Arizona’s Giant Aircraft Graveyard

Arizona’s aircraft graveyard, officially known as the Military Aircraft Boneyard, is located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. It is one of the largest aircraft storage and preservation facilities in the world.

The facility is operated by the U.S. Air Force and is primarily used for storing retired military aircraft, which can be salvaged for parts, refurbished for future use, or scrapped.

The boneyard was established in the 1940s and has since grown to encompass over 2,600 acres, housing thousands of aircraft from various branches of the military. The dry desert climate of Arizona is ideal for preserving aircraft, as it reduces corrosion and deterioration.

The base currently houses approximately 4,000 aircraft. This number can vary as new aircraft are added and others are disposed of. The facility primarily stores retired military aircraft from various branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, including the Air Force, Navy, and Marines. The aircraft are stored in various conditions, from those that might be refurbished for future use to those designated for parts recovery or scrapping. The vast collection makes it one of the largest aircraft storage and preservation sites in the world.

Visitors can learn about the history and operations of the boneyard through the Pima Air & Space Museum, which is located nearby. The museum features some of the aircraft on display and offers guided tours of the boneyard, providing insights into the aircraft’s history and the processes involved in their storage and maintenance.

The boneyard is not only a fascinating site for aviation enthusiasts but also serves as a testament to the evolution of military aviation and the lifecycle of aircraft in the armed forces. It is often referred to as a “graveyard” due to the large number of retired planes, but it also represents a place of repurposing and preservation for aviation history.

Destination: South West USA