U-2 testing began in July 1955, and immediately reports came flooding in about unidentified flying object sightings. If you read the details in a 1992 CIA report that was declassified with redactions in 1998 (and subsequently released nearly in full in 2013), it's easy to see why.
Many of these sightings were observed by commercial airline pilots who had never seen an aircraft fly at such high altitudes as the U-2. Whereas today's airliners can soar as high as 45,000 feet, in the mid-1950s airlines flew at altitudes between 10,000 and 20,000 feet. Known military aircraft could get to 40,000 feet, and some believed manned flight couldn't go any higher than that. The U-2, flying at altitudes in excess of 60,000 feet, would've looked completely alien. Naturally, Air Force officials knew the majority of these unexplained sightings were U-2 tests, but they were not allowed to reveal these details to the public. So, "natural phenomena" or "high-altitude weather research" became go-to explanations for UFO sightings, including in 1960 when Gary Powers' U-2 was shot down over Russia.
What's also interesting about the most recent 2013 report is that it confirms Area 51's existence. While the 1998 version does have significant redactions when referencing the name and location of the U-2 test site, the nearly un-redacted version from 2013 reveals much more, including multiple references to Area 51, Groom Lake, and even a map of the area.
"This Is Earth Technology" U-2 operations halted in the late 1950s, but other top secret military aircrafts continued tests at Area 51. Over the years, the A-12 and numerous stealth aircrafts like Bird of Prey, F-117A, and TACIT BLUE have all been developed and tested in the Nevada desert. More declassified documents reveal Area 51's role in "Project Have Doughnut," a 1970s attempt to study covertly obtained Soviet MiGs. Even so, the alien conspiracies gained ground in 1989 when Bob Lazar claimed in an interview on Las Vegas local news that he'd seen aliens and had helped to reverse-engineer alien spacecrafts while working at the base. Many have disregarded this as fiction and are even offended at the notion, including Merlin, who has spent years talking with former Area 51 engineers and employees angered by all the fuss about E.T.
"Some are even mad because they worked on these things and built these amazing planes," Merlin says. "This is Earth technology. You got folks claiming it's extraterrestrial when it's really good old American know-how."
What exactly goes on inside of Area 51 has led to decades of wild speculation. There are, of course, the alien conspiracies that galactic visitors are tucked away somewhere inside. One of the more colorful rumors insists the infamous 1947 Roswell crash was actually a Soviet aircraft piloted by mutated midgets and the wreckage remains on the grounds of Area 51. Some even believe that the U.S. government filmed the 1969 moon landing in one of the base's hangars.
For all the myths and legends, what's true is that Area 51 is real and still very active. There may not be aliens or a moon landing movie set inside those fences, but something is going on and only a select few are privy to what's happening further down that closely-monitored wind-swept Nevada road. "The forbidden aspect of Area 51 is what makes people want to know what's there," says aerospace historian and author Peter Merlin who's been researching Area 51 for more than three decades. The beginning of Area 51 is directly related to the development of the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. After World War II, the Soviet Union lowered the Iron Curtain around themselves and the rest of the Eastern bloc, creating a near intelligence blackout to the rest of the world. When the Soviets backed North Korea's invasion of South Korea in June 1950, it became increasingly clear that the Kremlin would aggressively expand its influence. America worried about the USSR's technology, intentions, and ability to launch a surprise attack—only a decade removed from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In the early 1950s, U.S. Navy and Air Force sent low-flying aircraft on reconnaissance missions over the USSR, but they were at constant risk of being shot down. In November 1954, President Eisenhower approved the secret development of a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft called the U-2 program. One of the first orders of business was to track down a remote, covert location for training and testing. They found it in the southern Nevada desert near a salt flat known as Groom Lake, which had once been a World War II aerial gunnery range for Army Air Corps pilots.
Known by its map designation as Area 51, this middle-of-nowhere site became a new top-secret military base. To convince workers to come, Kelly Johnson, one of the leading engineers of the U-2 project, gave it a more enticing name: Paradise Ranch.
@oddgymnast yes nobody needs to know about it but it could effect our life in a bad way if something were to happen. it’s all hidden behind walls. people believe there are aliens in there. people ALSO believe they filmed the 1969 moon landing in there like i said. there may not be aliens or moon landings inside of area 51 but something is going on and only a few people know about it. i mean area 52 first started to build & program aircrafts for wars.
