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Where America's Airplanes Go To Die
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base is located in Tucson, Arizona. It occupies an area of over 10 square kilometers, equal to roughly 1,870 football fields. The base is the location of the Air Force Materiel Command's 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, or AMARG in short. It is also known as the "boneyard."
With the area's low humidity in the 10%-20% range, meager rainfall of 11" annually, hard alkaline soil, and high altitude of 2,550 feet, it has the "just right" conditions to avoid corrosion and not to need paving when moving massive objects. It has emerged as the perfect venue for one thing: the largest aircraft boneyard in the world, with a typical inventory of more than 4,400 aircraft.
Allowing the aircraft to be naturally preserved for cannibalization or possible reuse, Davis-Monthan is the logical choice for a major storage facility. The geology of the desert allows aircraft to be moved around without having to pave the storage areas.
AMARG's role in the storage of military aircraft began after World War II, and continues today.
Interactive map of AMARG as seen in the most recent Google maps satellite overflight:
Aerial Map of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, AMARG and the Pima Air & Space Museum
Follows the brief story of the world's largest military airplane boneyard.
AMARG was established in 1946 as the 4105th Army Air Force Unit to house B-29 and C-47 aircraft. By May of 1946, more than 600 B-29 Superfortresses and 200 C-47 Skytrains had been moved to Davis-Monthan. Some were preserved and returned to action in the Korean War, others were scrapped.
In 1948, after the Air Force's creation as a separate service, the unit was renamed the 3040th Aircraft Storage Depot.
In February of 1956, the first Convair B-36 Peacemaker aircraft arrived at Davis-Monthan AFB for scrapping. All of the fleet of 384 Peacemakers would ultimately be dismantled except for four remaining B-36 survivors saved for air museums.
In 1965, the depot was renamed the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center (MASDC), and tasked with processing aircraft for all the US armed forces (not just the Air Force). The U.S. Navy had operated its own boneyard at Naval Air Station Litchfield Park at Goodyear, Arizona for Navy, Marine and Coast Guard aircraft. In February 1965, some 500 aircraft were moved from Litchfield Park to Davis-Monthan AFB. NAS Litchfield Park was finally closed in 1968.
The last Air Force B-47 jet bomber was retired at the end of 1969, and the entire fleet was dismantled at Davis-Monthan except for about 30 Stratojets which were saved for display in air museums.
In the 1980s, the center began processing ICBMs for dismantling or reuse in satellite launches, and was renamed the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARC) to reflect the expanded focus on all aerospace assets.
In the 1990s, in accordance with the START I treaty, the center was tasked with eliminating 365 B-52 bombers. The progress of this task was to be verified by Russia via satellite and first-person inspection at the facility. Initially, the B-52s were chopped into pieces with a 13,000-pound guillotine winched by a steel cable, supported by a crane. Later on, the tool of choice became K-12 rescue saws. This more precise technique afforded AMARG with salvageable spare parts.
In May 2007, command of AMARG was transferred to the 309th Maintenance Wing, and the center was renamed the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group.
* * *
Today, Davis-Monthan is the location of the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), the sole aircraft boneyard and parts reclamation facility for all excess military and government aircraft. Aircraft from the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, NASA and other government agencies are processed at AMARG, which employs 550 people, almost all civilians.
It is the largest airplane boneyard in the world.
Another role of AMARG is to support the program that converts old fighter jets, such as the F-4 Phantom II and F-16, into aerial target drones. It also serves as an auxiliary facility of the National Museum of the United States Air Force, and stores tooling for out-of-production military aircraft.
AMARG's typical inventory comprises more than 4,400 aircraft, which makes it the largest aircraft storage and preservation facility in the world.
AMARG is a controlled-access site, and is off-limits to anyone not employed there without the proper clearance. The only access for non-cleared individuals is via a bus tour which is conducted by the nearby Pima Air & Space Museum.
* * *
Below is an extensive photo library of the residents of this final resting place for thousands of America's warplanes.
