The aircraft in question was a Phantom I believe, as I did see a photo of the artwork (and I'm pretty sure it was on a Barley Grey nose) but I honestly can't remember what it looked like - it wasn't anything very exciting.
I don't know what reception they would have received but judging from my experience with the USAF security people, it was probably one of "Dr Strangelove-esque" hysteria. I've had guns waved at me by USAF guards before and they really are quite comical, as they never quite get the grasp of how ludicrous they look waving a gun at you, knowing full well that they've no opportunity to use it. The Phantom crew probably received the same reception and doubtless rolled their eyes skywards and just sighed, in typical British style.
Orac, I think you missed my point - I was pondering on how the orbiter could have supposedly landed at so many bases and yet (inexplicably) have never been photographed by anyone. Frankly I just don't see how that would happen, as virtually every aircraft movement is seen and photographed, and I fail to see how something so significant could go by unnoticed. Okay, it might be possible to fly in and out of Groom Lake without oo much attention (although I still think it strange that approaches or departures aren't photographed at long range), but the other bases? Nah, someone would have got a photo by now. Likewise, what about these fat-cheeked C-5's - how come we haven't seen so much as one photo?
One suspects that if there's any truth in the whole story, then it must have been a rather less ambitious programme which has remained firmly within the confines of Groom Lake, or within the confines of whatever turly-secret base the US Government really uses for such programmes, whilst using Groom Lake as their public facade of supposed secrecy...