First Area 51 encounter


Message posted by spotterflyer on November 01, 2004 at 11:13:42 PST:

I saw the program last night on the History Channel and decided to check the site out. I never knew this much information existed about this place. I thought I'd share my experience this summer with my numerous encounters with the airspace and controllers.

I was flying in support of wildland fire suppression this summer, and a few fires were extremely close to the boundry of Area 51. Going to these fires I was nervous about the possibility of chance encounters with "fastmovers". The very first fire was just northeast of the boundry off Mail Summitt Rd. and boy was it congested. I had 2 F-22s, 2 F-15s, 1 B-1, and other unidentified aircraft wizz passed me at various altitues. I was probably 5 miles from the edge of the restricted airspace, but I could clearly see the Area 51 airfield. Funny thing too; I was just nervous looking at it, thinking I might be breaking the law just glancing at it. However, over the course of the next few fires down that way, all the controllers were very accomodating with my recon flights. The only problem encountered during the whole summer was the denial by the Nellis Range Controller to allow one of our P-3 tankers to enter a 1 mile patch of restricted airspace to allow him to get a line for his drop. I pleaded with the controller but to no avail. I couldn't figure this one out, because there was nothing out there except dirt and some radar installations. It was a good 10-12 miles from TNX airfiled.

I did hear a story from some of the firefighters who were dispatched to a fire inside the line. One told me that they arrived at the guard shack at 1500. They were told to wait until it got dark. When it finally did, 2 Suburbans approached and told the firefighters to turn off all their lights. They were told to follow the lead Suburban, who was also blacked out (with only a flashing red blinker on the rear decklid for visual reference). The other Suburban followed the firetruck until reaching the fire. They proceeded to do what they could with the fire until the Suburbans told them to get ready to leave because the sun would be rising soon. They were escorted out of the area and told to come back that evening if the fire still wasn't out.

Wierd stuff, but probably for good reason. I certainly don't need to know what's going on out there. As long as the research is being used to further our security and safety, I say let them do what they need to do.


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