The following is a timeline of history and events at the Groom Lake area.
April 1955:
Under orders from Kelly Johnson Lockheed test pilot Tony LeVier searches for a remote area where the U2 can be tested. Finding Groom Lake he returns with Kelly Johnson and a CIA representative to investigate further. Johnson decided that the runway would be placed to the south of Groom Lake and work begins under the direction of Lockheed Skunk Works.
July 24 1955:
The first U2 prototype is shipped via C-124 transport plane from the Lockheed Skunk Works to Groom Lake.
August 4 1955:
The first flight of the U2 took part at Groom Lake.
August 19 1955:
President Eisenhower signs the Executive Order 10633 restricting airspace over Groom Lake.
November 17 1955:
A C-54 transport plane crashes into Mt. Charleston en route to Groom Lake resulting in the death of the 9 civilian workers and 5 military.
Fall 1956:
6 Pilots from SAC start training in the U2 at Groom Lake.
April 4 1957:
A U2 (#6696) equipped with radar spoofing equipment crashes during testing near Groom lake, killing the pilot.
June 20 1958:
Public Land Order 1662 is enacted by Roger Ernst resulting in 60 square miles being withdrawn for use “by the Atomic Energy Commission in connection with the Nevada Test Site”.
November 1959:
A fuel scale mockup of an A-12 is shipped to Groom Lake for radar signature testing.
September 1960:
A major expansion of the Groom Lake facility begins in order to accommodate the A-12 (OXCART) program. This construction would not be completed until mid 1964.
September 7 1960:
Work begins on lengthening and strengthening the existing runway which was 5,000′ to 8,500′. The work was completed by November.
Late 1961:
Colonel Robert J. Holbury is named commander of the Groom Lake base.
Early 1962:
The fuel tank farm is completed with a capacity of 1,320,000 gallons.
January 15 1962:
The restricted airspace over Groom Lake is expanded due to a request from the Air Force citing an immediate and urgent need due to a classified project.
February 26 1962:
The first A-12 Blackbird arrives at Groom Lake for testing.
April 26 1962:
First flight of the A-12.
February 1963:
The first 5 CIA pilots arrive.
July 20 1963:
During testing an A-12 reaches Mach 3.
August 7 1963:
The first flight of the YF-12A.
July 9 1964:
An A-12 crashed while on the final approach to Groom Lake. The pilot managed to eject at an altitude of 500′.
Early 1965:
The OXCART construction was completed and the base population has reached 1,835.
February 27 1965:
First test of the D-21 drone launched from an A-12.
December 28 1965:
An A-12 cashed immediately after takeoff. The pilot ejected and survived.
March 5 1966:
First free flight test of the D-21 near Point Mugu launched from an A-12.
July 30 1966:
A D-21 launched from an A-12 over Point Mugu hit the A-12 destroying it. Both pilots ejected but one drowned before being rescued.
1967:
The Defence Intelligence Agency acquired a MIG 21 which was shipped to Groom Lake for testing.
January 5 1967:
An A-12 ran out of fuel while 70 miles east of Groom Lake and crashed. The pilot was killed.
January 10 1967:
It is decided to phase out the A-12 in favor of the SR-71. The phase out was set to be complete by 1968.
June 21 1968:
The last flight of the A-12 s from Groom Lake to Palmdale. The entire fleet was put in secret storage.
August 28 1968:
The US Geological Survey takes an aerial photo of the Groom Lake base as part of a routine high altitude survey. This photo was available until 1994 when the government withdrew it.
November 16 1977:
” Have Blue” the F-117A Stealth fighter prototype was shipped to Groom Lake.
December 1 1977:
First flight of the “Have Blue”.
May 4 1978:
The first “Have Blue” crashed after its landing gear was damaged.
July 20 1978:
The first flight of the second “Have Blue” prototype.
July 11 1979:
The second “Have Blue” prototype crashed 35 miles NW of Groom Lake due to an engine fire.
June 18 1981:
First flight of the production F-117A stealth fighter.
February 1982:
First flight of “Tactic Blue”.
April 1982:
The existence of the A-12 was declassified.
April 20 1982:
The first production model of the F-117A crashed during tests.
October 15 1982:
Beginning of tests with second F-117A production model.
Late 1982:
The first Stealth fighter squadron begins moving from Groom Lake to new facilities at the Tonopah Test Range.
