The Bone Yard near Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona For those of you that have never seen this, it is something to see. The precision in the way they are parked is impressive. It's difficult to comprehend the size of the 'Bone yard' and the number of aircraft stored there. Of course the important thing to remember is that they are all capable of being returned to service if the need ever arises. If you are ever in the Tucson area, the weekly tours of the bone yard are still given through the Tucson Air Museum, located just south of Davis Monthan AFB. Both the museum and the bone yard are very popular attractions in the Arizona desert. It is difficult to comprehend the number of military aircraft in dead storage until you see these photographs! Even if you have seen this before, look again. The 3rd largest Air Force in the world is sitting on the ground here. It's the only unit in the U.S. Air Force that actually makes a profit.
It would be great to pay a vist there someday, but you would need to spend a month or so, just wandering around!
I agree. It would be interesting to have a quiz to identify all of the aircraft in the pictures. The pictures were sent to me in an e mail and the words are not mine. I would take issue with this statement. "Of course the important thing to remember is that they are all capable of being returned to service if the need ever arises." To a degree I suppose they could be capable of a return to service, however I doubt the U.S. Military would have the trained personnel to crew them.
The thing about getting the trained personnel, is quite true many have been out of serivce for years and so the crews, both air and ground crews, have moved on to other planes or left the service. The maintaince facilitices have been changed as well!
Do you think they know that some are missing? Heavens above! How big are the others and to which countries do they belong?
Technically, the site isn't a boneyard in it's truest sense. It is home to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center, who is responsible for storing, maintaining and reclaiming most of the aircraft there. It is also an active airbase, and a number of the aircraft are used for technical training. Some of the aircraft are kept at different levels of readiness, whilst others are used for spares. Some can be repaired and prepared for sale.
Oohhh I see, it meant it is the equivalent of the 3rd largest? The USA having the largest force? If they have such stocks of planes, can you imagine what their every day quartermaster? stores look like? The Google shots are incredible! It still amazes me that they allow us to see such things but it is presumably more restricted since 9/11?
Actually I think people can still visit, and there are bus tours around the yard. But then again I doubt any terrorists could do much damage - knock out a few aircraft but how could they tell which are viable ones and which ones are being scrapped?
Postwar boneyard Photo Gallery For some reason the thumbnails wont show properly but clciking them brings up the full size pictures
I meant in more general terms. It must make the job of a terrorist, or even old fashioned "bad guy", much easier to know the layout, assess the staffing etc.. I just didn't think that you would be able to look at government establishments and the like. I even get neurotic about the house floorplans being available to the world and his wife rather than an estate agent being able to exercise a modicum of control over who receives them. Possibly the only justification for some of the exorbitant fees they charge us!
An interesting fact When the film company got together the aircraft for use in the film, "The Battle of Britian", they had the 13th largest air force in the world at that time!
I doubt they would want to return them to service; many are obsolete. There are some Phantoms in one of the pictures. If only they had preserved some WW2 aircraft in the same way instead of scrapping them wholesale! WW2 aircraft are a lot easier for preservation societies to fly than 60's-onward jets.
