Final resting place for commercial aircraft found in dusty California desert
- When commercial aircraft retire they can be sent to this airplane graveyard in the Mojave desert
- Mojave Airport and spaceport (MHV) in California, USA, has an accompanying airliner storage and reclamation yard
- The vast area and dry, low-humidity desert conditions make it the perfect spot
Published on May 29, 2024 at 7:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on May 31, 2024 at 7:25 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
When commercial aircraft are retired, they don’t go off to a giant aircraft hanger in the sky – many of them go to this airplane graveyard in the Mojave desert.
Mojave Airport and Spaceport (MHV) in California, USA, has an accompanying airliner storage and reclamation yard for commercial airliners.
While it might seem eerie, but the vast area, far from major cities and other airports, and dry, low-humidity desert conditions make it the perfect location.
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In the middle of the dusty landscape, you’ll find commercial aircraft like large Boeing, Airbus, McDonnell-Douglas, and Lockheed aircraft owned by major global airlines.
Aging and ailing aircraft are sent there when they reach the end of their useful lifetime.
Some that are beyond repair are scrapped at the Mojave aircraft boneyard.
Meanwhile, other airplanes can be revived and refurbished in hopes of resuming active service.
One example of this is the Qantas Airlines’ fleet of Airbus A380s and Boeing 747s.
During the global lockdown during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, they were sent to the Mojave aircraft graveyard.
The last 747-438(ER), VH-OEJ, named ‘Wunala’, left Sydney Airport, Australia in July 2020.
Flight QF747’s was takeoff witnessed by hundreds of spectators and airplane spotters alike.
The 17-year-old aircraft embarked on the last leg of the final flight on July 24, 2020, departing LAX to Mojave Airport.
Check out this footage of a Boeing 747 sitting in the boneyard with no engines appearing to try to take off one last time.
The apparent getaway attempt was down to high winds of over 70 mph and gusts of up to 100mph in the low-pressure zone back in 2012.
With its landing flaps deployed and lack of engines, cockpit avionics, and other interior elements making the tail heavy, it appears to try to take to the skies one last time.
Mojave was also the site for the world’s largest aircraft ‘Roc’, which launched the first powered flight of a hypersonic vehicle at Mach 5.
While you can no longer tour in person, you can do a Mojave Air and Space Port Virtual Driving Tour.
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London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness, and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the senior content writer and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms, and coveted brands. When her OOO is on from writing about cars and heading up on-site SEO you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym, or exploring the city she loves.
