Area 51

There is so much written about this place that it has become synonymous with the very idea of conspiracy. I've seen so many documentaries and movies about it that I am disgusted and intrigued with it at the same time.

For those few people on the planet that don't know what this place is, I give the official description: Area 51 is a secret Air Force facility in the southern part of Nevada 83 miles north-northwest of Las Vegas. In 2013, the CIA publically acknowledged its existence. Some documents about it were declassified. Before this no one in the government would publically acknowledge Area 51. It was for all practical purposes an enigma, especially since it's impossible to approach it without getting shot.

Area 51 has been also associated with Groom Lake and the Yucca Flat Test Site. Both of these are salt flats. It's unclear how it got the name - Area 51. It probably has something to do with a coordinate or boxed off area on some map. The reason it was chosen was because it's remote and easily hidden from the curious.

It's interesting to note that workers that day-hop to Area 51 fly out of McCarran airport in Las Vega in an unmarked jet. No one drives there. It's also interesting to note that five contractors sued the USAF and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in 1994 alleging that large amounts of noxious chemicals were being burned in pits in Area 51 and that workers had dangerous levels of dioxin, dibenzofuran and trichloroethylene in their body fat, causing skin and liver diseases (Yes they would - I'm a chemist). The Air Force fought back saying that revealing the chemicals being used in Area 51 would threaten secret national security. The suit was dismissed for lack of evidence. How in the devil could anyone get evidence in a secret location?

Area 51 has become the location de jure for UFO enthusiasts and secret loving buffs. It has also become the hotbed of secret government projects that involve aliens. I used it in one of my stories. It seemed the thing to do because Area 51 is the location of much of the Air Force's development and testing of experimental aircraft like the U2, SR-71, and the Stealth fighter. There have been many projects conducted there to advance new technology pertinent to the military.

However, it has also resulted in the propagation of many conspiracy theories, many of which are concerned with alien technology like flying saucers but also include time travel and teleportation, weather control, exotic propulsion systems, and clandestine meetings with extraterrestrials.
Additional theories propose that there are secret underground facilities there that contain a transcontinental underground railroad.

Of course there have been all sorts of TV series and movies concerning Area 51, such as 'Independence Day' and the Indiana Jones movie had the Ark of the Covenant stored there in 'Hangar 51'. The TV series 'Stargate SG-1' and 'Seven Days' used it. There was a video game with the title 'Area 51'. I've also seen Science and History channel documentaries on it. It's a very popular place for a location that is a big secret.

I believe that much of the work at Area 51 involves secret new weapon systems, including new aircraft. There is a rumor of a new X-37B space plane that resembles the shuttle is being tested there. There is also a new spy drone, the RQ-180, and a super new fighter and bomber. Another super secret plane is the Boeing X-51 WaverRider Mach 6 unmanned aircraft.

I can understand why the Air Force likes Area 51. They need a location that prevents the media from broadcasting everything they do to the rest of the world. The trouble is that military secrets are fleeting at best, so the longer they're kept secret the better.
As for meeting with aliens and reverse engineering alien technology--that's the fuel that fires conspiracy theories. They'll always be part of Area 51.

Thanks for reading.