Living next to Area 51

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ukaskew

Original Poster:

10,642 posts

220 months

Tuesday 10th November 2015
quotequote all
I know the Gawker sites get a bad rep sometimes but this is the best article I've read for some time, utterly fascinating and not something I knew anything about, worth a 10 minute read...

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-unlikely-stru...

DuckAvenger

324 posts

132 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
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Thanks for sharing. Great read.

Hooli

32,278 posts

199 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
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Great read. It's amazing they still have their mine at all.

DoctorX

7,240 posts

166 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
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Thanks for that. I must say, $5.2M seemed like a good deal for that place!

Trevatanus

11,109 posts

149 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
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Well apparently, Farnborough is the UK's area 51.
On that basis, I am less than 5 miles away.
Where do I sign?

smile


hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
quotequote all
Fascinating read cheers for that smile

okgo

37,860 posts

197 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
quotequote all
Trevatanus said:
Well apparently, Farnborough is the UK's area 51.
On that basis, I am less than 5 miles away.
Where do I sign?

smile
We can only hope they drop an atom bomb on Farnborough without telling anyone

Hooli

32,278 posts

199 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
quotequote all
okgo said:
Trevatanus said:
Well apparently, Farnborough is the UK's area 51.
On that basis, I am less than 5 miles away.
Where do I sign?

smile
We can only hope they drop an atom bomb on Farnborough without telling anyone
If they didn't say, would you notice?

okgo

37,860 posts

197 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
quotequote all
Hooli said:
If they didn't say, would you notice?
When you drive through Cove you can only assume they have done nuclear testing there...

Great article though.

I enjoy the YT videos of people getting chased by Camo Dudes biggrin

ukaskew

Original Poster:

10,642 posts

220 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
quotequote all
Trevatanus said:
Well apparently, Farnborough is the UK's area 51.
I imagine Boscombe would be more likely claim that title.

ApOrbital

9,942 posts

117 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
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Linky okgo?

AshG

164 posts

200 months

Thursday 12th November 2015
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Related 'Black Project' stuff. From the same site, this great article: 'Confessions Of A USAF KC-135 'Flying Gas Station' Boom Operator' http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/confessions-of-a-...

My favourite bit so far, on the build-up to the first Gulf War in 2003: "By this time we were based at the sprawling Al Udeid AB in Qatar, along with a heavy buildup of every aircraft imaginable, and some that are still classified. During this time period I remember a squadron meeting where the Operations Group Commander told us to "be careful what you say over the phone, and pay no attention to the black, pointy shaped aircraft and "others" that were coming to the base."

hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Thursday 12th November 2015
quotequote all
AshG said:
My favourite bit so far, on the build-up to the first Gulf War in 2003: "By this time we were based at the sprawling Al Udeid AB in Qatar, along with a heavy buildup of every aircraft imaginable, and some that are still classified. During this time period I remember a squadron meeting where the Operations Group Commander told us to "be careful what you say over the phone, and pay no attention to the black, pointy shaped aircraft and "others" that were coming to the base."
Just prior to the first Gulf War my father was based out in Saudi with BAe at Khamis Mushayt. We used to see F-117s flying around in the daytime, it was quite a sight for a young air cadet I can tell you. It always struck me as a teenager that a) they weren't being very secret, and b) they were actually pretty noisy for a stealth aircraft.

Eric Mc

121,783 posts

264 months

Thursday 12th November 2015
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ukaskew said:
Trevatanus said:
Well apparently, Farnborough is the UK's area 51.
I imagine Boscombe would be more likely claim that title.
Since about 2000 that's been the case.

What I'd like to know is, what goes on in Areas 1 to 50?

FW18

243 posts

140 months

Thursday 12th November 2015
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Areas 1-30 were nuke testing sites back in the cold war days.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada_Test_Site

ukaskew

Original Poster:

10,642 posts

220 months

Thursday 12th November 2015
quotequote all
AshG said:
Related 'Black Project' stuff. From the same site, this great article: 'Confessions Of A USAF KC-135 'Flying Gas Station' Boom Operator' http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/confessions-of-a-...

My favourite bit so far, on the build-up to the first Gulf War in 2003: "By this time we were based at the sprawling Al Udeid AB in Qatar, along with a heavy buildup of every aircraft imaginable, and some that are still classified. During this time period I remember a squadron meeting where the Operations Group Commander told us to "be careful what you say over the phone, and pay no attention to the black, pointy shaped aircraft and "others" that were coming to the base."
Yep that's a superb article, quite a job to have.

It always impresses me how there are undoubtedly aircraft that have been designed, tested, used and retired without the wider public having any knowledge of it, and presumably that's even more likely now with UAVs.

Given the technology available to the average civilian these days and also the risk of data hacks etc it's amazing that secrets remain secrets, particularly big noisy ones that by their very nature are not exactly entirely hidden from view at all times.

Eric Mc

121,783 posts

264 months

Thursday 12th November 2015
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Maybe there just aren't that many projects in test these days?

ukaskew

Original Poster:

10,642 posts

220 months

Thursday 12th November 2015
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
Maybe there just aren't that many projects in test these days?
The stealth Black Hawks and RQ-170 leaked out (most certainly unintentionally for the Black Hawks) whilst in operational use without any previous knowledge of them, and there are multiple accounts of another large flying wing (that has potentially been photographed at least twice) floating about that have a bit more grounding than the usual conspiracy nut theories.

Fascinating subject anyhow, it's interesting that the boom guy in that article still refers to aircraft that can't be discussed that were operational in 2003. The D-21B took something like 30 years to be made public and long, long after it was retired.

Mansells Tash

5,713 posts

205 months

Thursday 19th November 2015
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Eric Mc said:
Maybe there just aren't that many projects in test these days?
I'd have thought the next logical step is stealth drone fighter jets. Swarm varients and otherwise.

24lemons

2,629 posts

184 months

Friday 20th November 2015
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Eric Mc said:
ukaskew said:
Trevatanus said:
Well apparently, Farnborough is the UK's area 51.
I imagine Boscombe would be more likely claim that title.
Since about 2000 that's been the case.

What I'd like to know is, what goes on in Areas 1 to 50?
I've heard Machrihanish described as Britain's Area 51. All sorts of stories about secret hypersonic tests etc.. No idea if any of it is true but the idea of secret planes flying between the US and Scotland is pretty cool!

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread112/pg1