Area 51 YF-117A. At 6:05 am on 18 June 1981 Lockheed Skunk Works test pilot Hal Farley lifted the nose of YF-117A "79–780"' off the runway of Area 51. Meanwhile, Tactical Air Command (TAC) decided to set up a group-level organization to guide the F-117A to an initial operating capability. That organization became the 4450th Tactical Group (Initially designated "A Unit"), which officially activated on 15 October 1979 at Nellis AFB, Nevada, although the group was physically located at Area 51. The 4450th TG also operated the A-7D Corsair II as a surrogate trainer for the F-117A, and these operations continued until
New York State Route 51 north from West Winfield to Utica. At the time, this was the only substantial segment of what is now NY 51 to have a route number even though all of modern NY 51 south of Ilion was state-maintained. In the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, most of NY 44 became part of NY 8. The section from West Burlington to West Winfield, however, became part of the new NY 51, which utilized all of its modern routing from Mount Upton to Ilion upon assignment. It was extended across the Mohawk River to NY 5 in North Ilion