It just amazes me the diversity we have in this list! Former commercial
pilots, helicopter pilots, rocket scientists, shepherds...... well, maybe no
shepherds, but it is amazing!
JB in OH
----- Original Message -----
From: <ARDUNDOUG@aol.com>
To: <land-speed@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2000 1:00 AM
Subject: Fwd: Skunk Works and Area-51?
> <<
> 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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