The 'Boneyard' The worlds biggest aircraft cemetery.

BBC News - The Boneyard: world's 'biggest' plane cemetery up close

The Boneyard: world's 'biggest' plane cemetery up close




Dubbed The Boneyard, but officially known as the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) facility, this sprawling US airbase is reputed to be the world's largest military aircraft cemetery.
Spread across the huge 2,600 acre site, equivalent in size to 1,430 football pitches, is a collection of over 4,000 retired aircraft including nearly every plane the US armed forces have flown since World War II.
Now, for the first time, a series of high resolution satellite images of the four square mile-site have been released by Google Earth. They show in incredible detail the full range of aircraft found at the site.




To magnify this image of 'The Boneyard' mouse over the left-hand panel

PLANE SPOTTER

1. B-52 Stratofortress
2. A-10 Thunderbolt
3. F-14 Tomcat
4. B-1 Lancer bomber
5. E-2 Hawkeye
6. KC-135 refueling tanker

Among the aircraft are B-52 Cold War-era bombers that were retired in the 1990s under the the terms of the SALT disarmament treaties signed between the US and the Soviet Union.
Also, on show are dozens of F-14 fighter planes which were retired from the US Navy in 2006 and featured in the Hollywood movie, Top Gun. The Boneyard has also featured in a series of films, the most recent being Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
Located in Tucson, Arizona, on the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the facility was first set up shortly after World War II. It was chosen for its high altitude and arid conditions, that mean the aircraft can be left outdoors without deteriorating too quickly.
A major industrial centre, AMARG manages an inventory of more than 4,200 aircraft and 40 aerospace vehicles.
In addition to being a massive plane park, AMARG also refurbishes aircraft, returning them to flying status or preparing them to be transported overland.
Officials at the base say that the parts reclaimed and aircraft withdrawn turns every tax dollar spent into 11 dollars in return.

 

Fascinating photos Peter. Thanks fpr posting them.
Tom.

 

Always makes me sad to see photos of those places after WW2 - so many of those planes would have made great museum pieces or even flying example. But I suppose just after the war people just didnt care.

This one is at Kingman AZ

 

The one's I posted in Warbirds Graveyard in "The Barracks" in 2005 do not work.

This one is not bad however I will see if I have the others on another HD.

http://www.pimaair.org/images/hires/AMARC%20P1010034.JPG

 

If you ever get down that way they do guided tours, apparantly a bus will run you round it stops so you can take photos, but beware not only do we like them so do the the local snake population.
The person I know who went was warned not to pull them selves up or stick hands into the air itakes Etc because of the wildlife.
For ww11 air buffs there are several decent collections museums in the area.

 

I have always wanted to visit this place, it looks fabulous

 

Good Lord! I knew the place was big but those sat pics are staggering.

 

makeds me sad to see all those once proud birds just waiting for the wrecking ball.

I know they have "done their hours" etc but can I at least have one for the back yard?

By the by. Does anyone know what has happened to all the scrapped Jaguard and Harriers? The local guy in Oxford says the usual companies havent got them and he cannot find where to get bits either.
I used to have a Hunter Mach meter in the dash of my mark 1 Cavalier. I never got the pitot tube set up right as it had to be in the engine bay for obvious safety reasons, but if I got to 70mph the needle would start to move
Still got the Mach meter some where, the Cavalier is long gone

 

I have always wanted to know how to get in touch with the Sales Dept to discover the cost of a deactivated ejector seat. I imagine shipping would be horrendous, but hey.

I dont suppose we have any similar (but smaller) aircraft scrap yards in UK?

 

How do these aeroplanes get to the boneyard ? Are they flown in or bought in by
transporter. Would be quite a job either way.
David

 

Normally they are flown in. Planes there can be cocooned for later use either by the USAF/USN/USMC or to be sold to foreign air forces or preservation; cannibalised for parts; dismantled for scrap; or they can be broken up and left into place in agreement with treaties as happened for instance with a large part of the B-52 force. These have to be left in place visibly broken by a large guillotine so that satellites can confirm they were put beyond repair! See a few of these in the first post, the big photo on the lower left.

This is a place I will certainly never visit, it's simply too heart breaking for me

You can see it in Google Earth at 32°09′59″N 110°52′59″W ! Wow! I didn't know this was practically engulfed by the city of Tucson, Az.

Lots of photos in Airliners.net here.

 

I have always wanted to know how to get in touch with the Sales Dept to discover the cost of a deactivated ejector seat. I imagine shipping would be horrendous, but hey.

I dont suppose we have any similar (but smaller) aircraft scrap yards in UK?

Don't know of a military aircraft scrap yard. But you could try theses folk ...

Air Salvage International.

They deal mainly in commercial aircraft dismantling and restoration but it's a start. Dare I ask 'why' you want a deactivated ejector seat?

 

Theres a few on e.bay!

 

Dare I ask 'why' you want a deactivated ejector seat?

Mother in law problems?

 

Yes. Why deactivated?
The passenger seat in a DB5 should always be active !

 

How do these aeroplanes get to the boneyard ? Are they flown in or bought in by
transporter. Would be quite a job either way.
David

David,

They are all flown in to the adjoining Davis Monthan (DM) AFB. If you search this airfield in Google Earth you can see at the southern end of the runway there is a taxiway running straight into the AMARG reception ramp.

New arrivals are purged of all nasties, POL etc, then prepared for storage.

I`ve been a couple of times and also made an overflight on the weekend to take photo`s. A lot of local aircraft operators at nearby Tuscon airport take people up for an hour to fly around the site, although DM is an operational airfield and so it`s not so easy on a week day.

If anyone is thinking of going a tip would be, don`t fly over in the heat of the Arizona day as otherwise the "chuck bag" might be needed. Morning and evenings are best when there`s less turbulance. It also makes for better photo`s.

Mojave is another great place for stored planes, albiet mainly civilian types there.

John

 

I have been there in that area and the place is indeed big. Right next door is the Pima Air Museum which would take you a good two days to visit all the aircraft.

There are acres and acres of aircraft outside with everything from WW2 up to the present. They also have an indoor area where I assume the most valuable aircraft are, but I did not have time to visit in there. I will surely be going back at some point in the next few years and will do a better visit next time.

 

David,

They are all flown in to the adjoining Davis Monthan (DM) AFB. If you search this airfield in Google Earth you can see at the southern end of the runway there is a taxiway running straight into the AMARG reception ramp.

New arrivals are purged of all nasties, POL etc, then prepared for storage.

I`ve been a couple of times and also made an overflight on the weekend to take photo`s. A lot of local aircraft operators at nearby Tuscon airport take people up for an hour to fly around the site, although DM is an operational airfield and so it`s not so easy on a week day.

If anyone is thinking of going a tip would be, don`t fly over in the heat of the Arizona day as otherwise the "chuck bag" might be needed. Morning and evenings are best when there`s less turbulance. It also makes for better photo`s.

Mojave is another great place for stored planes, albiet mainly civilian types there.

John

I was out near Edwards last year and got some video of this plane as it was flying around. A testbed for new engines perhaps?