Aircraft boneyard
Encyclopedia
Aircraft boneyard is a term for a storage area for aircraft
that are retired from service. Most aircraft at boneyards are either kept for storage or turned into scrap metal. Desert
s, such as those in the Southwestern United States
, are good locations for boneyards since the dry conditions reduce corrosion
.
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
that are retired from service. Most aircraft at boneyards are either kept for storage or turned into scrap metal. Desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
s, such as those in the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
, are good locations for boneyards since the dry conditions reduce corrosion
Corrosion
Corrosion is the disintegration of an engineered material into its constituent atoms due to chemical reactions with its surroundings. In the most common use of the word, this means electrochemical oxidation of metals in reaction with an oxidant such as oxygen...
.
Notable aircraft boneyards
- Pinal AirparkPinal AirparkPinal Airpark is a county-owned, public-use airport located seven nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Marana, in Pinal County, Arizona, United States....
, Arizona - 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, Davis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
, Arizona - Southern California Logistics AirportSouthern California Logistics AirportSouthern California Logistics Airport , also known as Victorville Airport, is a public airport located in the city of Victorville in San Bernardino County, California approximately north of San Bernardino...
, Victorville, CaliforniaVictorville, CaliforniaVictorville is a city located in the Victor Valley of southwestern San Bernardino County, California. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 census, the city had a population of 115,903, up from 64,030 at the 2000 census.-Geography and climate:... - Mojave Air & Space Port, California
- Roswell International Air CenterRoswell International Air CenterRoswell International Air Center , also known as Roswell Industrial Air Center, is a city-owned public-use airport located seven miles south of the central business district of Roswell, a city in Chaves County, New Mexico, United States....
, Roswell, New MexicoRoswell, New MexicoRoswell is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,366 at the 2010 census. It is a center for irrigation farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also...
contains the remains of several large passenger and cargo jets, including at least two Boeing 747Boeing 747The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
s and five Boeing 707Boeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
s. - Phoenix Goodyear AirportPhoenix Goodyear AirportPhoenix Goodyear Airport , formerly known as Goodyear Municipal Airport, is a public airport located one mile southwest of the central business district of Goodyear, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States....
- Abilene Regional AirportAbilene Regional AirportAbilene Regional Airport is a public airport located three statute miles southeast of the central business district of Abilene, a city in Taylor County, Texas, United States. It is within the Abilene city limits and owned and operated by the City of Abilene.The majority of aircraft operations at...
in Abilene, TexasAbilene, TexasAbilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
is home to many retired Saab 340Saab 340The Saab 340 is a discontinued Swedish two-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by a partnership between Saab and Fairchild Aircraft in a 65:35 ratio...
aircraft, primarily from American Eagle AirlinesAmerican Eagle AirlinesAmerican Eagle Airlines is a brand name used by American Eagle Airlines, Inc. , based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Executive Airlines based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the operation of passenger air service as regional affiliates of American Airlines. All three airlines are wholly owned subsidiaries...
. - RAF Aircraft Storage Flight, RAF ShawburyRAF ShawburyRAF Shawbury is a Royal Air Force station by the village of Shawbury near Shrewsbury, Shropshire.The station at Shawbury was first used for military flying training in 1917 by the Royal Flying Corps, but it was returned to agricultural use in 1920. In 1938 it was reactivated as a training...
See also
- CannibalizationCannibalization of machine partsCannibalization of machine parts, in maintenance of mechanical or electronic systems with interchangeable parts, refers to the practice of removing parts or subsystems necessary for repair from another similar device, rather than from inventory, usually when resources become limited...
- Knockdown aircraft