The Boneyard: Where Military Aircraft Go to Die

By Alex in Pictures, Travel, Weapons & War on Mar 30, 2009 at 5:48 pm

Our pal WebEcoist has a very neat post about the graveyards of "stuff" after they’re no longer wanted. This one above is the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center or AMARC ("The Boneyard") in Tucson, Arizona, where military airplanes go to die:

When U.S. military airplanes need to be repaired or are just too old to fly, many of them end up in the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center, or AMARC, in Tucson, Arizona. Some of these planes are restored to operational status while others are broken down for parts. Seen from above, the planes make beautiful patterns in blue and white against the earthy brown backdrop.

Link | The AMARC Experience website

Previously on Neatorama: Shipbreaking Yard: Where Ships Go to Die

Tags: airplanes, AMARC, Boneyard, Tucson

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Johnny Cat
Mar 30th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Hey Alex, plural of aircraft is aircraft, like deer and fish. Just a friendly reminder!
Alex
Mar 30th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
I learn something new every day … You know, my mother tongue, Bahasa Indonesia, has a very simple rule for plurals: just repeat the word (so airplanes = airplane airplane)

Irregular plurals always trip me up. Thanks for letting me know, Johnny Cat!
Johnny Cat
Mar 30th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Wow, I learn something new tenfold by reading Neatorama…including that bit about Bahasa!
whitcwa
Mar 30th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
So would dum-dums pops be dum-dum-dum-dum?
marishka
Mar 30th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Looks like an Escher print!
Byrd Brain
Mar 30th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
No, dum-dum pops are irregular, so they would be “dum-de-dum-dum-dum”
Ominous Red
Mar 30th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
I used to drive past this grave yard every time I drove from Phoenix to Tucson. I guess this yard is making a huge appearance in the new Transformers sequel.
Zo
Mar 30th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
It’s Galaga!
DOJ
Mar 31st, 2009 at 12:59 am
seems like a waste
Skipweasel
Mar 31st, 2009 at 2:06 am
DOJ:- Many of the planes are eventually recycled. The Wikipedia article explains the four categories…

Keep for future.
Strip for Spares
Flog off
Just Passing.
tr
Mar 31st, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Wasn’t mentioned in the article, but the planes were put out all chopped up like that as part of a Cold War era disarmament treaty. Each side would chop up bombers that were to be destroyed under the treaty and then leave the pieces out for several months so that the other side could confirm their destruction with spy satellites.
James2
Mar 31st, 2009 at 10:44 pm
doj,
Airplanes can’t fly forever. They get old, the metal starts to fatigue, the planes become too costly to maintain. Probably very near this air force base is a boneyard for commercial aircraft, where 747s, DC-10s, et al. are parked by airlines for many of the same reasons.

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