In 2008 I visited the place where military aircraft go to die. It’s called the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), but it’s more commonly known as the ‘Boneyard’. It houses at least one of every plane flown by the U.S. armed forces since WWII and it’s believed to be the largest airplane graveyard in the United States.
You can also see some pictures from Google Earth which show the amazing variety of aircraft here.
I wonder how I’ll explain these aircraft to my grandchildren. They might never get to experience what it is to fly. And here I am, an Aerospace engineer taking it all for granted. Somedays, it does my head in.
Hi Mia, they are truly haunting images. And so poignant when you consider how far we have come and how close we are to loosing it all.
Post apocalypse science fiction often features the conversation that you mentioned, trying to explain to a younger generation what these machines were once able to do. Mad Max III has an especially good example with the children climbing onto the 747 and expecting Max to fly them away …
Regarding the aircraft in the top image, I think that they are C-5A Galaxy transports rather than B-52s.
I think you are right LS. I didn’t check very closely when I uploaded them.
I’d love to check out that place. My Dad used to be in the RAF and was a navigator. He flew in a Whistling Tit. Swear to God, that’s what they were called. I was the only girl in my class at primary school who knew all about planes.
Fantastic photos, as always… and yes, the world will be a whole lot smaller for future generations!