There’s something you probably don’t know about the world’s largest aircraft boneyard in Arizona with 3,000 planes
- The world’s largest aircraft boneyard sits in Arizona, US
- However, planes don’t simply go there to ‘die’
- A team of 800 mechanics works to preserve and restore aircraft
Published on Oct 14, 2024 at 4:40 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Oct 15, 2024 at 3:11 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
While you might think you understand all there is to know about the world’s largest aircraft boneyard in Arizona, US, turns out planes don’t just go there to ‘die’.
The 309th Aerospace Maintenance & Regeneration Group preserves over 3,000 aircraft.
However, the planes are sometimes refurbished and brought back into service.
A team of 800 mechanics works year-round to preserve and restore the aircraft in the hope they’ll fly again.
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World’s largest aircraft boneyard
Shared by aerospace and defense content creator Sam Eckholm, the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona houses over 3,000 military aircraft across 2,600 acres.
However, if you think it’s merely a yard where planes go to rust and molder, it’s actually much more than that.
It’s part storage site and part crucial resource for the US military.
In fact, a dedicated team of 800 mechanics works to preserve and repurpose the aircraft that end up there.
Meanwhile, in North Carolina, this airport in the middle of nowhere is home to an apocalyptic aircraft boneyard.
What they do there
Arriving aircraft first undergo a detailed preparation process before they are stored long-term.
The process includes engine flushing, washing, and sealing before being towed to their designated spots.
This is done in the hope that they’ll stay in good condition for future use.
Over 9,000 valuable parts are reclaimed annually to repair and upgrade active aircraft.
The aircraft boneyard features icons of the skies including the EB-57 Canberra and B-52 bombers.
These two aircraft were modified for arms reduction treaties, making them important for spare parts and sustaining military operations for the future.
A lot of people don’t know that New Mexico has a huge, fascinating aircraft boneyard.
Across the Atlantic, the ‘most notable aircraft boneyard’ is where planes go to die and then be recycled.
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
