[imagesource:US Air Force / Wikipedia]

$34 billion worth of aeroplane parts are sitting in a massive lot at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, US.

Officially called the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (309th AMARG for short), the area is used by the US Air Force to house planes that are no longer in active commission.

The spot officially holds over 3,280 aircraft and 13 aerospace vehicles from the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy, Marine Corps, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

According to the World Record Academy, the giant parking lot holds the world record for being the World’s Largest Military Aircraft Boneyard.

Reports reckon the combined total of everything parked there is around $34 billion, which is roughly 653 billion humble Rands.

There’s incredible aerial footage that reveals the true scale of the eerie, yet valuable site, doing the rounds on the internet. Shared to X by @EvasTeslaSPlaid, a video shows a zoomed-out view of the aircraft boneyard.

$34 billion airplane graveyard.
USA – Arizona. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/PEPMd6Z5vH

— Eva McMillan ♥️ (@EvasTeslaSPlaid) February 21, 2024

Ponder the sheer size of this boneyard with some still shots:

While we all try to live by the ethos of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’, many people on the internet are baffled as to why parts from this multi-million aircraft boneyard can’t be better utilised, per Supercar Blondie:

“Recycle?? No money there? Or nostalgia??” asked one.

“Can you make anything with them?” wondered a second.

Folks are not completely off-target with these pointed questions. As the ‘Regeneration’ part of the name suggests, the planes don’t simply sit there gathering dust as the vehicles that park at the base aren’t broken (for the most part), just retired.

ABC15 Arizona reports that this collection picked up steam after World War II and now more than 500 people are currently employed to take care of the 4,400+ aircraft that call this airfield their permanent residence.

The planes are maintained in working order so that they can be used for specific regeneration/rebuilding projects, with many of these aircrafts partially and gradually stripped for parts as needed. Another role of AMARG is to convert fighter jets into aerial target drones.

The conditions in the Arizona desert make it the perfect place to hold all these retired vehicles. Low humidity, light rainfall, and dry soil prevent the aircraft from getting rusty and falling apart in totality.

Air Force Col. Jennifer Barnard told AirForce Times that the group can fulfil certain requests on a same-day basis, provided the location and the request are both right.

“We get looked at as an air power reservoir,” she said.

“Our guys take a lot of pride in preserving these aircraft and taking really good care of them. They know they might be needed again, whether it’s a whole airplane or just its parts.”

It is good to know that this plane boneyard is not for nought.

There are a couple of folks who have made creative use of a retired plane, like this old Boeing 747 that was bought for $1.35 by Cotswold Airport in Oxfordshire, England and turned into the ultimate party venue.

Or this man who built his dream home out of two jets that now only costs him $200 a month. Following his divorce in 2011, Joe Axline, a trained pilot, decided to embark on ‘Project Freedom’.

Based in Texas, his plane pad includes a VR lounge, vegetable farm, and life-size chessboard – and he also hopes to build a cinema.

Must be nice.

[source:supercarblondie]