<<
Group,
Some of you guys might get a giggle out of my observations regards
"Area-51" near Tonopah, NV.
When I started flying commercially in the mid 60's Area-51 was a little
gunnery range for the Nellis AFB (near Las Vegas) guys. It was a dry-lake
that looked like a giant exclamation mark from the air. As it was, our Jet
Airway ran right over the site, giving everybody a clear view of it.
At the northern end of the gunnery range was a little paved Air Force
landing strip used to service the gunnery range. It didn't take long for an
enterprising madame named Beverley Herrell(sp) to move in some trailers and
establish a fly-in brothel. Rumor had it that she had a Unicom fequency radio
receiver (universal frequency around local airports) that her customers would
use to secure a ride from the landing strip to her "establishment". I tried
calling her several times at altitude but never got an answer. I even used to
tell the passengers about her.
The local media finally got hold of her story, publicized it, and made
her famous. She gained even more notoriety when the Air Force kicked her and
her collection of trailers off the property. Using that notoriety to her
advantage she later ran for the Neveda Legislature. I can't remember if she
was elected or not.
As the years went by we watched the facility grow from a short air strip
with no supporting buildings to the sprawling "Area-51" with its long runway
and semi-hidden maze of buildings.
One day in the 80's I couldn't stand it any longer, and, as I passed
overhead I picked up the microphone and innocently asked the air traffic
controller "What's that big facility with the loooooong runway I'm looking at
just south of Tonopah?". His instantaneous reply was "There's no facility
south of Tonopah". OoooooooK, if you say so sir.
Just a little giggle from my "former-life"..........Ardun Doug King >>
Return-path: <ARDUNDOUG@aol.com>
From: ARDUNDOUG@aol.com
Full-name: ARDUN DOUG
Message-ID: <f7.498fa06.27438045@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 00:59:33 EST
Subject: Re: Skunk Works and Area-51?
To: FastmetalBDF@aol.com
MIME-Version: 1.0
X-Mailer: Windows AOL sub 124
Group,
Some of you guys might get a giggle out of my observations regards
"Area-51" near Tonopah, NV.
When I started flying commercially in the mid 60's Area-51 was a little
gunnery range for the Nellis AFB (near Las Vegas) guys. It was a dry-lake
that looked like a giant exclamation mark from the air. As it was, our Jet
Airway ran right over the site, giving everybody a clear view of it.
At the northern end of the gunnery range was a little paved Air Force
landing strip used to service the gunnery range. It didn't take long for an
enterprising madame named Beverley Herrell(sp) to move in some trailers and
establish a fly-in brothel. Rumor had it that she had a Unicom fequency radio
receiver (universal frequency around local airports) that her customers would
use to secure a ride from the landing strip to her "establishment". I tried
calling her several times at altitude but never got an answer. I even used to
tell the passengers about her.
The local media finally got hold of her story, publicized it, and made
her famous. She gained even more notoriety when the Air Force kicked her and
her collection of trailers off the property. Using that notoriety to her
advantage she later ran for the Neveda Legislature. I can't remember if she
was elected or not.
As the years went by we watched the facility grow from a short air strip
with no supporting buildings to the sprawling "Area-51" with its long runway
and semi-hidden maze of buildings.
One day in the 80's I couldn't stand it any longer, and, as I passed
overhead I picked up the microphone and innocently asked the air traffic
controller "What's that big facility with the loooooong runway I'm looking at
just south of Tonopah?". His instantaneous reply was "There's no facility
south of Tonopah". OoooooooK, if you say so sir.
Just a little giggle from my "former-life"..........Ardun Doug King
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