North Carolina teen discovers airplane boneyard filled with classic planes left to rot since the ’90s
Published on Sep 14, 2025 at 6:48 AM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Sep 10, 2025 at 4:57 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
A North Carolina teen discovered an incredible airplane boneyard filled with classic planes that have been left to rot since the 1990s and 2000s from Boeing, Airbus, and McDonnell Douglas.
YouTuber JW aviation explored the yard in January 2024 and found all sorts of aircraft, many of them having been sitting since retirement in the 1990s.
According to the YouTuber, the most recent of them arrived in 2017, and there is an eclectic mix of large and small airliners, all of which are in varying states of decay.
Even the legendary Boeing 747 hasn’t escaped the yard, with multiple examples waiting to be scrapped.
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What aircraft are at the airplane boneyard?
While it isn’t the first aircraft seen in the video, the Boeing 747 is by far the biggest airplane at the boneyard.
Many still hold a soft spot for the American airliner.
The first one visible is all-white with a blue tailfin.
All of its engines have been removed, presumably to act as spares for the rest of the fleet.
Right in front of it is another 747, adorned in a faded livery from Northwest Airlines.
Like its sibling, this too has had the engines removed.
These will likely have gone on to be used with their fellow 747s.
Both airliners, while a bit dirty, look to be in surprisingly sturdy condition.
Other aircraft, however, have not been so lucky.
A McDonnell Douglas DC-10 that was at the yard has since been scrapped.
More aircraft lie across the boneyard
In total, eight airliners are lying across the boneyards site.
Smaller Boeing aircraft are visible, including a 737-200.
A commenter on the video confirmed the white 747 is a former United Airlines aircraft.
There are other Boeing 737s in the field, as well as an Airbus A300.
A Boeing 727 was also visible in the video, this one of just two Northwest Airlines 727s remaining in the world.
A later video from August 2025 updated us on the situation, and most of the aircraft are still at the airport.
They are located at Laurinburg-Maxton Airport in North Carolina, and the aircraft are regularly used for training procedures.
That is what has kept them alive for so long, despite no other airliners joining them in the boneyard.
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Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
