Will Area 51 Be The Next Big Tourist Attraction?

Imagine the look on my face when I heard that Areaaddition, the occasional contacts I have had with
51 might be the next Kennedy Space Center or Airthem have proven to be a good source of
Force Museum? Both the Space Center and Air Forceinformation when it comes to the world of hidden
Museum are two of the most popular, yet leastfacts, secret projects and captured Alien hardware.
publicized attractions in the USA. Boasting an amazingThe most recent tidbit may be something for all of
array of exhibits, aircraft, spacecraft and Imaxus to get a bit excited about.
presentations, these tourist destinations are home toAnyone with half a brain knew that the government
some of our greatest national treasures. However,was not going to leave captured Alien hardware lying
could they even hold a candle to the popularity ofaround a place that was quickly becoming as
Area 51 as a tourist destination if it were opened toinfamous as it had been secret. Once Robert Lazar
the public?and the other whistle blowers came forward, there
It was over ten years ago that I was contacted bywas little doubt that most of the good stuff would
a small group of former military personnel who hadbe or was already in the process of being moved
some amazing stories to tell. Individually and as aelsewhere. Given that, the Government had some
group, they claimed to have piloted captured Alientough choices to make about Area 51.
hardware for the U.S. Government. In thoseDespite a land grab that was designed to keep the
whistleblower days of the late 1980s and early 1990s,curious away from Groom Lake, the area quickly
there was no shortage of ex-government folkbecame the focus of everyone from mildly
claiming to have intimate knowledge about theinterested tourists to dedicated UFO researchers
Government cover-up of information concerningalike. Over the past decade, new photos of the
Aliens and UFOs. Some of these people wereproperty available from photo sneaks and private
believable enough, but most lacked a story oreyes in the sky have shown improved roads and
evidence that stood up to long-term scrutiny. Thesenew buildings. Because we know so little about the
guys were different.property, it's difficult to say what that kind of
Having grown up around active and retired militaryexpansion means.
personnel, I always found them easy to spot. AmongWhile we all assume that most of what happens in
that group, Officers and Military Pilots were definiteand around Groom Lake has to do with advanced
standouts. As I was introduced to this group of menaircraft testing, it's important to remember that the
over a short period of time, they struck me assecret nature of the property also makes it a prime
officers and pilots. More then that, they also seemedplace for government research into almost anything
to have the kind of technical backgrounds andthey don't want you to know about. Given the
training that would befit Astronauts. It was obviousinformation provided to me by the UFO Test Pilot
that these guys were telling either the truth or agroup previously mentioned, I believe that Area 51
well-scripted story that I was supposed to believemay be moving in a new and very unexpected
and share.direction. An already successful Base model may aid
These 'UFO Pilots' are people of strong character andthat direction.
conviction. They came to me because they had aWright-Patterson Air Force Base is the home to the
beef with the Government. After watching howU.S. Air Force Museum and a lot more. A huge facility,
whistleblowers like Bill English, John Lear, Wendelleit is easily accessible from several Interstate
Stevens, Robert Lazar and others were belittled orHighways and convenient local roads. The very public
ignored by the press, roasted by their peers andside of the Base in the form of the Air Force
mistreated by over-zealous UFO researchers, theyMuseum hides a very private side as well. It's no big
wanted no part of all that. After hearing me during asecret that some of the most important and secret
guest spot on a local radio station in Orlando, oneresearch conducted by the Air Force has been and
member of their unique little group decided to attendcontinues to be carried out there. Hide in plain site
a seminar that I gave in Florida. While unsure whetherseems to be their motto.
to trust me or not, he liked the fact people at theAlleged home of the legendary Hangar 18,
seminar seemed to trust me with personal storiesWright-Patterson was at least one destination of
and decided to give me a try.some material from the 1947 Roswell UFO crash.
After a short series of cloak and dagger styleMany believe that one or more captured Alien
contacts, I met with the guy I call the "UFO Pilot' andspacecrafts have been brought, studied and possibly
heard his amazing story at a small motel in Florida. Hestored there over the years. Home to exotic Air
came to me because several of his crewmates diedForce agencies of the past and present like Project
in what he considered unnecessarily dangerous testsBluebook and the Foreign Technology Division, many
of Alien hardware in different places around the USA.consider Wright-Patterson to be the very heart of
In at least one case, several civilians were killed asthe Air Force.
well. To understand his frustration, I have to share aDuring the early 1990s, a television news crew was
few details about these tests.allowed access to some of the areas underneath the
The men and women of this special team of pilotsbase. Although access was severely limited, their
worked under more then unusual conditions. Due tocamera work revealed the existence of underground
the mechanical nature of the Alien objects they weretunnels, vaults and storage areas. These could simply
flying, it took up to five people to pilot one craft.be bunkers with a few connecting passages, but
These people were jammed in a most uncomfortablemaps and documents leaked out over the years
and unsafe way into what amounts to a 'woodenseem to indicate a large number of interconnecting
box' inside the control area of the object. Theunderground facilities beneath the base. None of this
'wooden box' structure provided a still unclearseems to have affected the ability of
measure of safety and access to human operationWright-Patterson AFB to host foreign military visitors,
of the object that was never fully explained to menational and international dignitaries and the general
for security reasons. Inside the box, the human pilotspublic.
