Area 51 photos from pilot reveal new view of mysterious Nevada base

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What is Area 51?

The top-secret military base known as Area 51 has long been a point of discussion for conspiracy theorists who believe the facility holds government secrets about aliens and UFOs.

An up-close view of runways and buildings at the top-secret military base known as Area 51 can be seen in new images from a private pilot who traveled near the mysterious area in the Nevada desert earlier this year.

Area 51 tested aircraft ranging from the U-2 in the 1950s to the B-2 stealth bomber in the 1980s.

The government spent decades refusing to acknowledge the site even existed, before releasing documents confirming it did in 2013. The continued secrecy surrounding the site has fueled rumors of government studies of extraterrestrials and crashed UFOs.

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In that spirit and with tongue planted firmly in cheek, the "Storm Area 51" Facebook event went viral last July as people pledged to overrun the base in an attempt to "see them aliens."

A photo from Gabriel Zeifman shows a new angle of the mysterious base in the Nevada desert known as Area 51. (Gabriel Zeifman)

While the hype last year mostly fizzled out with one festival canceled due to low attendance and only the true "believers" partying in the desert, the area still intrigues many.

A photo from Gabriel Zeifman shows a new angle of the mysterious base in the Nevada desert known as Area 51. (Gabriel Zeifman)

Gabriel Zeifman, an air traffic controller and private pilot, told Mystery Wire he has made three trips near the once-secret base since November.

A photo from Gabriel Zeifman shows a new angle of the mysterious base in the Nevada desert known as Area 51. (Gabriel Zeifman)

Zeifman said he landed in Rachel, Nev., along the Extraterrestrial Highway in November 2019, and had radioed Nellis Air Force Base to ask for permission to fly over the test range in restricted airspace to continue his flight to Henderson Executive Airport. After he was granted permission he flew along the boundary, which he described as "pretty awesome."

A photo from Gabriel Zeifman shows a new angle of the mysterious base in the Nevada desert known as Area 51. (Gabriel Zeifman)

“The first time I saw it, I was kind of surprised because I was still probably 30, 40 miles out and just like wow, okay, well that’s it.," he told Mystery Wire. “I’m not really seeing any activity. It’s just the runways and stuff and I think it’s pretty cool anyway, just seeing that, you know, the place that everybody knows about, talks about but you can’t really see.”

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During his flights, Zeifman has recorded his travel on a GoPro camera and brought along another camera to snap photos of the base.

His photographs show new angles of the mysterious base taken from the northwest of the facility, looking southeast and featuring up-close shots of the buildings.

A photo from Gabriel Zeifman shows a new angle of the mysterious base in the Nevada desert known as Area 51. (Gabriel Zeifman)

In his three flights he's made through the area since November, Zeifman asks for and receives permission to cross through restricted airspace. He then flies along what's known as the "truly restricted border" that's still some 30 to 40 miles away from the base.

A photo from Gabriel Zeifman shows a new angle of the mysterious base in the Nevada desert known as Area 51. (Gabriel Zeifman)

Zeifman told Mystery Wire in each of his trips he's careful not to cross over the border in order to avoid any escalation.

A photo from Gabriel Zeifman shows a new angle of the mysterious base in the Nevada desert known as Area 51. (Gabriel Zeifman)

He believes if anyone else attempted a similar stunt and tried to push the boundaries even more, they could expect a slew of penalties instead of any encounters with a saucer or fighter jet.

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"So I wouldn’t expect anything like the dramatic like they’re going to shoot you down," he told Mystery Wire.