People struggling to understand why parts from $34 billion aircraft boneyard can’t be used
- $34 billion worth of airplane parts are sitting in a lot at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, US
- Check out the incredible footage below
- But many on the internet are wondering why the planes aren’t being put to better use – and we have the answer
Published on Feb 26, 2024 at 3:07 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Feb 27, 2024 at 4:54 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
While we all try to live by the ethos of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ – many people on the internet are baffled as to why parts from this multi-million aircraft boneyard can’t be utilised.
$34 billion worth of airplane parts are sitting in a lot at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, US.
And there’s incredible aerial footage that reveals the true scale of the eerie, yet valuable site.
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Shared to X by @EvasTeslaSPlaid, it showcases a zoomed-out view of the aircraft boneyard.
It’s officially called the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group.
The area is used by the US Air Force uses to house planes that are no longer in active commission.
In includes vehicles from the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy, Marine Corps, and even NASA.
It holds the world record for being the World’s Largest Military Aircraft Boneyard, according to the World Record Academy.
The combined total of everything parked there is thought to be around $34 billion, per reports.
However, aside from being wowed, it’s left the internet baffled as to why the old planes and their constituent parts can’t be put to better use.
“Recycle?? No money there? Or nostalgia??” asked one.
“Can you make anything with them?” wondered a second.
Thankfully, it seems that their questions aren’t completely off-target.
Like this million dollar car graveyard in a German forest – it’s not there for nothing.
As the ‘Regeneration’ part of the name suggests – the planes don’t simply sit there gathering dust -as planes that come to the base aren’t broken, for the most part – they’re just retired.
They’re maintained in working order so that they can be used when needed.
Many of these planes are partially and gradually stripped for parts as needed.
Then, once parts come off a plane, they’re carefully refurbished to a like-new standard.
Low humidity, light rainfall, and dry soil prevent the aircraft from getting rusty – making the Arizona desert the ideal resting place for these planes.
Air Force Col. Jennifer Barnard told AirForce Times that the group can fulfil certain requests on a same-day basis – providing the location and the request are both right.
“We get looked at as an air power reservoir,” she said.
“Our guys take a lot of pride in preserving these aircraft and taking really good care of them. They know they might be needed again, whether it’s a whole airplane or just its parts.”
And this isn’t the only way to get the most out of a retired plane, this old Boeing 747 was bought for $1.35 and turned into the ultimate party venue.
What’s more, this man built his dream home out of two jets and it only costs him $200 a month.
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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.”
