Davis-Monthan, amazing aircraft storage area...

glhs837

glhs837

Power with Control
Know to many as "the high desert", also as AMARG, Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group. where our old and surplus aircraft go to await service again. Some end up being sold to foreign buyers, some pulled back out for projects (F-4s get made into remotely piloted drones, for instance) some just get picked apart for parts for their brethren still flying.

davis monthan - Google Maps

I focused this link on some of the P-3 Orions here, I found others in maybe 4-5 places, but this was the biggest group. If you flew in it, or worked on, its a safe bet there are samples of it here. One thing of interest is the cut up B-52s you see down in the southeast corner. That process is deliberate, the aircraft are cut up by treaty, and must remain in sight of satellites to verify their destruction.

Spend some time scrolling around, simply astounding whats there. Tons of F-4s, just everything. Even a few I cant identify, and I know all of our stuff since the 70s pretty darn good.
 
flomaster

flomaster

J.F. A sus ordenes!
I could get lost in there for days!!! Thanks for sharing the link! Its amazing and the clarity of the zoom is remarkable.:buddies:
 
StadEMS3

StadEMS3

Well-Known Member
PREMO Member
I've flown over the site many times and have had a private group tour of the place. It was VERY impressive!! Sad to see all those beautiful aircraft just sitting there waiting thier fate.
 
Rael

Rael

Supper's Ready
What amazes me is how some of these old airframes (B-52, KC-135) are still flying rather than retiring to the boneyard. I've recently heard one reference to the tanker that states "the mother of the last crew member for the KC-135 hasn't been born yet".

edit: bold correction
 
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huntr1

huntr1

.
Rael said:
What amazes me is how some of these old airframes (B-52, KC-135) are still flying rather than retiring to the boneyard. I've recently heard one reference to the tanker that states "the mother of the last crew member for the KC-135 hasn't been born yet".

edit: bold correction
Click to expand...
Why retire if a better mousetrap hasn't been built?
 
Crewdawg141

Crewdawg141

IYAMYAS!!!!!
Rael said:
:yeahthat: Boeing definitely engineered the 707 right. Beautiful aircraft. :yay:
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Now if only we could get the T.O.'s right after 50+ years, that would be a wonderful concept. My 64 model 141 is dead (we have probably had a few beers out of them by now), but my 62 135 is still flying. Shes a baby in hours though when compared to my 141. My tail retired with 46000+ hours when I got the 135 she only had 17000+ hours on her. Amazing what happens when most of life is spent on alert.
 
StadEMS3

StadEMS3

Well-Known Member
PREMO Member
Yup, T.O.s and Job guides... The 707 was a great aircraft, I crew dogged KC-135A, E and R's, AWACS, VC-135's, VC-137's and the big boy, the VC-25 (that's how I got private tour of the boneyard). :howdy:

My brother is still an active duty boom operator on 135 after 22yrs. I retired last year after 22yrs.
 
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Crewdawg141

Crewdawg141

IYAMYAS!!!!!
StadEMS3 said:
Yup, T.O.s and Job guides... The 707 was a great aircraft, I crew dogged KC-135A, E and R's, AWACS, VC-135's, VC-137's and the big boy, the VC-25 (that's how I got private tour of the boneyard). :howdy:

My brother is still an active duty boom operator on 135 after 22yrs. I retired last year after 22yrs.
Click to expand...

So do you work still wrench on jets now? Whats your bro going to do in retirement? Fed Ex doesn't have an A/R capability!
 
StadEMS3

StadEMS3

Well-Known Member
PREMO Member
Crewdawg141 said:
So do you work still wrench on jets now? Whats your bro going to do in retirement? Fed Ex doesn't have an A/R capability!
Click to expand...

No more jets for me. Got me a coushy GS-14 job in DC. My brother is panicing close to high year tenure, I told him he can get a job at the local gas station pumping gas. Actually, he applying places as a loadmaster.
 
Crewdawg141

Crewdawg141

IYAMYAS!!!!!
StadEMS3 said:
No more jets for me. Got me a coushy GS-14 job in DC. My brother is panicing close to high year tenure, I told him he can get a job at the local gas station pumping gas. Actually, he applying places as a loadmaster.
Click to expand...

Now coming from maintenance yourself, you do know how hard it is for me to keep from falling on the floor and LMAO! My girlfriends cousin left working in Comm as a 3C0 to be a Boomer at Fairchild. I know that 3C0 life is boring and no where near as "Glamourous" as being Aircrew but in the end which will pay the bills more effectively? Congrats to you both to making it to retirement, I have a little over 6 years left until I can start to seriously ponder life out of a uniform.
 
SA475

SA475

"Mark It Zero"
glhs837 said:
Know to many as "the high desert", also as AMARG, Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group. where our old and surplus aircraft go to await service again. Some end up being sold to foreign buyers, some pulled back out for projects (F-4s get made into remotely piloted drones, for instance) some just get picked apart for parts for their brethren still flying.

davis monthan - Google Maps

I focused this link on some of the P-3 Orions here, I found others in maybe 4-5 places, but this was the biggest group. If you flew in it, or worked on, its a safe bet there are samples of it here. One thing of interest is the cut up B-52s you see down in the southeast corner. That process is deliberate, the aircraft are cut up by treaty, and must remain in sight of satellites to verify their destruction.

Spend some time scrolling around, simply astounding whats there. Tons of F-4s, just everything. Even a few I cant identify, and I know all of our stuff since the 70s pretty darn good.
Click to expand...

I just came back from AZ and visited the boneyard while I was there... Very cool place. The tour guide was a retired USAF guy who worked the Air America program back during Vietnam. He was full of fun facts about the aircrafts.
 
Nanny Pam

Nanny Pam

************
when crabcake lived in Tucson, She took me there. All I could do was look, in disbelief. what an amazing outdoor museum.
 
glhs837

glhs837

Power with Control
SA475 said:
I just came back from AZ and visited the boneyard while I was there... Very cool place. The tour guide was a retired USAF guy who worked the Air America program back during Vietnam. He was full of fun facts about the aircrafts.
Click to expand...


Ya know, I didnt know that the airline really was called that until a long time after seeing the movie:)
 
Homer J

Homer J

Power Chord
SA475 said:
I just came back from AZ and visited the boneyard while I was there... Very cool place. The tour guide was a retired USAF guy who worked the Air America program back during Vietnam. He was full of fun facts about the aircrafts.
Click to expand...

I took a sport aviation class in college and got some stick time in a single seat glider. The tow plane we used was a former Air America Helio Courier. I was told that when the school first aquired it, they had to patch a few bullet holes. It had HUGE leading edge slats that would drop down below a certain speed and with a strong head wind, it was not unusual to see it fly backwards.

Looked alot like this one.
View attachment 74916
 
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