Aerial view of aircraft in storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base AMARG boneyard
Aerial view of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and AMARG airplane boneyard in Tucson, Arizona with rows of C-141 Starlifters, B-1B Lancers and F-111 Aardvarks in storage
Aerial view of aircraft in storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base AMARG boneyard
Aerial view of aircraft in storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base AMARG boneyard
Aerial view of aircraft in storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base AMARG boneyard
Aerial view of aircraft in storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base AMARG boneyard
Aerial view of aircraft in storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base AMARG boneyard
C-141 and B-52 aircraft at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base AMARG boneyard
Aerial view of C-130 aircraft at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base AMARG boneyard
Another aerial view of C-130 aircraft at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base AMARG boneyard
Aerial view of aircraft in storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base AMARG circa 2011
Aerial view of work areas at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base AMARG
C-5A Galaxy transports in storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base AMARG
C-5A Galaxy reclamation at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base AMARG
A-10 Thunderbolts parked at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base AMARG
B-1B Lancer bomber in storage at the Air Force Materiel Command's
Boeing C-135 S/N 91518 parked on Celebrity Row at AMARG
United Air Lines Boeing 727-100, S/N N7004U, built in 1963, on display at Davis-Monthan AMARG's "Celebrity Row"
U.S. Air Force C-22A Transport, S/N 84-0193 ... variant of the Boeing 727 ... parked on Celebrity Row at AMARG
F-14 on display on Celebrity Row at Davis-Monthan AFB's AMARG facility
F-4 Phantom II fighters in desert storage at Tucson, Arizona, AMARG
Helicopters in desert storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona
F-111 Aardvarks in storage at AMARG
KC-135 aircraft at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base AMARG in October, 2012
Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II on display on Celebrity Row at AMARG at Davis-Monthan AFB
* * *
That largely covers US warplanes, but what about commercial jets? As the Bossroyal blog shows, many if not most disused, aging or obsolete airliners, end up in the Californian desert, 150 kilometres outside Los Angeles, at the Mojave Air and Space Port.
In addition to being the “world’s premier civilian aerospace test center”, the Mojave Port is also one of America’s most well-known ‘aircraft boneyards’, and just like in Arizona, the dry Nevada conditions are ideal for minimising corrosion on jets looking for new owner-operators, or just looking for a quiet place in which to rust in peace.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of junked or stored airliners form a surreal view amid the harsh landscape in Mojave, and all the major commercial airliner manufacturers – Boeing, Airbus, McDonnell Douglas and Lockheed Martin – are well represented.
For plane buffs, Mojave and facilities like it dotted across the US provide both a history of commercial aviation as well as a damning judgement on modern day consumerism. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks, for example, the demand for air travel hit massive turbulence, and many major airlines were forced to mothball some of their fleet due to lack of demand. Many of them ended up at Mojave, and many remain there today, waiting to spread their wings once more.
In addition to the boneyards shown above, there are many other active and inactive places where thousands of airplanes and fighter jets have been stored across the continental US. The annotated map below is a handy reference to tracking down most of them.
Source: Airplaneboneyards, Bossroyal
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Isn't that what people do when they buy stocks? Put in a little and expect a lot?
You know when I was your age, I didn't go around wishing old people to die.
A big FUCK YOU to you, sonny!!
Wow, let me explain this to you then. Maybe at one point you knew but your old mind can't comprehend something called scarcity of resources.
For people to win in the stock market, someone else has to lose, at least that's how it would work without the fed, QE, etc.
So when you invest in the stock market it's a gamble, you might win but you might lose. There are no expectations of making money, only the ability to beat someone else and make money from their poor decision.
Pensions, retirement accounts, and social security welfare are the same concept. Only you get to steal from the unborn which makes it much more fair.
The motto of your generation should be "money for nothing" or the assumption that everyone can win 100% of the time. Ignorance is bliss.
Do you feel even the slightest bit of moral compunction?
You are a true retard.. Go fuck yourself, dipshit.
NO,. not everyone can win, as you clearly show. I am a winner , because I actually WORKED for a living and always listening to older peoples ideas and advice when I was young.
You on the other hand, have already lost, because you bash older people , wishing them to die and calling us ''greedy''.
It might be a good idea if you consider sucking on the business end of a .357 because clearly you are a loser.
