AREA 51 Sightings, Dec. 8-9th 1996
"Ships in Multitudes" (Part I)
Report by Karen Lustrup
UFOIA SIT Team Number 6140 Norway
(Re-edited by Jerry Washington)
AREA 51- GROOMLAKE
The following paragraph is provided by Parascope in an attempt to shed some light on the Area 51 phenomena. It is written by Condor, a Parascope operative who at this time wishes to remain anonymous. Parascope has, however, confirmed Condor's identity and the facts of this report and stand by it's assertions as 100% accurate.
Area 51 is a secret Air Force base secluded deep within a wide-ranging tract of restricted government land in the remote Nevada desert. About two hours' drive north-northwest of Las Vegas, Area 51 - also known as Groom Lake, S-4 and Papoose Lake - is shrouded in mystery.
Generally believed to be the training and development zone for the military's most secret projects, particularly spy planes and stealth technology, rumors of something more sinister taking place at Area 51 persist despite any compelling evidence. Widespread speculation ranges about exactly what goes on at the base. A number of people have reported strange sightings in the sky above the base, and others contend the military uses the base to study downed and captured alien craft, even aliens themselves, eventually using the alien technology in military projects. For the past several decades, the Air Force has officially denied the existence of Area 51, also known as the Groom Lake installation. But in a recent statement, it has admitted that something exists in the middle of the desert, but won't say what. The brief text of that statement reads as follows: "There are a variety of facilities throughout the Nellis Range Complex. We do have facilities within the complex near the dry lakebed of Groom Lake. The facilities of the Nellis Range Complex are used for testing and training technologies, operations, and systems critical to the effectiveness of U.S. military forces. Specific activities conducted at Nellis cannot be discussed any further than that."
"OUR JOURNEY GETTING THERE":
On the night of December 8th, at approximately10:45 p.m., Maria Elisa de Barros, Sergel Sanchez and myself, Karen Lustrup, entered Area 51 from Interstate 15 north out of Las Vegas. We followed 93 north through Alamo and Ash Springs, and took off at state highway 375 and went east/north towards the small town of Rachel. Turning onto the dirt road at marker 29, we followed it another four miles until the road split in three directions with us taking the middle fork; then another well-groomed dirt road for another mile: Groom Lake Road. One could follow this road another 8 miles to the boundary of the base. Since the boundary was neither marked nor fenced, we were weary of crossing that border which could have resulted in us being detained. We drove carefully and watched for any signs that would indicate that we were getting too close. But there was nothing, other than our senses, to tell us we were close enough.
Outside of the car, looking up, there was, as Sergel had reported from his previous trip to Area 51 just three days earlier, a fake cloud hanging over the area. Every where else the sky was perfectly clear. This particular cloud was circular shaped, open in the middle, and stationary. It wasn't going anywhere.
All the public maps marking the lakes in the area claim that these lakes are dry. Sergel, however, told about a lake very close to the base, filled with water. There are rumors that [the experimental] H.A.A.R.P. system (weather control?) is in use at Area 51 in order to create fake clouds over the base to provide cover for the shuttle-like training of manmade and/or extraterrestrial aircraft that goes on there. At least the cloud was evident.
Another thing he briefed me about was a new device called the G-22. These are laser-beams with mini-microphones attached - beams that hit the car and can then tap into whatever is being said inside. We kept our eyes open for anything like that but never encountered any.
We then saw lights coming towards us from the base area at rapid speed, and we climbed back into the car and drove away in fear of having come too close. We'd seen no signs, and felt we had at least another mile or so to go before we'd crossed over into the restricted zone. Still, we felt safer backing out, just in case. We drove until we reached the 3-way fork in the road, and stopped again. The lights behind us ceased their pursuit. We stepped out of the car and had our first sighting of lights bouncing and moving within the cloud formation. Distinct lights, in a distinct jumping motion. We watched flickers, flashes and sparks, and tremendously rapid streaks of light moving from base to cloud.
I need to stress that the weather was good, and clear, and that this cloud was hanging fairly low over the base at app. 25-40 m. in altitude, and was app. another 15- 20 m. in height. The diameter of the cloud's ring could be estimated to be up to a kilometer. For those who haven't been to the area, I should mention that there are mountain ranges surrounding AREA 51 that aren't particularly lofty in altitude. A peak that may be closing soon, which is located between the base and Rachel to the north, afforded us a good view in all directions. Sergel and I were both very active in scanning the sky around us, while Maria Elisa remained in the back seat of the car - tired and withdrawn from the couple of days we'd spent in Sedona and Flagstaff. She had slept for most of the way up, and dozed-off-and-on continuously throughout the entire night, and show.
Another set of lights came towards us, from a hillside off to the south. It was moving so fast that it was hard to comprehend considering it was traveling over a loose-dirt road. We got back in the car, and stepped on the gas-pedal in an attempt to get even further away from the restricted zone. The feeling was intimidating to say the least. We threw our camcorders and camera into a cooler, and continued our effort to make our escape - this time driving even faster than before (if that's possible). Perhaps that was also the intention of our pursuers.
