Tired of reading those "AREA 51" Articles with none or little worthwhile information? Well Read On....

Area 51 is certainly our nation's strangest and most controversial test site! It's a military aero facility with the longest paved runway in the world (more than five miles in length). Yet, Area 51 is so secret that it isn't shown on aeronautical charts. It isn't shown in any USAF facility directories. Its phone numbers are unlisted. It's access roads are closed and guarded. It's been in operation since 1954, yet, officially, it doesn't seem to exist.

However, there really is an Area 51 test facility. It's near a tiny community named Rachel (Pop. 100), Nevada, 120 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Rachel (not shown on most maps) is accessed from State Route 375, after it splits from U.S. Route 93 north of the larger community of Alamo (pop. 250). Area 51's geographic coordinates are 115-53W, 37-15N. Late last year, while standing on the perimeter of the base, CNN's Larry King did a two-hour cable special about Area 51.

Area 51, popularly known as Dreamland, S-4, The Ranch, The Pig Farm, The Skunkworks, Watertown Strip, and The Box, is specifically located at Groom Dry Lake, in the remote Papoose Mountain Range of Nevada. This has been the site where spy planes like the A-12, U-2 and SR-71 were tested and developed, as well as the F-117A and other secret tactical aircraft. Other exotic new military aircraft, still secret, such as the SR-75 Aurora are now on site and undergoing tests.

In addition, Area 51 has long been a primary site where it is reported (or at least often rumored) that the U.S. government is trying to back-engineer alien technologies from several crashed UFO's. Furthermore, there are those who insist that (live or dead) extra terrestrials are at Area 51.

These factors have drawn considerable attention to Area 51, despite government efforts to maintain the facility's low profile, with back-up on-site military and private security guards. Serious investigators and the casually curious interested in military aircraft technology of UFO's are firmly discouraged from setting foot on posted, patrolled base property. Yet, Area 51 has become somewhat of an open book!

An Open Book, You Say?

Surrounding hills block the view of Groom Lake, and armed ground and helo security patrols, scary "Restricted Area - Use of Deadly Force Authorized" signs, among other things are how the USAF lets people know they aren't welcome at this remote desert site.

This hasn't stopped the large number of people who regularly show up in the vicinity of Area 51, along the public highways, where they don't chase anyone away. Armed with cameras, binoculars, and scanners, people try to catch whatever they can. Scanner owners know that Area 51 needs communications, so scanners let them enter the facility's activities from afar, safely and legally, beyond the jurisdiction of security patrols.

Communications that are available to monitor include security forces, flight tests (Project Skunkworks), air traffic control, among others.

Some thoughts on bringing a scanner to this place. It's remote, so you will want to bring along some extra batteries, gel packs, or any way of powering the scanner from your vehicle. Bring a backup power source, just in case the unexpected happens. You may want to bring a tape recorder from some of the transmissions. If so, use a patch cord to run from the scanner's earphone jack into the recorder's mic jack. Avoid holding the recorder's mic up to the scanner's speaker, as the reproduction quality is awful.

If you come up with additional frequencies from Area 51, please let us know!