If visiting, be sure to visit the Pima Air and Space museum-they have the biggest air museum and had their pick of decommissioned aircraft. Then, be sure to visit the Titan II missile silo museum, which is a working decommissioned nuclear silo. They completely walk you through a launch. Seriously good museums.
When I visited the museum in 2019, they organized the tours of AMARG. It's definitely worth the time and effort to see, imho. You did need to pass a security check to do the AMARG tour, and that takes a week or two to process.
Been to both during Air Guard deployments back in the 80s. Back then I also liked going to a downtown restaurant called El Adobe near the Pima County Courthouse.
Yup. I've been to both. Worth the visits. Give thought to the precarious nature of human existence, if only because of human hubris. Fun fact: The Titan II on display was one of many ICBMs wih a warhead eqiuvalent to 600(!) Hiroshima type A-bombs. What could possibly go wrong?
@@Its_Dice Many years of service as an aircraft technician seems like a good first step. I would also imagine they look over how many attempts someone generally need to pass verification. People who always pass in the first go "are better suited" to being taught to work on a completely new (to them) air craft type when the shit hits the fan and someone somewhere needs a lot of parts yesterday.
Visited Tucson on a military TDY. I saw a bit of the “boneyard”, but I’m super jealous y’all have the Pima Air and Space museum. I wish I could have spent 2 or 3 days going through it all instead of 3 hours!
I know what you mean. One of my worst days ever was helping a friend cut the wings of his derelict Mooney 201. It had sat idle for a decade and was assumed to be scrap. I used an angle grinder to cut the wings off at the roots and was horrified to note that the internal cavities were utterly corrosion free. 😢
Lots of folks in the comments are mentioning the Pima Air Museum, which is literally across the street from the boneyard. It's the best air museum I've ever seen. They have great ex military tour guides that drive you around the outside displays in a covered tram. There are numerous buildings full of displays from different eras. There is also a bus that can pick you up at the front of the museum and take you on a guided tour of the boneyard. I believe you have to buy these tickets in advance of your visit. Well worth it.
My Boy Scout troop toured the Boneyard in the mid-80s, so you may have been my guide. Thank you for the tour 40 years ago, I still remember it to this day.
Fyi: prior to any transformers trampling through the boneyard at Davis-Monthan AFB, two high-school students were breaking into the expansive aircraft storage facility to find something that could be used as a science project. This was the scenario depicted in the 1985 film, "My Science Project" which did have scenes filmed at the video discussed boneyard of Davis-Monthan AFB. (Btw, the reason you may not have heard of the film, "My Science Project" is because it was a "time-travel" type of film that was released and overshadowed by another time-travel film that same year, i.e., "Back to the Future.")
If you ever visit AZ please make an effort to go to the air museum in Tucson. It was my favorite museum in AZ to go to when I lived in AZ. And yes that dirt is a bugger to dig holes for trees.
I was stationed at DM from 02-07. Then came back in '15 - '20. I started out loaded and maintaining the weapons systems on the A-10 in the 357th Squadron "The Dragons". We had a barrel shortage one time on our A-10's and went to the boneyard to remove some from A-10's that were being retired. Also, pulled tons and tons of GCU's (gun control unit) for our aircraft out of ones in the boneyard. Its a cool place, on the backside of the boneyard where it backs up to the road leading to the shooting range. Is where alot of the older and completely mothballed aircraft and aircraft parts.
The idea that Iran is so desperate to keep their Tomcats in service that they'd pay Karen from Sedona millions of dollars for a new cockpit clicky bit is hysterical
@@banksuvladimir I'd guess that for whatever reason they don't have the precision machining required / metallurgical facilities to make parts up to spec. And that's not even getting into any electronics required, which could require specialised hardware to make. Hardware that may no longer exist/no one knows how to make anymore.
@@banksuvladimir They have reverse engineered some parts and have a 'home grown' Phoenix. Mostly they've scavenged parts from their other F14s to keep about 20 flying. I've read where they've attempted to work with Russian engineers to replace the engines with Russian manufactured ones, but it doesn't work. The time and expense to reverse engineer a Pratt and Whitney turbofan engine is probably insane. The number of individual parts is, I would guess, in the thousands. Each one would have to be meticulously duplicated and a manufacturing method developed. You're talking thousands of man hours and millions of dollars before you're even close to having a working engine. The Soviets reverse engineered the B-29 and created the TU-4. The Soviets also had what Iran doesn't, their own aircraft industry. The B-29 compared to an F-14 is a tinker toy.
@@jeffscott3186another thing is that while it is easy to find out the capabilities of an alloy, it is a lot more difficult to find out its exact composition and the exact treatment process used to reach those capabilities. For that they would need the production notes. While I agree that the lack of an aircraft industry is a big obstacle, I would also like to note that the B29 was a prop plane utilizing mostly common materials. The materials in the engines of even first and second gen jets are going to be much more complex.
Fun fact: Iran actually bought an even 80 F-14s, but the revolution happened while the last one was still on the production line, so the US Navy took it.
Sick! I'm from tucson AND I was born on DM! So happy you're finally covering it! I used to live off stella and kolb I was right next to the base and boneyard
1:15 - Mid roll ads 2:30 - Chapter 1 - The unseen force holding the US military together 7:20 - Chapter 2 - The blossoming of the military desert flower 10:30 - Chapter 3 - The care & handling of multimillion dollar hardware 15:50 - Chapter 4 - Notable boneyard operations
I grew up on Davis Monthan A.F.B., and it was pretty cool. We went out to "the Boneyard" a few times. It is a truly enormous place! Also I can confirm, the dirt out there is basically concrete at the surface. We went through a few shovels over the years digging to set up gardens and things. It does turn into more normal dirt once you get down a bit.
