Tucson Bone Yard

[♠SARKID♠]

Wow....just....wow.....
My mom forwarded me an email with these pictures and a description.  I think the last image is the most amazing.

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 is difficult to comprehend the size of the "Boneyard" and the number of aircraft stored there. Of course the important thing to remember is that they are all capable of being returned to flying condition  if the need ever arises.

If you are ever in the Tucson area, the weekly tours of the Boneyard are still given through the Tucson Air Museum, located just south of Davis Monthan AFB.

Both the museum and the boneyard 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

[Eclipse]

That would be the:  309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerospace_Maintenance_and_Regeneration_Center

Not all of the airframes can be returned to service, some are there for parts.

More detail here: http://www.amarcexperience.com/Default.asp

[♠SARKID♠]

I've known that place existed for years, but I never realized how expansive it really is.

[flynd94]

I will agree with you on that.  I lived at DMAFB in the mid 70's and the place impressed me.  This past Saturday I was flying into Tucson for work (pilot).  Thankfully, I was the PM and, got to take in just how large the "bone yard" really is.  Extremely impressive, the next morning leaving my CA got to enjoy the sights, well so did I.  We asked if we could do a 270 departure around DMAFB and, ATC let us do it.  Don't know if the folks in back enjoyed the sight but, the 2 plane junkies on the flight deck sure did.   

[SarDragon]

All I see is red X's.

[♠SARKID♠]

All I see is red X's.

I zipped em up for you.
http://resdon111.googlepages.com/boneyard.zip

[SarDragon]

Got 'em. Thanks. They look like older pix. I doubt there are that many BUFFs there now.

[Johnny Yuma]

Got 'em. Thanks. They look like older pix. I doubt there are that many BUFFs there now.

No, but last time I looked at it on Mapquest there were 16 B1 bombers there.

They only made 4 B1A's and 100 B1B's. 10 have been lost to accidents, the 4 B1A's retired and there's one B1B hangar queen at McConnell AFB that for some reason can no longer fly.

[Slim]

Got 'em. Thanks. They look like older pix. I doubt there are that many BUFFs there now.

Actually, I was there not quite two years ago, and there were still a large amount of B-52s left in storage.  That same area they were stored in was also where the c-141s met their farewell to arms.

I've been on the AMARC bus tour through Pima Air & Space Museum a couple of times.  If you're ever in Tucson and have a day to spare, I highly recommend both.  Despite it's much smaller scale, the museum is just about on par with the Air Force Museum.

Also; a small, trivial fact:  any of those BUFFs with a delta K on the tail were assigned to the 379th BW at Wurtsmith AFB. 

[SarDragon]

Oh, Pima is great. I was through there in the 70s, and it was kool evren back then. now it's got about 4 times the real estate, and a correspondingly larger number of exhibits.

[Duke Dillio]

I'll take one of each of those please...

[♠SARKID♠]

Ha, I just noticed this.  In pic #2, center row, you can see how some of the fighter's nosecones have been removed for parts.

A thought: Imagine the monetary/equipment losses if that place took a bomb hit.

Another thought: Its safety procedure to keep aircraft fully fueled to prevent vapor formage ipso facto explosion hazard.  But since those aircraft are sitting there all the time, do they keep them fueled?  Or do they drain the tanks and completely dry them out to save on costs?

[RogueLeader]

Ha, I just noticed this.  In pic #2, center row, you can see how some of the fighter's nosecones have been removed for parts.

A thought: Imagine the monetary/equipment losses if that place took a bomb hit.

Another thought: Its safety procedure to keep aircraft fully fueled to prevent vapor formage ipso facto explosion hazard.  But since those aircraft are sitting there all the time, do they keep them fueled?  Or do they drain the tanks and completely dry them out to save on costs?

Completely dry.  No fuel or oil at all.  From what I've heard, they are triple cleaned, then coated.  no chance of explosion.



It'd be fun to see from a distance though. . .

[SKI304]

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?ss=yp

Panning around in the "Bird's eye" mode on there once you navigate to the boneyard can be pretty entertaining.  Not to mention all the other cool stuff around the world if you've got a lot of free time on your hands.

[♠SARKID♠]

Made this from Google Earth.  Green area is just the "ramps", not including the hangars, airstrip, and other buildings.

Try taking the GE flight sim over it!  Fun fun.

[Desert Dawg]

The Bone yard is pretty cool the first two or three thousand times you see it.  Since I work across the street it has lost its appeal.  If any one wants to come out to the desert, I will volunteer to be your humble tour guide.

[scooter]

Got 'em. Thanks. They look like older pix. I doubt there are that many BUFFs there now.

No, but last time I looked at it on Mapquest there were 16 B1 bombers there.

They only made 4 B1A's and 100 B1B's. 10 have been lost to accidents, the 4 B1A's retired and there's one B1B hangar queen at McConnell AFB that for some reason can no longer fly.

.

There are only 2 B1As left. One in the SAC museum and the other (#3) in Denver at the Wings over the Rockies Museum. Wings also have a B52B (#5) that was originally built as a reccy airframe but converted to a bomber.

Pima is kool! They have an aircraft on display that I have logged many hours in the air. Makes you feel really old when your airplane is in a museum because it is old and not needed any more.