had access to controls that had been specially builtIt has worked with Wright-Patterson, so why not
for them. These special devices gave the pilotsArea 51? If the UFO Pilots are correct, parts of Area
some, but not a full measure of control needed to51 may soon be open to the public. How open and
operate the craft.which parts remain to be seen. Will they follow the
The pilots had been told very little about how theDisney model of opening a Welcome Center before
object they were trying to fly came into U.S.anything else is ready? If such a plan exists, only
Government hands. It was obvious to them that theselect parts of Area 51 will be available for public
technology and design of the craft came from avisitation. After all, every major division of the U.S.
completely different sphere of technical influence. ItMilitary and various U.S. Government agencies are
seemed as though the beings that built this craftrepresented there.
started from a framework of manipulating the naturalIf we are to believe our own eyes, satellite photos
forces of the universe, while we started our modernindicate that quite a bit of building has gone on since
era of transportation with the internal combustionArea 51 first came to the public's attention. It's a
engine. This made for two very different and oftengiven that some of it has to involve underground
incompatible technologies. The result of trying toconstruction as well. After all, the place already has a
combine the two was often disastrous.reputation for hosting deep underground bunkers,
After several crashes, near crashes and deaths withintunnels and research areas. It would be logical to
their group and among the civilian population of areasassume that the Nevada heat and need for secrecy
where tests took place, these men were madewould create the certainty of utilizing the space
scapegoats. All were unceremoniously dumped frombelow ground in as many practical ways as possible.
the program they were involved in. That was notApart from the quiet mutterings of the UFO Pilots
akin to just losing a job. They were blamed for beingand other insiders, making Area 51 a place for public
unable to properly operate Alien technology that wasvisitation would be a brilliant move from a publicity
never meant to be touched by humans. This madestandpoint. At a time when many people in the USA
them pariahs as possible test pilot candidates for anyeither love or hate the military, opening Area 51 might
other future government programs involving secrethave a very positive effect on public perception.
or captured air or space craft. In addition, theAlthough I do not see any sign of the UFO cover-up
secrecy side of their work made them unavailable forlifting, opening the Base and exposing the
flight duty or employment of any kind inside orconventional side of the Area 51 story would allow us
outside of the U.S. Military.all access to some level of forbidden history.
Although I felt sorry for them, I knew that anytimeMost government insiders fail to recognize the value
anyone accepts unusual duties within the U.S. Militaryof 'coming clean' about past secrets. Whenever that
or Government Services; they throw the dice of life.happens, there is always a rise in the level of
There are no shortage of Veterans, long forgottenconfidence people have in their government and the
by an allegedly grateful nation, who are dying ofmilitary. It's almost ridiculous that there are still
diseases and medical problems directly related to theirclassified documents that have never been released
service. Many have limited or no access toto the public dating back to the days before World
government medical services and have not beenWar I. Most classified document researchers believe
properly compensated for their sacrifice.that it may be at least fifty to well over one hundred
The best I could do for these people was to sharemore years before even a small number of the many
their story in my newsletter and through mysecret files from the World War II time period are
seminars. Lacking the ability to learn or share theirreleased.
identities or other specifics about the world ofWhen Area 51 became the target of investigative
secrecy in which they existed, I had few options.journalists and UFO researchers, it also became a
Calling a press conference would be fruitless. It didplace with new security concerns. There can be little
not and has not worked for even the mostdoubt that at least a few of the many thousands of
impressive former military or technical people claimingpeople who have taken bus tours or day trips out to
involvement with secret UFO projects and it wouldthe very edge of the property have had other
not work for them.agendas. Some may have been foreign operatives.
Although extremely intelligent and well trained, I couldOthers could have been potential terrorists. Either
easily see that these people were very naïveway, no secret facility could ever survive the kind of
about the U.S. Government's ability to just throwscrutiny leveled at the Groom Lake test facility for
people away. None believed it could or would happenvery long.
to them, until it did. I could also understand their lackArea 51 faces an enemy greater then foreign agents
of enthusiasm when it came to sharing specifics oror investigative journalists. That enemy is expansion.
personal identities. They were all left with some sortWhile the government still owns or controls most of
of small financial compensation and none wanted tothe land area in Nevada, the southwestern housing
risk the stipend they were receiving despite theirboom is bringing people ever closer to the
frustration, anger and feelings of betrayal.government's front door. Despite environmental
Although I have had infrequent contact with most ofconcerns, alleged water and electricity shortages and
these people, the news has been promising. All haveeconomic slowdowns, permanent housing and all the
managed to move on in one way or another, despitesupport structures that come with it are moving ever
their obvious identity and employment constraints. Incloser every year.