The last couple of times that I've driven US 95 to Vegas I've seen lights appear in the sky as I was somewhere near Beatty.

Several amber lights in a row..3-5 or so. They appear one after another in a row, and they only last a couple of seconds. Then they blink out quickly in the same order that they appeared.

They look like they could be flares put out by an aircraft.

WTF?

ETA:

   I flew into Yuma several years ago and saw what I thought to be an alien invasion. It turned out to be nothing more than a series of flares. I felt like a jackass getting all worked up over it.
   You probably saw flares or something along those lines. Area 51 FWIW is on the opposite side of the Nellis complex from where you were driving.

Flares dropped from aircraft

LOL  Yea that's it!!  FLARES!!  yea FLARES!!  There is nothing going on at area 51.  

I wonder if this has anything to do with those strange stickers at the Chevron with the   crossed out.

Quoted: LOL  Yea that's it!!  FLARES!!  yea FLARES!!  There is nothing going on at area 51.

That is the Nellis bombing range.  The aircraft drop flares as they make bombing runs.  It throws off SAM heat signatures.  You'll see it a lot during Redflag which just ended.

Quoted:  You'll see it a lot during Redflag which just ended.

It's over?? I just last week witnessed a pair of Hornets landing at McCarran.......why do they do that??

You guys in the south are smoking to much crack....lighten up for awhile...and no thats not "lite up"........

Quoted: Quoted:  You'll see it a lot during Redflag which just ended. It's over?? I just last week witnessed a pair of Hornets landing at McCarran.......why do they do that??

Some weenies thought it would be cool to stop in Vegas. Just out fulfilling their requirements and why not pick vegas?

Quoted: Just out fulfilling their requirements and why not pick vegas?

meaning.....................??????????????????

If you are told you need XX flight time or flights consisting of distances greater than XX miles, why not pick a place you would want to go??

And why not vegas??

A good friend was stationed in TX. He would come back several times a year with his AF jet. He explained the reasoning behind it.

A place I used to work had the military contract at the airport. So, guys coming in or finding a reason to have a layover in Vegas was quite routine.

Quoted: Quoted: Just out fulfilling their requirements and why not pick vegas? meaning.....................??????????????????

Means lots of pilots take their "personal" jets to Nellis for "job related" trips to Vegas.  I've worked the flightline as a cop there for 4 years and saw many transient aircraft come in on Friday and leave on Monday.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Just out fulfilling their requirements and why not pick vegas? meaning.....................?????????????????? Means lots of pilots take their "personal" jets to Nellis for "job related" trips to Vegas.  I've worked the flightline as a cop there for 4 years and saw many transient aircraft come in on Friday and leave on Monday.

Thanks, Animus; I'm sure you understand this better than I. But I'm still confused.
Are you saying you worked the line at Nellis, and saw many civilian aircraft piloted by military land at Nellis for these activities???
Or you were stationed at McCarran and saw military aircraft land there for "job related" activities at Nellis?????????????????
The first (above) description is fathomable, the second just doesn't make any sense.......

Not civilian AC but gov fighter jets coming into the AFB.

The standard answer to what people ask me about what goes on up that way off I-95 is, "There is nothing to see there, move along." Animus sees alot of stuff up there due to the area he works. I used to work many of the same areas Animus does and what I've learned is to not ask questions and forget what I saw. It could be all kinds of secret squirrel shit or it could be completely normal things like A-10's bombing one of the target complexes thats like 10 miles from the highway. One thing to remember, there is a reason why theres all that stuff out there in that desert and its best left alone. The public has NO right to know.
I used to work up at Indian Springs (aka Creech AFB) and you wouldn't believe all the nuts that seem to gravitate toward that place. I had one guy look at me with a complete straight face and request political asylum because Condoleeza Rice was trying to kill him. Now the smartest thing to have done was try to calm the guy down and get him some help. Well, I was already in a shitty mood from dealing with stupid Airmen earlier that night and I wasn't in the mood to deal with another dumbass. I said to the guy, "Sir, if the Secretary of State wants you dead, why do you want refuge here when they can get you here really easy?" His eyes bugged out and he sped off. I got his tag number and called Metro to deal with him.
When I used to work at Creech all I had to do some nights is walk out in back of the LE Desk and watch AC-130's and HH-60's light up the night with flares and tracers, then watch A-10's come and make a mess of things too. Most people who don't know about what goes on around there think theres a big conspiracy or little green men from Mars are out flying but in most cases its a bunch of A-10 pilots shooting the desert up.

Thanks, guys, your efforts ARE appreciated; as well as the info.
But the original question remains; Why military aircraft landing at McCarran????????
Perhaps I'm being "anal" about this, curiosity's got me. Maybe it's something I'm better left ignorant of, just don't understand the logic of using the 11th busiest civilian airport in the world with Nellis right next door.......and probably their ultimate destination.........

Not uncommon for military and civilians to share airstrips.  Bangor, Maine and St Louis share airports with Air Natl Guard and Rhien Mein in Germany.  However, there could have been an in-flight emergency requiring the Hornets to land at McCarren.

Because it is easier to arrange the stay than at a military base. No need to worry about where you can park, if flight restrictions are in place or if there is space available.

The FBO, that has the military contract, enjoys making the money, so why not make it easy for them? The fees aren't expensive at all and the govt. has a fuel tax exemption.

aHA!!!!!!!!!
Simple, procedural, protocol issues. Makes sense. Glad it's not some obtuse, abherrant issue. Thanks!!