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The Boneyard, Arizona

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The Boneyard, Arizona

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Old 20th Aug 2013, 23:18
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I am not sure since post 9/11 but before then, you could hire a Cessna from Genesis Aviation at Tucson international and fly over the Boneyard for some time and take piccies.
I did it 2 or 3 times with Sunday being the best day as the Davis Monthan circuit was quiet, one time there was even a couple of VC-10s and 8 or 9 Tornado F3s on the DM ramp, probably making their way home (slowly) from a Red Flag.
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Old 21st Aug 2013, 00:03
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AR.....on a US Military Base.....when the National Anthem is played....or the Retreat Gun sounds and Retreat (Evening Colors) is played.....we stand to Attention, face the Flag.....or the Music....and if in Uniform.....Salute. All activity ceases....all vehicles pull to a stop....used to be all occupants exited the vehicle and rendered honors.

Playing golf is not the done thing as you found out it would appear.


Last edited by SASless; 21st Aug 2013 at 00:06.
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Old 21st Aug 2013, 00:05
  #43 (permalink)  
 
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I wish they would take the google street view car round that place.
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Old 21st Aug 2013, 00:11
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SaSless.

The same rules apply here in Aus.

And god help if you don't because you'd be march up in front of the RSM (WO 1 Regimental Sgt Major) regardless of rank (up to a point !).
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Old 21st Aug 2013, 06:36
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SASless / 500N - I can't see that catching on in the UK. For one thing the station PA system probably couldn't cope - and for another, many of the people on RAF stations now are civilian contractors who've never served in the Armed Forces.

Besides, what would their unions say.....

It was bad enough avoiding being run over by contractors' vehicles which failed to stop during the daily ensign lowering ceremony.

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Old 21st Aug 2013, 06:49
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As has been said Pima museum next to the DM boneyard is well worth a visit, as is the Missile silo which has been turned into a museum just a few miles down the road in Green Valley I think if memory serves me well.Pima had an SR71 when I visited in the late 90s, not too sure if that is still there.
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Old 21st Aug 2013, 14:38
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Hello all, from the commercial world...

I went to Pima a couple of weeks ago when I was on a PHX trip and it was really good. Well worth a visit. I also drove past somewhere else on the way, which I can't remember, which had some commercial frames having an elongated break in the sun.
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Old 21st Aug 2013, 15:49
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That'll be Pinal Airpark, a few miles NW of Tucson on the I-10.

The missile silo mentioned earlier is the Titan Missile Museum. Another excellent visit and highly recommended.
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Old 21st Aug 2013, 16:29
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I am not sure since post 9/11 but before then, you could hire a Cessna from Genesis Aviation at Tucson international and fly over the Boneyard for some time and take piccies.
I did it 2 or 3 times with Sunday being the best day as the Davis Monthan circuit was quiet, one time there was even a couple of VC-10s and 8 or 9 Tornado F3s on the DM ramp, probably making their way home (slowly) from a Red Flag.
There are numerous companies at Tucson who will do that for you, and also at Ryan Field (a few miles west of Tucson). The rules have changed slightly in that you're 'not allowed' to overfly D-M (both the 'active' airfield and the storage areas), however this is easy to overcome.
Most departures from Tucson are to the south, so if you arrange to go to the north of Tucson you have to make a wide left turn after take-off ... which means that the storage areas are all laid out off to your left as you climb slowly. Pick a high-wing Cessna, don't be afraid of telling the pilot what you want to do, and they will 'accidentally' keep it low, and allow you to have the window open so you get some good photos without glass reflections.
On the way back from the north, ask to overfly the Tucson central area, which means that you keep well to the east, fly past D-M again, and make a wide detour to the west of Tucson Intl before turning finals.

On a visit there in the early 90s we stopped to peer through the fence. I remember looking at numerous lines of F-4 Phantoms lined-up ... there were 19 in each line, and I counted 23 lines!

19 in a line! ... what was the standard complement for a RAF F-4 squadron?
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Old 21st Aug 2013, 16:49
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As of mid-July, still north of 350 there, including some of the Boxhead F4F.
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Old 23rd Aug 2013, 02:42
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Pima had an SR71 when I visited in the late 90s, not too sure if that is still there.
Pima's SR71 is now indoors, in Pride of Place. Beautiful machine.

I bought the T-shirt.

Now I hope they can get their lovely B-36 to inside exhibition.
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Old 23rd Aug 2013, 12:08
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I could lose hours on that AMARC website.

I love the personal stories attached to this C5A and the incidents she was involved in:

AMARC Experience - AMARC Experience
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Old 23rd Aug 2013, 13:22
  #53 (permalink)  
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Originally Posted by SASless
It provides a Reserve of aircraft that can mobilized and as a huge source of spare parts.
And a sqn of F4J post Falklands.
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Old 23rd Aug 2013, 14:15
  #54 (permalink)  
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I wonder what they would charge a foreign air force for open storage?

Ideal place for a spare E3D or maybe some redundant Sentinels.
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Old 25th Aug 2013, 16:40
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Thought this might be of interest to some.

Found when looking for something else.

Military Aircraft Boneyards, Storage, Disposal and Scrapping after World War II
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Old 25th Aug 2013, 17:39
  #56 (permalink)  
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500N

You sir, are a star. I have no knowledge if anyone else is interested - but I sure as hell am, thank you!

That'll keep me going for a while . . .
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Old 25th Aug 2013, 17:48
  #57 (permalink)  
 
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Dengue

It hooked me for about 15 minutes as well. I'll go back and look again later.

I knew a lot of aircraft were scrapped at the end of WWII and the start of
the jet age but I didn't realise that the US had so many different airfields
so close together in the Western US.

Looking at how many aircraft and how few now,
it's a shame more weren't kept - The B17's as an example.
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Old 27th Aug 2013, 17:48
  #58 (permalink)  
 
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"And remember thats where the Caf'S B29 came from, flew down in a B24 with tool kits and worked over 5 B29's missed off inventory and finally flew FIFI back for full restoration. So it is a usefull place in 20 yeard someone will be reclaiming the last B52 or Harrier.
Last edited by Dysonsphere; 18th Aug 2013 at 00:48"

Actually, "FIFI" didn't come from the boneyard. She was found at China Lake Navy Base.
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Old 27th Aug 2013, 18:34
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"And remember thats where the Caf'S B29 came from, flew down in a B24 with tool kits and worked over 5 B29's missed off inventory and finally flew FIFI back for full restoration. So it is a usefull place in 20 yeard someone will be reclaiming the last B52 or Harrier.
Last edited by Dysonsphere; 18th Aug 2013 at 00:48"

Actually, "FIFI" didn't come from the boneyard. She was found at China Lake Navy Base.
Sorry my bad
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Old 28th Aug 2013, 13:53
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I spent a few days photographing Davis Monthan, Pima and followed by Mojave some years ago. It proved to be one of the saddest places I'd ever seen old aircraft.

I'd be pleased if you looked at a gallery on my archive site:

Rgds,
Richard.
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