Sergel was ready to leave for good at that point and head home. Not that I couldn't understand his point of view, I certainly did, but I felt determined not to show fear and give-in to the system, and the little game of chase & run. I had come clear across the world to experience Area 51 and didn't have the wherewithal to make another trip conveniently. Perhaps a lot of folks who visit Area 51 do get scared off initially, and don't get the opportunity to see what we saw and experienced by the end of the night.
Before long we were out of the restricted zone on what was now a semi-public road and they couldn't touch us even if they wanted too. They could scare us, but not apprehend us. That gave me the security I needed at this point to convince myself that we should stick around. Sergel, on the other hand, was feeling the stress, so I tried to calm him.
THE FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THE CONVERSATION TAKING PLACE DURING THE VIDEO TAPING OF THESE EVENTS:
S: Shit, shit.... do you see the lights?
K: No. No, I don't see a thing.
S: Any lasers?
K: Nope, not a thing [head turned backwards]. Relax, don't drive so fast!
S: Where the hell did they go?
K: THERE'S NOTHING... Okay, shall we stop again?
S: No, I'm going to stop down there, it's safer to stop down there...Stopping...
K: Let's see...where'd that thing go ..I want to see the lights in the cloud again. Where? Oh, there it is..see it [looking upward]?
S: Yep. there it is..oh, shit - here's comes the car or truck again! See it? PAN ON IT! I'm out of here! K: The lights blinking there in the cloud, it's ..
S: Shiiitt, oh shit! Jesus, here they come!
K: Go easy...eeaasssy, not too fast...
S: Oh man.... shittt! They can haul some ass!!
K: I know, it's ok though. DON'T show fear. If you show fear, you've lost. They've won. Go eaaasy!
S: Oh man... Lights gone.... where'd they go?
K: I don't know...
S: Man what a rush!! OOOOO whooo! Ok, look for 'em…UFOs.
K: Oh yeah, it's right there in the cloud, two of them shining through, one in the middle… one on the top of it to the right. Hope the video will pick them up. [Hanging out the window filming] There's two of them!
S: What a rush!! That was fat! I thought we were dead - he was jamming full throttle towards us. Oh my God. [Still driving, but with the headlights turned off] I hope we're going the right way.
Parking the car again along the road, we climbed out to really get a piece of the action. Thanks to the cloud, we were able to see in the dark and to gauge about how far we were from the restricted area. We also found that we were able to see just as much from our new vantage point, plus we had the luxury of feeling safer.
We observed some new flashes and movements within the cloud, followed by complete stillness and no lights. About 40 seconds later it started again. New streaks flashed-up from the ground into the cloud. Then it started for real.
TRANSCRIPT, Con.
Note: For some reason, the video-camera didn't record what we were seeing, even though the UFOs were extremely close to us at times - but it did record our voices. Also: The good thing about the area is that it is Restricted Air Space, meaning there are no other aircraft around other than those connected to Area 51. The only commercial flights are the so-called Janes: the ones ferrying people and supplies to and from Las Vegas at regular intervals. Whatever we observed cannot be mistaken for those flights.
K: [Standing outside the car once again] Ok there it is...on the ground. Watch it. WOW, did you see it flash…from cloud to earth? There's a light on the ground, but it's still... ah, there it is. It's blinking. Oh my god! Wow…WOW!!! It came from the cloud! See that flash?
S: Yeah, man!
K: Why isn't the camera picking this up?
S: Neither does mine! They're in the cloud right there...
K: Let's follow the light on the ground over there. It changed shape from round to oblong.
S: I see it...gee. Keeping one eye here, one there...they're coming from everywhere.
K: There's a light...there's a light! Smack in the hill…just watch it! Oops, 'turned off. Gone! There, the cloud…one...
S: Yeah. That's what I'm watching.
K: Oh, here comes a car again.
S: [Stressed] Oh, Man!
K: Oh, look at it...looks like front lights.
S: Want to get out of here?
K: Nope. I'm staying. They can't do anything.
S: Look the lights, the front-lights, they're getting smaller. It's moving backwards....
K: It IS moving backwards, ...getting smaller...but we should have seen red lights, not white... is this an optical illusion or what?
S: Man here it comes again [the object moves in rapidly]. I'm out of here, throw the cameras!!!
We dive into the car again. Maria Elisa wonders what degree of morbidity could possibly be driving our curiosity, and Sergel says it's the ships. I say it's because of the apparent cover-up concerning the place and the fact that I come from Europe; bringing Area 51 closer to me, in a sense, than for those living so close by. I need to experience it first hand and not just read reports…to make judgements. I have to do the foot and legwork and research, because that's what research takes sometimes - getting close to the flame.
Now we're out on the real public road. Real, as in safe from the Feds, that is. At this point I felt there was more to fear from them than any ETs should they be out there. Meanwhile: Maria Elisa, wrapped up snuggly inside a blanket, doses off again in the backseat of the car. It was freezing out there that night.
*END OF PART ONE*
(Kentucky/MUFON would like to thank KAREN LUSTRUP for her exclusive permission to post this re-edited account to our website.)
