These devices are often used when infrequent visitors arrive at the installation. In some cases, foggles are put on while onboard the arriving aircraft or bus and are only taken off once inside a secure windowless building. Then, when moving to a destination on base directly related to the individual's visit, such as a particular hangar where a project is being housed, the foggles go back on. Even inside certain hangar areas, they may be worn to keep contractors visiting one program from seeing a competing one or other unknown proprietary technology nearby, if even just by chance. The same can be said for VIP type visitors that don't have the unique clearances required to work at the base.

It's not clear if more regular workers have to wear the glasses under certain circumstances, as well, but it is likely that certain procedures have come and gone depending on changing operational concerns throughout the base's long and bizarre history. The use of foggles may not even be native to just Area 51, either. Similar measures could be used at other highly sensitive sites under various circumstances, even if they are temporary in nature.

So, even if you do get the aerospace industry's equivalent of Willy Wonka's golden ticket and find yourself in a position to visit Area 51 for business, the chances that you will see anything but exactly what you are supposed to see are slim to none.

But maybe they will let you keep the commemorative foggles!

Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com