Heard of Area 51? Well, here's Area 6

[C C]

More goings-on at the Nevada National Security Site. Temporary Flight Restrictions have been announced over an area above what's said to be the "Device Assembly Facility". (Hummm...what kind of "devices"? Where's Grusch when we need him??)

They aren't kidding either. They say that pilots that violate the TFR will be are subject to losing their pilots licenses, are subject to criminal prosecution... and this:

"The United States government may use deadly force against the airborne ACFT, if it is determined that the ACFT poses an imminent security threat, pursuant to 14 CFR 99.7, Special Security Instructions" (Translation - if a jet fighter appears off your wingtip and its pilot tells you to land where he directs, better do it.) 

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Nice to know that mostly empty and government owned Nevada is being used for something. Even though the state has 3,104,614 people... the overwhelming bulk of them (2,265,461) live in just one county: Clark. With another half million in Washoe County. The rest of the counties have to be gigantic size just to slot at either under 50,000 or at far worse under a mere 6,000.

"About 86% of the state's land is managed by various jurisdictions of the U.S. federal government, both civilian and military." ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada

[confused2]

FAA notice..
https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_3_...strictions
10 mile radius and 10,000 feet high.
Something small and very nasty?

[Yazata]

Cool photo, taken in the early 1990's I think, of the secret Tonopah Test Range at the northern end of the Nellis ranges (that include Groom Lake/Area 51). This was right after the existence of the first stealth fighters was made public. (They were more accurately bombers since they weren't fast or maneuverable, but they remain to this day perhaps the stealthiest manned aircraft ever made. Unlike newer stealth aircraft, these were designed all around stealth with less thought to their other flying qualities.) During the 1980's, prior to their being publicly announced, they were a "black project" (that officially didn't even exist) and flew from their then-secret base at Tonopah. When they weren't flying they spent all their time tucked in the hangers so that Russian spy satellites couldn't get a look at them.

They were supposedly retired from service as newer stealth fighters (like the F-22 and F-35) entered service. But aviation enthusiasts continued to report occasionally seeing these very peculiar planes in the sky over Nevada and California. Then about a year ago it was officially revealed that some of them are still flying out of Tonopah. It's assumed that they are used to test radars (these are the stealthiest planes in existence hence hardest to detect) and in training scenarios giving combat pilots experience going up against the stealthiest of stealth planes.

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[Yazata]

Cool video of two F-117 stealth fighters flying through a canyon somewhere in Nevada or California.

So yeah, despite supposedly being retired long ago, an unknown number of them are still alive and flying.

https://twitter.com/JarodMHamilton/statu...1886840126