Desert Aircraft Storage in the USA
 

Recent story by AP on the desert aircraft storage yards in the Southwest USA.

The Associated Press: Shrinking airlines park more planes in the desert

The writer and Evergreen are optimists at least. I cannot see anyone wanting any MD's even when the industry turns around.

Desert storage is not all it's cracked up to be. Anyone who got their hands on the old US Airways BAe146 fleet which was stored in the desert in the 1990s, and then steadily sold on (mainly to European operators) will tell what a maintenance and reliability nuisance they were for years afterwards, particularly on the systems and electrical side, until most of what was there had been replaced a bit at a time.

If you do go to Arizona etc to check out future acquisitions, also be prepared with plenty of precautions against rattlesnakes !

Best precaution is to go in the winter when they are all asleep!

What I find most surprising about this article is that Evergreen even allowed the reporter in ! For years they have been very close-lipped about their business and Marana/Pinal is off-limits to non-professionals.

So is this a significant change of attitude or was some kind of "bung" perhaps involved ? :hmm:

Desert parkings...
 

Marana, Kingman, Victorville or Mojave are the parkings.
Through the years, made extra money ferrying planes in/out of these places.
Most planes in good shape after giving harbor to homeless rattlesnakes.
Even if two or three years of storage went by... Dry air is... dry.
Parking fees next to nothing. Maintaining planes to semi-flyable status is expensive.
xxx
Marana, Evergreen is not too friendly for visits. They still are tied to the CIA.
Even with flight crews. Was there in 2001 (prior to 9/11) to fly a 747 out...
Had to be escorted each time I had to go to the plane.
xxx
If you really want to visit, try Victorville, or Mojave. More congenial people.
Try to arrange with the airport manager to assist you for a visit.
I took 4 ex-Virgin 747-200s out of Mojave, for delivery to TransAero Russia.
Was 2005. Had Russian crews along, some with their wives/kids.
They got in/out of airfield with their rental car, no problem for visits.
You can even fly there, with you private airplane.
Same story for Victorville. Took my car to a 747 I had to fly out of there.
No questions asked, just my pilot license/ID shown at the gate.
xxx
:ok:
Happy contrails