Yes, you won by stealing from unborn children...very good we applaud your chutzpah. Enjoy your retirement in Israel.
Last time you tasted beaver was when your Mom pushed you from the womb. You don't like the world as it is? Change it. I did not create this mess we are in. The other mebers here did not do it. I hate to bum you out but I plan on sticking around another 20 yrs sucking up my retirement money. So, get back to work and pay those taxes son.
Why is it that your posts remind me of my rebellious and clueless 16 yr old son? Billy, is that you? Get your ass back in school and leave those freak porn sites alone!
Your son is a porn addict, nice parenting.
Here he goes again. I paid! You owe me! Your masters did a great job of focusing your mind on the bright and shiny future that awaits.
Done much due diligence on your pension fund? Know the fund managers name? Know where the money is?
Or is your level of comprehension limited to the buttons on the ATM?
He really showed his true colors when he explained playing the stock market as "a little money in with a lot in return". He honestly believes that because he gives someone a dollar and they agree to give him 100 dollars that it's the same thing as a savings account. He doesn't know where his money is or how this person plans on giving them that 100 dollars but what he does know is that he got in at the beginning of the ponzi and deserves to be paid back because of his seniority...to hell with everyone else.
Pathetic.
You are a pathetic shit for brains LOSER. Piss off
Just STFU you goddam stupid cunt. you and Beaver, total idiots.
The pension ponzi scheme is in its terminal phase, if you haven't noticed, Dutch. Running around screaming "I paid! You owe me!" is simply pathetic.
Enjoy what you have received and what you will still receive. Adjust your mindset on this concept of being "owed." High levels of loss aversion will crush you emotionally (then physically) if and when that loss comes.
I paid into, I am getting paid. Lots of very dumb people here. So I hope YOU stop paying into the system, (its not mandatory) if you really research the law. Or you could change the law assuming you believe in democracy,.
otherwise just STFU.
Stupid cunts like you and Beaver would love to euthanize your parents and all old people/ What will probably happen is you croak a day after you turn 65.
Karma is a bitch for hateful bastards like you.
Rot in hell, bitches.
You would be very busy slapping 6 million expats who paid into social security. I think you would live about 2 nanoseconds. LOL
Harbanger., I have never taken unemployment or food stamps and always WORKED for a living. I came close but luckily saved by the bell with a fantastic job offer overseas in 1989.
I venture to say that YOU have been on some sort of dole some point in your life. and if NOT I venture to say you probably will be soon.
Fantastic job, hmmm wonder what that's like too.
I suggest you get a haircut and a skill and you too can have a fantastic job. but ONLY IF YOU LOOK. Its not going to come flying thru the window.
With your shitty attitude I foresee, lots of tent cities and soup kitchens.
All I know is you better stay off my lawn you old bastard.
Your lawn? LOL. What park is it in??
Lots of those old aircraft can be made serviceable again by doing a 'D'check and zeroing out the airframe time. Especially the 707's. DC-8's, 727's
Back in late 90's UPS bought a bunch of old B-727's, zeroed out the airframe, hung RR TAY engines on them (to meet European noise standards). and used them to fly parcel express based out of Cologne, Germany.
They even put heads up display in. PLUS made them CAT III
And whats more ,they paid CASH for alll that. UPS has shitloads of cash.,
How many ounces of silver is that ? Guess away...
I don't think them things is got much silver in 'em. Anymore.
No silver but lots of superalloy and probably a fair amount of iridium.
Just imagine how much the taxpayer paid to have all those things built.... a never ending conveyor belt of bilionis to the military industrial estate.
Actually, the airplanes are recycled....not left to die.
hero
Anyone get a recent appraisal?
We just need to get above 17 trillion to qualify for another HELOC
Some of those locations would make decent ready-mage FEMA camp housing.
Except for the fact that they are far from where the people are, without water or any infrastructure.
You do realize that the FEMA centers most people will live in are IN cities, I hope.
I think I was on that United one last Christmas. The power kept going off on the runway and we ended up having to take a different one.
Have the Tylers become the new Seinfeld? Posting about nothing?
