Pilot shows what it’s like inside restricted aircraft cemetery where 2,000 planes are waiting to be recycled
- This aircraft cemetery is filled with over 2,000 retired planes
- 85 percent of aircraft weight can be salvaged and used again
- Plus you might recognize some of the famous flyers
Published on Nov 04, 2024 at 9:04 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Nov 05, 2024 at 4:28 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
This unique aircraft cemetery is filled with over 2,000 retired planes.
Each plane has been grounded and decommissioned but has a unique story to tell.
They’re sitting in the middle of nowhere waiting to be recycled.
In fact, 85 percent of their weight can be salvaged and used again.
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The huge aircraft cemetery
Content creator and FAA-licensed pilot, Kate Broug, is best known for posting all things aviation.
Most of the 2,000 planes sitting have been overwhelmed by nature, with greenery making them a part of the landscape.
Clinton McJenkin from BAS Part Sales owns the lot and explains to Broug how his team salvages valuable aircraft parts.
In fact, up to 85 percent of an aircraft’s weight can be recycled to reduce landfill.
It’s a fascinating insight into what happens to planes after their final flight when they’re grounded for good.
He also encourages aviation enthusiasts and collectors to keep historic planes alive.
How the planes end up on the site
McJenkin explains that many aircraft end up in the cemetery due to pilot errors.
A whopping 53 percent of aviation accidents come down to human error, often related to fuel mismanagement.
Some of these aircraft may actually be familiar.
When they feature deeper into the woods, the aircraft graveyard features the actual Lockheed Jetstar from the 1964 James Bond film, Goldfinger.
This aircraft transported 007 across the Atlantic under the watchful eyes of none other than Pussy Galore.
It’s just like the Lockheed Jetstar that this man converted into the most insane Airbnb.
A move towards sustainability in air travel means the market for recycled aircraft parts is going from strength to strength.
Keeping aircraft materials in circulation is currently worth a massive $2 billion market.
Let’s take a look at the biggest aircraft graveyards across the world.
Want more? Europe’s largest aircraft graveyard is an airport that hosts no passengers.
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.”
