US Air Force takes delivery of a perfectly fine Lufthansa Boeing 747 jumbo jet just to carefully dismantle it in the Arizona desert

The US Air Force bought an old Lufthansa Boeing 747, parked it in the Arizona desert, and started dismantling it.

The 747 wasn’t new, but it was perfectly fine. As in, it was still airworthy.

So why take apart a plane that could still fly?

There’s a very good reason, and it involves a major US project.

The key fact with 747s

One of the things we don’t realize about the Boeing 747 is that it spanned nearly 60 years.

It was introduced in the late 1960s, and discontinued in 2023.

There have been so many variants, some of which are obsolete, some of which aren’t.

So that’s why sometimes airlines – or in this case the US government – gut old jets to keep newer jets running.

That’s because, in general, the systems, engines, flight deck glass, and dimensions are completely incompatible.

We should probably credit this to the 747’s longevity.

Most planes don’t stay in production for nearly 60 years and with over 1,500 produced.

The US Air Force is still struggling with the Air Force One program

The US Air Force is still struggling with Air Force One.

There’s an ongoing issue with the upcoming replacement for the old one – mostly due to production issues and costs – and apparently the Qatari-gifted one also needs more work.

The US government managed to convert the Qatari 747 into what is now known as the ‘Bridge Air Force One‘ in record time.

But then, just a few months later, the plane was grounded again for some work, and now the Air Force bought a new 747 because it needed some parts.

Recently, the US government bought a Lufthansa Boeing 747 and immediately dismantled it at Pinal Airpark in Arizona.

To be clear, this plane was totally fine.

It was still airworthy and Lufthansa decided to retire it simply because it was no longer good enough in terms of comfort and profitability.

However, it was structurally sound and safe.

But the US government is still facing several Air Force One program delays, which is why they decided to harvest critical components such as specialized cockpit windshields, emergency escape slides, digital avionics, GEnx-2B engine parts, and so on.

Why Arizona?

There are several plane graveyards in Arizona, including the largest in the world, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

Here, planes are carefully stored, if possible, or parked in the desert and routinely gutted for parts.

Aside from the size of the state, the main reason why operators choose Arizona is that the arid, dry desert helps preserve planes.

Humidity causes severe corrosion, and the region’s minimal rainfall and dry air prevent aircraft frames from rusting and deteriorating over time.