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Area 51
The US Air Force (USAF) facility commonly known as Area 51 is a highly classified remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), within the Nevada Test and Training Range. According to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the correct names for the facility are Homey Airport (ICAO: 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. The special use airspace around the field is referred to as Restricted Area 4808 North (R-4808N).
The base’s current primary purpose is publicly unknown; however, based on historical evidence, it most likely supports the development and testing of experimental aircraft and weapons systems (black projects). The intense secrecy surrounding the base has made it the frequent subject of conspiracy theories and a central component to unidentified flying object (UFO) folklore.
Although the base has never been declared a secret base, all research and occurrences in Area 51 are Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI). On Jun. 25, 2013, following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed in 2005, the CIA publicly acknowledged the existence of the base for the first time, declassifying documents detailing the history and purpose of Area 51.
Area 51 is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western US, 83 miles (134 km) north-northwest of Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield. The site was acquired by the USAF in 1955, primarily for the flight testing of the Lockheed U-2 aircraft.
F-111 emergency landing at Area 51
If a plane needs to make an emergency landing at Area 51, will they be given permission? If so, what would happen afterwards?
Philip Dunlop, former F-111A/E/F pilot from 1970 to 1984, recalls on Quora;
‘Well… unless they positively absolutely could not stay in the air another 5 minutes, they would go into Nellis AFB which really isn’t that far from Dreamland Tower, which is the runway you are discussing.
‘However, back in my day, I know of one F-111A crew that had an engine fire and shutdown on a low-level night attack training mission into “fatness 5” which is a target range just on the other side of and separated by a mountain range from Dreamland Tower. So, since they had an absolutely positively must land now type emergency they went over hill and landed at Dreamland. They were met at the end of the runway by a truckload of dudes with guns pointed at them, and they were told to shut down the remaining engine whilst still on the runway and to exit the aircraft.
‘They were escorted into a black bread van type vehicle, with no outside views, and they were driven back to Las Vegas / Nellis AFB and were debriefed for 2 hours about what they did not see. A maintenance crew plus engine were taken back to Dreamland next day, aircraft was repaired in a hanger there, and then someone flew the airplane back to Nellis, that someone was not a Nellis aircrew.’
Air Force One emergency landing at Area 51
But what would happen if the Air Force One (the aircraft that provides air transport for the president of the United States) had to make an emergency landing at Area 51?
Dunlop explains;
‘Now I would imagine, if Air Force One were to land at Dreamland, I’m pretty sure the result would be very similar to above. Even El-presidently doesn’t have clearance to go gawking about site seeing up there, and for absolute certain none of his entourage would ever see anything except the inside of a blacked-out vehicle. That’s my thoughts on it.’
Photo credit: ESA and TSGT Bob Simons / U.S. Air Force
