This copyrighted article originally appeared in the November 1992 HUFON REPORT, the newsletter of the Houston UFO Network, Inc. For more information call (713) 850-1352. See accompanying GIF file, UGBASES.GIF UNDERGROUND BASES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA There has been a great deal of new information about UFO activity in Southern California, specifically in the vicinity of Lancaster, Palmdale and Edwards AFB. It appears that three research facilities operated by Northrop, McDonnell-Douglas and Lockheed are involved with developing new types of aircraft which possibly utilize anti-gravity propulsion. There are also reports by people who say they work at (or used to work at) these facilities. They describe huge, elaborate, underground complexes that are linked together by tunnels. Not only that, but some local residents have told UFO researchers that they have been abducted and taken to an underground facility where they report seeing humans in military uniforms and small grey-skinned "alien" beings. An outline of my preliminary on-site investigation follows: The Northrop facility goes by the name of "The Tejon Ranch" (pronounced tay-on). It is sometimes referred to by UFO researchers as the "Tehachapi Ranch." It is located in the foothills of the Tehachapi mountains, at the mouth of Little Oak Canyon, about 25 miles northwest of Lancaster, California. It is not under restricted airspace. Although the public is told that this is a cattle ranch, no livestock are visible anywhere on the property. UFO researcher, Bill Hamilton says that if asked, Northrop Corporation will say that this is an "electromagnetic research facility". UFO Researcher, Norio Hayakawa, reports that the signs at the main entrance gate read: "PRIVATE PROPERTY-NO TRESPASSING." Other signs read: "DANGER! POISON DEVICES IN THE AREA! THESE DEVICES ARE DANGEROUS. THEY CONTAIN DEADLY CYANIDE. STAY AWAY AND KEEP YOUR DOGS AWAY. THESE DEVICES ARE THE PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND ARE USED FOR PROTECTION OF LIVESTOCK AND GAME ANIMALS. TAMPERING WITH THESE DEVICES OR THIS SIGN IS A FEDERAL OFFENSE. THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE." It is the opinion of some researchers that there is no cyanide and these signs merely serve as a deterrent. This facility does not appear to have anything to do with livestock. Another sign attached to the cattle gate reads: "NORTHROP CORPORATION-PICO RIVERA." Norio Hayakawa also reports that a white van with government plates is seen entering the cattle gate daily at 7am, 3pm, and 11pm. It is driven by a uniformed guard with a Northrop arm patch, and usually contains additional military personnel in uniform. In the aerial photos, the long, wide surfaces are not runways. There are white-painted diamond-shaped openings on these surfaces. A white pylon is visible in the center of one diamond shape. A pylon "rack" and antenna array are located near the main buildings. One obvious purpose of this and the other facilities operated by McDonnell- Douglas and Lockheed is for "Stealth" aircraft research. Various objects or aircraft shapes can be placed on the pylons and radar or other types of energy can be projected at the aircraft shapes so that the reflected energy can be measured or other types of experiments can be made. There may be other purposes for this arrangement. The Northrop facility is rumored to have at least 42 underground levels and is said to connect to other underground facilities by an extensive network of subterranean tunnels. Many strange aircraft have been seen flying over and around the area, including glowing disks, triangle shapes, large boomerang shapes, elongated shapes with lighted windows, and small glowing spheres. There is one report from a woman who lives about 10 miles east of the Northrop facility. She says that she saw a very large glowing disk hovering over the buildings at the northwest end. The disk was described as being as wide as the group of buildings, which would make it several hundred feet in diameter! Small disks have been reported to be seen coming and going, from the area near the base, perhaps using the white diamond shapes on the "runways" for entry and exit. Black helicopters are commonly seen flying around. While Bill Hamilton and I were near the cattle gate entrance, we saw a dark colored UH-1 "Huey" helicopter approach the area from the direction of Edwards AFB. We lost sight of it as it flew into a canyon just north of the area. We did not see it land at the base. There is rumored to be a disguised entrance in the Tehachapi mountains that may be used by helicopters and perhaps other types of craft. The McDonnell Douglas facility is sometimes