Gabriel Zeifman took the images last weekend, from his Cessna 150. He was able to fly over the area after receiving permission from air traffic controllers because the space was “cold”, that is, that there were no military flights taking place at that moment.
Among the photographs taken, there are some that show a massive hangar under construction at Groom Lake, the highly classified Air Force facility popularly known as Area 51.
“Probably the most exciting part was the first time I saw Groom Lake, it’s a very strange place to watch,” Zeifman told the Daily Mail. “It is something that many have heard of but very few have seen. So I am happy to be able to share my experience visually with others”.
“It is definitely interesting to fly over the area, all the history it has and the activities that are currently taking place there (tests and exercises in Red Flag with all the military branches and allies of NATO),” said the pilot. “And it’s great to get permission to fly in this airspace, but you have to be very careful when you do. You don’t want to accidentally enter a place where it is not allowed, it’s like playing with fire ».
Area 51 is just one of the military installations located at the Nevada Training and Testing Camp (NTTR), a vast military area in the Mojave Desert.
Until a few years ago, the US government did not recognize the existence of Area 51 and, even though he did it in 2013are still classified as TOP SECRET the activities inside, which has led to many speculations, including that the remains of accident and recovered extraterrestrial ships are stored there. Others affirm that what is seen on the surface is only a facade and that what is truly interesting is underground.
Activity and hangars
Zeifman’s photos show that activity in Area 51 continues to be hectic, with a massive new hangar under construction alongside existing ones that were once used to house F-117 Nighthawk stealth aircraft. It is unclear what the new hangar will be used for, but it certainly leaves the others around him small.
The pilot was also able to capture stunning images from the Tonopah Test Ground, a major military airport within the NTTR.
In the past, Tonopah was the most used site to assess the capabilities of Soviet MiG fighters, secretly obtained during the Cold War. Also, it knew to be the main base of operations for the Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk for many years, after the tests on this airplane were completed in Area 51.
Today, the 30th Reconnaissance Squadron flies stealth drones RQ-170 Sentinel from this military airport.
Restricted by default
Zeifman explained that he had been very cautious in receiving permission to fly over a restricted airspace and that the consequences of not having it could be disastrous. “Most of the restricted airspace out there is continuously designated. This means that when in doubt, as a pilot, you must ALWAYS assume that it is restricted.
“In these blocks of airspace, you need to speak to a Nellis post and be in the radar service to have specific permission to enter. If you are flying on a route that will enter the zone and the airspace is not being used by the military at the time, then it is possible to receive this permit for some of the blocks, “he added.
As for the national security implications of sharing the images with the public, they are nothing that Russia no longer has as it has flown sophisticated reconnaissance aircraft under the Open Skies Treaty.
Source | Daily Mail