Not sure I understand the premise of this post. Are they reporting about
.gov waste?
a picture is worth a thousand, I mean a hundred thousand words
The founding fathers would have divvied these up and dispersed them to the well-armed militias
"The Founding Fathers" (most abused phrase in American political discourse) would have read the Constitution, especially the part about standing armies, and would never have spent billions of dollars of taxpayer money padding the pockets of rich white assholes and mobsters while sending kids to die for them.
Madison would puke at the sight of these pictures.
I am hearin you.. But you kind of lost me with the rich white dude part. Whitey was always first over over the rest back in founding fathers days.
He's a tribesman.
Bettrer to be a tribesman without a tribe than to be part of a tribe that doesn't have tribesmen
I hear that said a lot.
I think it is very funny because there is no part of the Constitution that says anything about Standing Armies.
So the people saying this, are haranging people for not reading the Consititution when they have not read it themselves!!!! Hypocrites!
FYI...
Armies are referenced twice in the constitution, in Article I Section 8 "Powers of Congress" and again in Article II, Section 2 "Commander In Chief".
Here is the full text of each mention.
"To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;"
"The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment"
And no, Madison would not puke. This was his addition to Article I, Section 8.
"To provide and maintain a Navy;"
PLEASE NOTE THAT NONE OF THOSE JETS IN THE BONEYARD HAVE EVER BELONGED TO THE ARMY. THEY BELONGED TO THE AIR FORCE AND THE NAVY.
Money for nothin. And the chicks were free.
Ain't Amerika Wonderful?!
My dad flew the EAL DC-3 as a co-pilot now in the Smithsonian. He was hired by Eddie Rickenbacker post WWII. He went on to fly Connies, DC-7,9, 727s and finally the L-1011 on a route to Quito, Equador. He was getting into management when Eastern went bust, thanks to Texas Air's Frank Lorenzo.
Eastern Airlines Mechanics Union also caused that once great airline to go belly up- what a shame
Yeah, he luckily got out with a pension, which my mother is enjoying. But many didn't.
Had a good friend whose favorite line was "When Eastern went bankrupt I went belly up too." He worked avionics for Eastern.
Without Davis-Monthan AFB, the city of Tucson wouldn't exist. That entire city is dependent on the Base as its employment anchor. The Boneyard is a very small portion of the activities at D-M.
The AMARG operation supplies spare parts and aircraft for not only the United State's operations and aircraft (mostly those operated by ANG), but also those operated by our Allies. Particularly (as of my last tour in March this year) the C130 Hercules.We're phasing out the C130, but our allies will be operating it for decades to come. They will need parts.
One of the talking points the tour guides like to use is that "AMARG is the only branch that operates at a profit". The supplying and selling of surplus parts to our allies exceeds the cost of providing those parts.
On my next tour I'll have to remember to ask the guide if that statement is true only if the cost of the material they sell is zero. Probably.
"The Boneyard" is pretty cool. Take the tour if you ever get the chance.
The MIC's Sioux lodged type burial grounds...where the spirit of the ancestors return to their happy hunting grounds.
You can hear Curtis E LeMay's ghost haunt those pastures singing : when we were great we could fire bomb Tokyo and carpet bomb Nam with napalm.
The halcyon years of the B29 Super fortress and the B52 Strato fortress !
What about recycling the poor souls of these mastodon dinosaurs ?
Karma ! General Jack D Ripper and the LAst Bomb !
Yes ... we never got to experience the true value of the strato fortress. Although the visualization is certainly memorialized by slim pickens
Just another of how The Great Red Dragon works: First it finances the building of these things, then finances the use of these things, and finally finances the storage and destruction of these things, all with money created out of thin-air, but us little people pays the interest forever via our taxes. And it's never enough. Collectively, as a group of citizens, we are sooooo stupid.
We are indispensable because we are exceptionally stupid. Ha. Ha. Ha.
all i see are autobots and decepticons. you people have no clue.
THEYRE HEEEEEEERE
What a fucking waste.
That's enough scrap metal to move markets....surprised Goldman hasn't offered to buy them for pennies on the dollar
Each fighter is about a $100 million anyone care to count.