How The World's Largest Airplane Boneyard Stores 3,100 Aircraft | Big Business

I wouldn’t mind to have a school trip here, lunchtime hide and seek would be lit

For a person loving aircrafts that place is no less than a paradise...

One of my old Air Force bosses got into a wee bit of trouble back in the early 70's just after Vietnam, while assigned to Davis-Monthan AFB. His punishment was guard detail as a Security Augmentee for 30 days in the boneyard. It consisted of roaming around the boneyard and reporting in by radio every half hour. He said at the time they still had many WWII and Korean War era aircraft as well as newly retired jet fighters, jet bombers, and multi prop transports. The boneyard was huge and he was put in different sectors on his shifts. At the time he was told there were over 10,000 aircraft crammed into the boneyard. As newer models came in, but older ones were condemned, scrapped for parts, or sold off to other countries. He said it was eerily quiet out there, but there was the constant sound of metal flexing from the hot sun into the cool evenings. Most activity was during the day and his shift was at night. It was just him (and a couple of other augmentees), an occasional maintenance team, and roving SP patrols that made sure no one was sneaking in to steal parts or vandalizing planes. His only other company was the occasional coyote or other desert creatures. Otherwise, it was a quiet punishment.

Having worked at DM for three years, it was always a delight to drive by the rows of aircraft under the AMARG ownership. As a tanker pilot, I also appreciated that numerous replacement parts were coming off retired tankers. It truly is a national resource.

Everybody gangsta till you here “Autobots, Roll Out!”

Col. Barnard is one of the most down to earth Maintenance Officer I have ever met. I’m a former knuckle dragger crew chief. Interviewed her for a leadership paper while in college when she was a deputy commander of 412th MXG at KEDW. Great lady. I’m happy that she is the commander at AMARG.

I don’t know anything but I’m pretty sure that test flight guy has the best job ever. Sounds like he gets to go out and have some fun with all the planes

I hope Colonel Barnard gets her star and more before she retires! Her energy is phenomenal. She is no kill joy! It’s been a privilege and honor to learn of her and her team and what they do. Airline companies must be salivating just awaiting the day she transitions to civilian life.

Could be a COD map

It's amazing how much time, energy and money has to go into simply maintaining aircraft when they don't do anything, it's honestly surprising airlines like Ryanair are able to turn a profit

Stationed at DM with the A10 unit during the eighties. I lived in base housing and ran the perimeter road around the AMARG area every morning. As an aircraft maintainer, I worked on a number of those birds and delighted in seeing them come to a useful end of life.

Thank you all for your service and dedication to our country, I love this place and every time I drive up Kolb it is awesome to see the silent work that goes on there, my uncle was stationed at DM several years ago and always said that it may be quiet on the outside looking in but this base is always got something going on. Thank you again.....God bless.... Tony Parrish....... Cochise County AZ

My Dad landed a C-130 at Antarctica with ski's. Said it was one of the most exciting things he had ever done.

As a former airframe mechanic, I can literally smell this video. I’m so glad to know these poor birds aren’t going to sit in scrap, but it’s heartbreaking to see the ones that have to stay. (I’d totally adopt one)

I was stationed at DM when the storage area was known as MASDC. Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center. Exactly the same job. I was the driver for SO many tours of that space I got to know every plane and their individual stories. Those tours were the best part of being stationed at DM.

My first assignment in the Air Force was R & M (the junk yard) at Clark AB, Philippines, the largest AF base overseas at the time. These areas have an entirely different life than most people would believe. We kept a tow bar fro a B-52, including performing periodic maintenance, in the junk yard, in case there was an emergency landing of a B-52. B-52s were banned from the PI, but there were lots of flights from Guam to Vietnam, so we needed to be prepared. We also received a lot of excess equipment from Vietnam including the famous planes that sprayed agent orange. Those planes were cut up and the material disposed. Other equipment was demilitarized and sold as scrap to local contractors. Metal of any kind is very precious in that area. We had so much, the contractors ran out of money, so we had to store equipment until they could clear their inventories. In many cases, the waste of the government is overwhelming, but as usual, when Americans are given the chance, they can do amazing things. My favorite re utilization was a group of school desk to the Nun that ran the leaper colony school.

She didn't have to be in uniform for me to know she had served in military. Her saying 'assets' was proof enough.

I live in Arizona and my parents work at the base. I love this episode!

As a British veteran. The US military always amazes me.

As someone who's been passionate about aviation since age 6, I'm grateful to see many of these a/c receive a second life. The F16 test pilot has an awesome job! All these people do an amazing job though. Be fun to visit and climb in these fine a/c.