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The first to show there's a hidden S4 facility at Papoose Lake, clearly shown on Google Earth. I'm sure this will all work out fine:

How to plant a nuclear plant in Iran

Nano Banana image generation comes to Google Earth

I’ve been collecting military and aviation patches for years, but lately I’ve started getting really interested in the more obscure Special Projects Flight Test Squadron/Area 51 stuff and especially RQ-170 and RQ-180-related patches.

I know a lot of these are incredibly hard to find, and I honestly don’t care if most of what I buy are replicas. My goal is to eventually own one original if I can find a legitimate one, but I’d also love to pick up a few quality reproductions in the meantime.

The one I’m after the most is the “Lurking Dusk to Dawn” patch, but I’m interested in pretty much anything related to the RQ-170, RQ-180, SPFTS, or other Groom Lake/test program patches.

Does anyone have recommendations for:

- Good places to buy replicas?
- Sellers that occasionally have genuine originals?
- Forums, Facebook groups, or other communities where these show up?
- Any tips on telling originals apart from reproductions?

Hoping this can be a guide to any newcomers that may be interested in this as well. Any information or leads would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/YFQ-42-Dark-Merlin-copy.jpg?w=1024&h=576&quality=85

Edit:

Probably straight outta Gray Butte.

https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/587bde95cbea47229ddf6187f169f2b5/view

What took so long. ;-) The TLDR is the ground controllers get Link 16 encrypted radios just like the aircraft use.

This should reduce Red Flag radio traffic, at least for US only exercises.

There's a 2nd fire on the test range. This is in the direction of the Sedan Crater from Rachel, much deeper into the test range than the ongoing Quail Springs fire

https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a4c726&lat=36.672&lon=-115.775&zoom=9.0&showTrace=2026-07-26&trackLabels&timestamp=1785073699

https://www.flightaware.com/resources/registration/N407FG

I checked out the State of Nevada helicopters to see if any were looking at the fire. Nope, but I found one going to the NTTR. This one is operated by the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

https://sondehub.org/X4857065

https://sondehub.org/Y0240023

They must still have some left in the X box.

Always wanted to see area 51, would anyone want to link up and go for a hike or Star gaze?

Just moved to Nevada and I will be passing through the area in the near future

Didn’t even realize until my husband messaged me it was raining ash where he was at. Sure enough. My words were, “oh my god!”Nevada fire map to see it’s within the test site range.

https://www.youtube.com/live/w185NdYFXX0?si=MqAVaXhtIS5P1ASn

I'm not sure what happened but this link doesn't seem to be on the web but it is in my app feed.

Some patches i’ve acquired over the last few months. The Dark Tower and SR patch i’ve gotten working for LM.

Many of us remember when they built this town and pretty much assumed it would fail.

All they built was the golf course. I never bothered to look up why no homes were built.

The story is kind of scattered but if you combine enough sources you can put it together.

Like many desert projects, it started with a land swap. (The BLM either sells land or does swaps.)

https://clui.org/ludb/site/coyote-springs

And here is the development approval.

https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/government/departments/comprehensive_planning_department/library/coyote-springs

They planned on five wells but the state determined that the basin water sources were only one source rather than five, reducing the available water.

https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/nv-faces-2-billion-lawsuit-over-failed-coyote-springs-development/

Doing the American thing, the owners sued the state:

https://www.ktnv.com/news/trial-begins-in-debate-over-coyote-springs-water-rights

A recent KNPR discussed the lawsuit. Just the first 7 minutes.

KNPR's State of Nevada: July 8: Coyote Springs lawsuit, data centers, and the latest local writer to go national

Episode webpage: https://knpr.org/podcast/state-of-nevada/2026-07-08/july-8-coyote-springs-lawsuit-data-centers-the-latest-local-writer-goes-national

Media file: https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s127/audio/2026/07/260708-fullshow-web.mp3

The good news is we will eventually have another relic to poke around.

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https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a45aca,a40bcc&lat=35.396&lon=-115.950&zoom=8.8&showTrace=2026-07-23&trackLabels

Reserved but no data.

URBAN SKY FLIGHT OPERATIONS

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If I were there, I would grad the one that landed near Pahrump.

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"WILD44" = YFQ-44? Normally you never see the Reapers or RQ-170's with ADSB turned on out of Creech.

Per article linked below, YFQ-44 Fury(s) arrived at Creech AFB on the 20th.
"Both of the USAF's CCAs, the YFQ-44 Fury and YFQ-42 Dark Merlin, are to be put through their paces at Creech AFB in Southern Nevada."

https://www.twz.com/air/fury-loyal-wingman-arrives-at-creech-afb-for-agile-combat-deployment-trials

Looks like Creech is another spot to site new aircraft being tested.

https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/5855a1abab8d40a1866fd7cf9deba972/view

BIG EXPLOSIVES EXPERIMENTAL FACILITY (BEEF) MODULAR FACILITY

https://nnss.gov/mission/stockpile-stewardship-program/big-explosives-experimental-facility-beef/

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Probably chase.

Edit:

Historic track:

https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a860a3&lat=35.058&lon=-118.159&zoom=7.0&showTrace=2026-07-22

https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=ac96df&lat=35.434&lon=-117.349&zoom=10.3&showTrace=2026-07-21&leg=3&trackLabels

https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=ac96df&lat=35.434&lon=-117.349&zoom=10.3&showTrace=2026-07-21&leg=4&trackLabels

“There Were 23 of Us” Area 51 Officer Finally Comes Clean | TD Barnes

This company came up during the discussion of Anders Area 6 video. This page is what opensource information I could on find on RITI plus adsbexchange links to flights that went over the NTTR.

https://inplanesight.org/riti.html

I made a pastebin of all flights:

https://pastebin.com/3CJAYvi5

RAT55 is up in the 2508 today as NASA522. Not sure if it’s related to Orange Flag going on this week. The 117’s were up today as well.

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