Message posted by Peter Merlin (Member since 11/13/2003) on March 15, 2023 at 17:20:17 PST:
The Red Hats squadron emblem had six stars. Although it may not have begun that way, over time, that number came to symbolize the test location. This is especially true when one star is noticeably different from the others (larger, set apart, upside down, shaped or colored differently, etc.). Get it? Six stars. Five and one. 5 and 1. 51, as in Area 51. That doesn't mean that every time you see six stars on a patch or coin, or whatever, that it necessarily symbolizes Groom Lake. As for the Red Hats helmet decal, the original version looked much better than later variants. For one thing, the design was bilaterally symmetrical and the stars didn't look so distorted and asymmetrical. It was designed to look good on a curved surface, specifically a pilot's flight helmet. The decals have been produced in both white and red. They have appeared on government vehicles and on personally owned civilian vehicles. I have seen many of them in the Las Vegas area and around southern California.
In Reply to: Re: Test Pilot Helmet Decal Stars posted by Kirk on March 15, 2023 at 7:45:15 PST:
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