referred to as the "Llano" facility. It is located at the site of the old Gray Butte Airport, about six miles southwest of El Mirage dry lake and about nine miles northeast of Llano, California. It is not located under restricted airspace. The original triangular runway configuration is still visible but the runways are no longer used for conventional aircraft takeoffs and landings. Large letters on one runway read "NO TRESPASSING UNSAFE FOR LANDING." Signs attached to the perimeter fence read: "TRESPASSING-LOITERING FORBIDDEN BY LAW. RIGHT TO PASS BY PERMISSION AND SUBJECT TO CONTROL OF OWNER." The main buildings and antennas are at the west end. A large building with internal crane slides on two tracks and can be positioned over a fixed pylon in order to place an object on top of the pylon. Unusual glowing objects are seen mounted on this pylon at night. I myself have seen a glowing object on this pylon that varied in intensity from a dim white to brilliant red/orange. Small glowing spheres have been reported to approach curious onlookers at night. It is thought that these glowing objects might be some type of monitoring device. The maneuvering abilities of these spheres defy explanation. The Lockheed facility is called the RCS (Radar Cross Section) test range. It is sometimes referred to as the "Hellendale" facility. This is a genuine underground base. It also may function as a C.o.G. (continuity of government) facility. It is located next to the site of the old Hellendale auxiliary airport, six miles north of Hellendale, California and two miles south of the southern edge of the Edwards AFB restricted airspace. It is shown as a circle with an X on the Los Angeles aviation sectional chart. The triangular runway configuration is visible to the west. The main buildings and main antenna array are at the south end. The main underground entrance is visible to the north. Two lighter colored gray diamond shapes are visible on the prepared surface. Most straight surfaces are angled away from the antennas. There appear to be numerous openings to the underground visible in the photos. There is a sliding door arrangement at the north end, just above where the road leads underground. Just a few yards to the north is a dark colored square that appears to open like the petals of a flower. Signs at the perimeter fence read: "TRESPASSING-LOITERING FORBIDDEN BY LAW. TRESPASSERS ARE SUBJECT TO PROSECUTION. PRIVATE PROPERTY-NO TRESPASS. LOCKHEED CORP." When I flew over the area, an elliptically-shaped object was mounted on top of the northern pylon and was slowly rotating. I estimate the height of the pylon to be at least 100 feet. The elliptical object is at about 30 feet long. The object is similar in shape to half an almond, flat on the bottom, pointed at both ends, with a curved flange running along each side. What it is I can't be sure, but it is my guess that it is a full-sized "something" rather than a component of something else. On a different day, Bill Hamilton and I observed the Lockheed Hellendale facility from the road just west of the perimeter fence. As we watched, two large doors opened up and a pylon with elliptical object attached rose up out of the ground. The large doors are still open in the photos and video. This object could be the same as the one seen from the air, but since it was only seen from one side, it is not known for certain if it was actually disk- shaped, but it is possible. In August, I was in the Los Angeles area and met with Gary Schultz and Norio Hayakawa. They reported that on a recent visit to the same area, they saw a definite disk-shaped object on the pylon. So what does all this mean? It means that for the first time, we have verifiable evidence of high-technology aircraft being designed or built by U.S. aerospace corporations at secret underground installations. These aircraft do not depend on aerodynamic lift from wings, propellers, jet thrust, etc. Does this mean that all UFOs/flying saucers are really American high-tech aircraft that have been kept secret all these years? Are aliens from other planets just a convenient cover story? Not on your life! Unexplained craft have been seen for thousands of years. Are these craft made by "us," "them," or some combination? Who knows? Perhaps it is true that we have discovered how to build aircraft similar to "alien" flying saucers, but did we have help from someone else? What, if anything did we trade for this help? Who oversees these "Deep Black" programs? How much do they cost? And most importantly, what is the purpose? We do not yet have the answers. At any rate, the test programs are becoming bolder and more intense. Copyright 1992 - The Houston UFO Network All rights reserved.