Photos: A look inside the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Aircraft Boneyard in Tucson
Photos from the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base aircraft boneyard or the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group. The boneyard, in Tucson, is the largest aircraft storage facility in the world with about 4,000 military aircraft of various types. The aircraft that are processed into the facility are cleaned, sealed and stored either permanently or to be used as parts and even sometimes repurposed in their entirety by the U.S. military, other government groups such as the U.S. Fire Service and foreign militaries.
Aircraft Boneyard
C-130 grounded at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
Gary Chartier contract aircraft mechanic at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard works on unarming the cockpit of an F-18 on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
Wash workers clean the tail of a C-130 being prepared to be sent off from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard to a new customer through the regeneration initiative on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
An F-18 is taxied through Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
C-130 grounded at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
Aircraft wash worker Aaron Meeks cleans an A-10 wheel pod at the the wash rack of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
"Thank you for your service ol' girl!" written on the nose of an F-18 being processed in at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
John Sparks, an aircraft worker at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard, suits up before washing pieces of an A-10 on Oct. 17, 2019. The "Naval Soap" which is used to clean aircraft to prevent corrosion can cause rashes to human skin so workers must wear rubber gloves, boots and jackets while working with it.
Aircraft Boneyard
Durand Silva, an aircraft maintainer with the Civil Service, sprays down the tail of a C-130 being prepared to be sent off from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard to a new customer through the regeneration initiative on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
C-5s grounded at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
Durand Silva, an aircraft maintainer with the Civil Service, scrubs down the nose of a C-130 being prepared to be sent off from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard to a new customer through the regeneration initiative on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
Workers tape the wing of a C-130 before sealing them with spray on coating at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
F-16s grounded at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
An F-18 is taxied to a permanent grounding area at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
An F-18 is taxied to a permanent grounding area at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
An F-18 is taxied through Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
An F-18 is locked down at the wash rack at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
"Thank you for your service ol' girl!" written on the nose of an F-18 being processed in at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
Durand Silva, an aircraft maintainer with the Civil Service, sprays down the tail of a C-130 being prepared to be sent off from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard to a new customer through the regeneration initiative on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
Workers prepare to de-fuel a P-3 being processed at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
Workers prepare to de-fuel a P-3 being processed at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
A worker signals from the cockpit of a P-3 to workers on the ground as they defuel the aircraft at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
Light signs through a small window of a P-3 being processed into the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
Workers prepare to de-fuel a P-3 being processed at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
Jason Struve, a preservation servicer at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard, tapes the tail of a C-130 on Oct. 17, 2019. Workers said it fighter aircraft usually take 24 rolls of tape with larger aircraft requiring much more.
Aircraft Boneyard
Jason Struve, a preservation servicer at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard, tapes the tail of a C-130 on Oct. 17, 2019. Workers said it fighter aircraft usually take 24 rolls of tape with larger aircraft requiring much more.
Aircraft Boneyard
Workers tape C-130 before sealing them with spray on coating at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
Workers tape C-130 before sealing them with spray on coating at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
A workers boot is seen as he sits on the wing of a C-130 at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
A worker applies a spray on sealent to the underside of a C-130 wing at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
A worker applies a spray on sealent to the underside of a C-130 wing at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
A worker applies a spray on sealent to the underside of a C-130 wing at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
A worker applies a spray on sealent to the wing of a C-130 at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
Col. Jennifer Barnard stands for a portrait at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
Col. Jennifer Barnard stands for a portrait at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
The hanger where workers are refurbishing A-10 wings to increase the longevity of aircraft in the field at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
Various parts and boxes containing various pieces of aircraft lay in a field at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
Workers look over an F-16 at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
A worker looks over parts being prepared to ship out of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Aircraft Boneyard
Aircraft grounded at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Aircraft Boneyard on Oct. 17, 2019.
Josh Galemore
Photojournalist
As boneyards go, this place is pretty lively.