June 1983:
First flight of HALSOL, which was a solar powered high altitude UAV. These tests ran for 2 months.
Early 1984:
The Air Force takes another 89,000 acres north and west of Groom Lake.
April 26 1984:
General Robert Bond was killed when the MIG 23 he was traveling on crashed into Little Skul Mountain.
1985:
“Tactic Blue” program ends.
December 1987:
Congress authorizes the Air Force’s land seizure.
July 17 1988:
A photo of Groom Lake was taken by a Soviet spy satellite which are destined for publication in a number of publications.
May 1989:
Robert Lazar’s first interview on KLAS-TV in Las Vegas. He stated that he worked at Papoose Lake, southwest of Groom Lake to reverse engineer captured extraterrestrial craft.
October 18 1993:
The Air Force files a notice in the Federal Register seeking to take another 3972 acres from public use in order to hamper views of Area 51 from Freedom Ridge and Whitesides Peak.
April 10 1995:
Freedom Ridge and Whitesides Peak are closed to the public.
January 1996:
It was reported that the Bechtel Corporation begun work to lengthen the second runway by 5,000′.
August 1999:
A large fire took place on the mountainside just north of Groom Lake.
photos & info from Dreamland Resort
October 1999:
Air Force takes official ownership of Area 51 in a land swap deal, signed by President Clinton.
The white Jeep Cherokee security vehicles driven by the Cammo Dudes are being replaced by Ford F-150′s, and later Chevy 2500 4×4 pickup trucks.
2000:
The Transient Parking ramp (JANET ramp) was excavated and re-paved.
January 31, 2000:
President Clinton exempts Area 51 from disclosure to the EPA.
read more…
August 2000:
Col. David W. Eidsaune assigned as commander of DET 3, AFFTC.
October 2000:
Area 51 North Gate (Back Gate) is upgraded with a chain link fence, double gate and a new guard shack.
F-22A (91-4004) was flown through the Dynamic Coherent Measurement System (DYCOMS) airborne RCS range (known on-site as Project 100 or simply P-100) to verify the low-observable characteristics of the Lockheed Martin F/A-22A Raptor.
All but two of the original tanks in the fuel farm were removed and two new large tanks were installed.
April 2001:
The South Delta Taxiway was marked as Runway 12/30. It is approximately 5,420-feet-long and 150-feet-wide, with convenient access to the Southend ramp. Runway 14R/32L was closed in its entirety.
December 2001:
DET 3 security personnel from EG&G Technical Services went on strike for two days, citing low wages and excessive amounts of overtime in the three months since the terrorist strikes in September. Supervisors were forced to man posts vacated by the 70 striking guards.
June 2002:
Col. Thomas J. Masiello assigned as commander of DET 3, AFFTC.
Early 2003:
Construction of the two new fuel tanks is completed.
A new Center Taxiway, providing access to Runway 14L/32R, is constructed. It includes a new access way to Hangar 19 (the “Scoot-n-Hide shed”). Construction is completed by July 2003.
Mid-2003:
The Southend ramp in front of Hangars 9 through 16 was similarly replaced in the summer of 2003.
March 2004:
A Beech 1900 (N27RA), operated by EG&G, crashed on a flight from Groom to TTR. The civilian pilot, David D. Palay, and passengers Derrick L. Butler, Michael A. Izold, Daniel M. Smalley, and Roy A. Van Voorhis (contractors with JT3 LLC) perished.
“The Air Force Materiel Command Beech 1900 crashed while on a routine support mission from a remote classified airstrip on the Nellis range to the Tonopah Test Range. It departed at 03:43 for Tonopah. After reporting the runway lights in sight, the pilot configured the airplane for the approach and initiated a circling maneuver to the right for a visual straight-in approach to runway 32. During the turn the pilot suffered a sudden cardiac death. Half way through the turn the airplane began a gradual descent until it impacted the ground. The airplane broke up and burst into flames. Investigation revealed that the pilot had violated federal policy and directives, willfully deceived flight medical examiners, suppressed significant medical information and ingested inappropriate medications for a deteriorating and dangerous health condition. The pilot had high blood pressure and failed to report it, and denied taking medications to his Federal Aviation Administration flight physical examiners.”
May 2004:
The 413th Flight Test Squadron was inactivated as part of a consolidation and realignment of EW assets.
Spring 2005:
50th Anniversary of establishment of Groom Lake test facility.
source: Dreamland Resort & vectors.usc.edu
