According to Lockheed's U-2 designer " We flew over it and within thirty seconds, you knew that was the place, it was right by a dry lake. Man alive, we looked at that lake, and we all looked at each other. It was another Edwards, so we wheeled around, landed on that lake, taxied up to one end of it. It was a perfect natural landing field as smooth as a billiard table without anything being done to it." About Area 51 "Paradise Ranch" Groom Lake test range.