500 m) asphalt runway, and limited fuel, hangar, and shop space. Groom Lake had received the name "Area 51" when A-12 test facility construction began in September 1960, including

7134-441: Was learned. It was also clear that the MiG-21 was a formidable enemy. United States pilots would have to fly much better than they had been to beat it. This would require a special school to teach advanced air combat techniques. On 12 August 1968, two Syrian air force lieutenants, Walid Adham and Radfan Rifai, took off in a pair of MiG-17 Fs on a training mission. They lost their way and, believing they were over Lebanon, landed at

7221-465: Was made on 28 September 1967 and ended in complete failure. As the B-52 was flying toward the launch point, the D-21B fell off the pylon. The B-52H gave a sharp lurch as the drone fell free. The booster fired and was "quite a sight from the ground". The failure was traced to a stripped nut on the forward right attachment point on the pylon. Several more tests were made, none of which met with success. However,

7308-400: Was made on 5   March 1966 with a successful flight, with the D-21 flying 120 miles with limited fuel. A second D-21 flight was successful in April 1966 with the drone flying 1,200 miles, reaching Mach 3.3 and 90,000 feet. An accident on 30 July 1966 with a fully fueled D-21, on a planned checkout flight, suffered from an unstart of the drone after its separation, causing it to collide with

7395-498: Was transferred to Groom Lake in late 1967 for study. Israel loaned the MiG-21 to the US Air Force from January 1968 to April 1968. In 1968, the US Air Force and Navy jointly formed a project known as HAVE DOUGHNUT in which Air Force Systems Command, Tactical Air Command, and the U.S. Navy's Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Four (VX-4) flew this acquired Soviet-made aircraft in simulated air combat training. As U.S. possession of

7482-406: Was willing to fight in the vertical, flying the plane to the point where it was buffeting, just above the stall. Cassidy was able to get on the F-4's tail. After the flight, they realized the MiG-21 turned better than the F-4 at lower speeds. The key was for the F-4 to keep its speed up. An F-4 had defeated the MiG-21; the weakness of the Soviet plane had been found. Further test flights confirmed what

7569-547: Was within the Nellis Air Force Range airspace, and pilots saw the A-12 20 to 30 times. Groom was also the site of the first Lockheed D-21 drone test flight on 22 December 1964. By the end of 1963, nine A-12s were at Area 51, assigned to the CIA-operated "1129th Special Activities Squadron". Following the loss of Gary Powers ' U-2 over the Soviet Union, there were several discussions about using

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