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Hunting for Treasures in a Massive Aircraft Boneyard
The world’s largest civilian aircraft boneyard sits in the shadow of the Catalina Mountains, about 30 miles outside of Tucson. It’s a hot, dusty place where military personnel carriers drove past our car and signs at the entrance warn against entering or taking pictures. (www.wired.com) More...
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While the Pinal Airpark discourages visitors, you can take tours of the military boneyard at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson. The tours are offered through the nearby Pima Air Museum. They put you on a bus and drive slowly up and down the rows of aircraft. Amazing experience. Tours only operate Mon-Fri and not on Federal holidays.
I was out at Pinal in the early 1990's and there was a man that worked (for Evergreen?) that was kind of their "tour director". We were a previously arranged group from an Airliners Int'l. gathering at Pheonix and drove down for a day trip. We had a great tour of the ramp then got to wander along the rows of parked aircraft. N8008 caught my eye. It had been years since I flew on her (with DL) and now she was just melting away in the sun with owls nesting in the wheel wells. It was sad. Also the old man that gave us the tour died the next year and then they had a well publicized Osprey crash, so for years they were closed to tour groups.
Anyway, got a lot of kool photos before we headed on down for a tour of TUC, Pima Air Museum and finally Davis-Monthan which was the wildest collection of aluminum I've ever seen. Mom and Dad's tax money parked forever.
Anyway, got a lot of kool photos before we headed on down for a tour of TUC, Pima Air Museum and finally Davis-Monthan which was the wildest collection of aluminum I've ever seen. Mom and Dad's tax money parked forever.
Most of these airplanes did not come here to die. They will live to fly another day. They have regular maintenance done to them. It is an amazing airfield to fly over. I did regularly when doing my flight training.
spent some time there when I was an ATC with FAA.. just cruised right in with my ID - back then were still some old props - this was in the 1970s
there's always been something else going on there - Evergreen was there for a long time - rumors had them tied to the CIA.. it went from a simple guard to a full security environ... when Mojave had 100s of derelict airplanes they used to do tours but not at Marana
WOW...this is soooo CoOL...would LOVE to venture around the ol boneyards...just to sit in a cockpit ...just to imagine what it was like to have been there ..flying...enjoying the scenery...if these ol birds could talk !!...ahhhhhhhhh...
Wish more picture's could have been included ......
Wish more picture's could have been included ......