@oddgymnast i don’t need reasons on why not to go because i’m not & wasn’t even thinking of going to area 51 in the first place. it’s childish. but all i’m saying is some people really want to know what their hiding from us. and no it’s not just “aliens” i mean who knows if aliens even exist. but the technology & events that have happened that could be lies. i mean would you want someone to constantly lie to you not only about what type of world you are living in but also about your safety living in this world? i wouldn’t, and this is why people are wanting to know and to find out what they are hiding from us.
Over 1.5 million people have signed up for a joke event called Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us. The event’s slogan is “let’s see them aliens,” echoing a popular conspiracy theory that the U.S. military is keeping flying saucer wreckage, unearthly technology, and recovered extra-terrestrial bodies—or perhaps they are even holding live aliens.
The mass trespass is set for September 20th. While it’s clearly not meant to be taken seriously, maybe some people will turn up for it. Here are 10 good reasons to think twice about storming Area 51.
1 You Can't Handle the Truth The X Project RICHVINTAGEGETTY IMAGES Conspiracy theorists have it that aliens are being kept secret because of fears that people would freak out if they discovered the truth. This argument is brushed aside casually in shows like the X-Files who want the truth at any cost. But what if the authorities are right?
Advanced alien intelligences pose a serious threat to religious belief. Mankind may not be the unique being made in the divine image as believe. Theologian Ted Peters carried out a survey in 2011 of what effect people thought alien contact would have on their religion.
Interestingly, most people thought that their own religion would remain intact, but the event would seriously challenge other faiths.
Somebody is fooling themselves.
2 Naruto Running Won't Provide Complete Protection
“If we Naruto run, we can move faster than their bullets,” promises the Storm Area 51 Facebook site.
The Naruto Run is named after a manga character who runs at superhuman speed with his arms stretched out behind him. This has spawned a host of internet memes with people imitating Naruto’s running style in unlikely situations.
Usain Bolt, the fastest man on the planet, can sprint at a top speed of about 40 feet per second. A 9mm bullet moves at something over 1,200 feet per second, or about thirty times faster. Also attempts harness Naruto’s technique have not been successful. Outrunning a bullet seems unlikely.
Crucial additional point: however fast you’re going, you’re running towards the guns. So, your speed is just going to make it sting more when they hit.
@oddgymnast yes but would you like someone to keep a secret from you that could prevent if you live or not. or even have dangerous things that could happen to anyone in this world & none of us know it. they are obviously keeping something from us if they are willing to arrest & shoot people who trespass onto the areas. some people believe they have aliens, or time machines, or alien spaceships. but we believe those are all myths or lies (besides few who do believe) other wise we have very few proof to believe in them. just like some people believe the first moon landing was a fake. which is crazy but there is a whole lot of proof to go with it. do i believe it was? no. but the proof they have is crazy & it kind of made sense. plus i wouldn’t even be surprised if our government lies to us on a daily.
@paytonm182 yes it is our world yet... if there aren’t any secrets then everyone would know! There needs to be secrets in this world. Like your passwords... those are secret. Everyone has them! Secrets are what brings this world together.
@oddgymnast calm down. i doubt nobody is going to actually do it besides it’s their choice. my dad watches all these area 14 & 51 videos of people who have worked there before but got fired. and we all know that they have electronics we have NEVER seen before. so yes it is dangerous but they are obviously hiding stuff from us & we kind of have a right to see what they are hiding cause it’s our world we live in too. and this is why people want to raid the area 51. it’s a slight chance they have aliens. but they could have tons of other things we haven’t even thought of bc of their high technology.
Raiding Area 51 should not be a thing. This is all silly and pathetic. Guys. This is just like raiding any other military base! Just cut it out! Whoever made up this stupid rumor... shame on you. But really, Aliens could just be a little peace if bacteria that people call aliens for short. For all we know aliens could be a short abbreviated way of say alienaia or alienases! There are the theories that the first area they just give you a warning the second they have to right to arrest you and the third they could shoot you! Would you guys really want to do that just to see is a alien is real or not? This is your life we are talking about not just a game where you have multiple tries or warnings! And if you were to get arrested that would be on your record forever! Some jobs you can’t even get into if you have something bad on your record. Trust me... Area 51 has very high tech people protecting the area. If it says top secret it possibly is! Leave it be! I’m sure one day all of this security will drop and it will become something that everyone knows about. Is that really something that you would die to find out? And guys if you did see a Alien... the other people there would probably find you and kill you. So please don’t raid Area 51 there is to much to lose.
