Bad To The Boneyard

I know this has been covered here before, but this is a pretty cool video I just had to post.  Could be a bit sad, but still cool...

"Commonly referred to as the “Boneyard,” the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., contains about 5,000 retired military aircraft throughout 2,600 acres. Crews at the Boneyard preserve aircraft for possible future use, pull aircraft parts to supply to the field, and perform depot-level maintenance and aircraft regeneration in support of Air Force operations. (U.S. Air Force video/Andrew Arthur Breese)"

Awesome time lapse HD video of the Boneyard in Tucson.

Tail tales.  At least these have another life in them, although as target drones vice fighters. 

If it's not in a museum or on a stick- all the Tomcats are here.

As are the Vikings- possibly awaiting their transformation into Tanker CODs- Link

If the Vipers aren't there yet, they will be soon (assuming the Lightning II ever makes it through development.)

Even the Blues go there.  The Hornets they fly are the oldest in the Fleet so when
they're done with them, nobody else will take 'em except AMARG.

If you haven't been, do what you can to visit.  It can be sort of eerie, sad, but cool at the same time.  Lots of history there.  The Pima Air and Space Museum is nearby and is another chance to see history through 150 aircraft in slightly better condition than the ones across the street, including BUNO 160604- a bird I flew in Japan.  I flew my last flight to Davis-Monthan to drop off Dragonfire 704.  It was a strange day.  The gent that picked us up from the ramp drove us around the boneyard to show us where our bird would join the other Vikings.  He was polite, but I had the feeling that he was polite like a mortician- nice is part of the job, but one that can be a bit morbid to say the least.  Nevertheless, I'd like to go back and find it again someday.

Note:  The video above was part of a larger documentary on "Today's Air Force."