The Historic Aviation Bone Yard, Military aircraft storage facility in Tucson, United States.
Description
The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group is a storage facility for retired military aircraft in Arizona's desert. The site spans 2,600 acres and houses thousands of aircraft ranging from fighter jets to large transport planes.
History
The facility opened in 1945 to store aircraft after World War II ended. It grew into one of the world's largest collections of retired military aircraft from subsequent decades.
Culture
The facility reflects American military aviation through aircraft from different service branches collected over decades. Walking through reveals how military aviation technology evolved and changed over time.
Practical
Visits happen only on scheduled tours booked through the Pima Air and Space Museum in advance. Be ready for hot, dry desert conditions and bring proper identification with you.
Did you know?
The desert's low humidity, minimal rainfall, and alkaline soil naturally preserve aircraft from rust and corrosion. This makes the location perfect for long-term aircraft storage without expensive preservation treatments.
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide. Discover all places nearby (Tucson).
Around the world, thousands of airplanes, ships, and vehicles reach the end of their service life and are sent to storage or dismantling sites. These locations mark the final destinations of transportation machines: some wait in the Arizona desert where over 4,000 military aircraft are preserved...
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