Ok… I’ve just paused the video at 3:49(adds included). Did anyone else see or notice the B52’s that litteraly had the wings Choped Off? Yes? No? This is another function of AMARG… The destruction of those B52’s were due to START & SALT talks between the US and the USSR. Both had to show (via satellite) that the agreed up number of Nuclear capable aircraft had been rendered INOP. Ya gotta remember…those talks and those agreements came down during the Carter and Reagan administrations. That’s been a day or 2 in the past. Yet…those birds still set there… I promise…current satellite photo imagery could tell if they were…dummy’s.’ I’ve always found the concept of Davis Monthan fascinating. It’s an incredible way to keep what you don’t currently need… Yet, keep it available when you DO need. Great stuff! Thanks Simon!
they have to by treaty. with buffs they cut the wings, tail, fuselage off, then have to leave them awhile so the sovie...er, russian satilites can see they have been destoryed.
@@Jameson1776 Titan II icbm silo with the missile still sitting inside, they walk you thru the launch sequence and everything. Not in Tucson but it's a short drive south of there
Maybe you should invent a fantastic beer that gets it's distinct taste from your local wat... never mind. Try knitting the worlds largest sweater.. no that won't work either. Come to think of it... perhaps Arizona is all it can possibly be?
At 18:32, the F-16 at the rear is one I worked on in the 80s. And 'aircrafts' isn't a word. The plural of aircraft is aircraft. And the National Air and Space Museum IS the Smithsonian.
@@rickyal9810 I've unsubscribed from almost all of Simon's videos because he just says whatever is on the script in front of him regardless how obviously incorrect those 'facts' are. It's getting like watching mainstream news.
You people fail to understand(not saying it is directly your fault) how many TH-cam videos are made. One person writes the script. Another person narrates. Another person does the editing. Simon pays for the script, records himself reading it, then sends the recording off to the editor. Simon typically reads off a teleprompter.
@@rickyal9810 He called Tucson flat within a minute of the video, when it is very much one of the least flat cities in the CONUS, and it does indeed have plenty of tourism unlike his snarky quip.
Simon says the Air Force split from the U.S. Armed Forces, they split from the U.S. Army. A slip of the tongue I know, but seems like that would be super confusing for someone not familiar with the branches of America's military.
"Aircraft" is a mass noun (or non-count noun), meaning it is used to refer to one or more vehicles without changing form. The word "aircraft" serves as both the singular and plural form. Here are some examples to illustrate this: Singular: "The aircraft is ready for takeoff." Plural: "Several aircraft are on the runway." In both cases, the word "aircraft" remains the same, regardless of whether it is referring to one vehicle or many.
Been to the "Bone Yard" 3 times now. Every visit being utterly fantastic. Not only can you do tours of the Yard. Their is also the amazing Pima Air & Space Museum on-site as well.
I remember in the mid 90s standing at the end of the runway at NAS Whidbey Island when we sent our last 2 A-6E Intruders to The Boneyard right before my squadron's decomissioning (VA-196). Core memory of a bunch of us young Navy Airmen and Petty Officers saluting our CO and CAG-bird as it flew over us for the last time to it's retirement.
I've hauled stuff in and out of this place for decades. The inventory is mind blowing, innumerable amounts of parts stashed by a great crew of people. From the gate to the breakdown crews Always enjoyed hauling the goods
A fun thing about the START is that you can have more strategic bombers as long as they aren't fit for flight, this is why a lot of the B52s have their wings carefully removed and laid on the ground next to the plane. You can see the wing is not attached in satellite photos but they are otherwise ready to go.
I have family in Tucson and I have toured Davis-Monthan twice. Pretty fascinating place. Pima Air and Space Museum is also interesting in Tucson. Up the road is Pinal County Air Park where one can see 747s going through the scraping process. 👍
Just one look out the office door tells us that Simon now broadcasts from a rented room at the Palace of Versailles. Bravo Simon! You've come a long way from that basement in, where was it, Liverpool?
You can see this place on google Earth. Of course, it doesn't show the real scale of everything, but as something you can find within minutes, it's fascinating how massive these kinds of places are.
Going down route 14 in California we drove past the commercial airliner storage, what my friend called the Airline Graveyard. We didn't have the time to stop and take a look even from the outside (he said it was open to the public at some point but no longer) but just driving past and seeing all thede jets, many from companies i didn't recognize or wouldn't have expected to come to rest in the US desert. Really weird but also cool.
The ANG unit I was a member of back in the 80’s would do our winter training in Tucson. I have been on a couple of behind the scenes tours of the bone yard. One year I was able to see one of the last F-105s leave DM. Was told it was to become a target drone.
A YC-14 at 5:45. Amazing to see one still in existence at the boneyard. Cool aircraft intended to replace the C-130. Even crazier, a WB-57 at 13:08. When I was stationed at Elmendorf AFB years ago two different of these aircraft periodically flew out of there. One with Air Force markings, one with NASA markings. The area where the bomb bays would have been were a large array of cameras. They told us they were used for weather research. Riiiight. My guess is they researched weather over the Soviet Union.
Supplies were not dropped on Berlin. Every plane landed, was off-loaded (by hand) and took off. It was an amazing operation with every plane having a strict landing-time. If you missed that you went home and tried again probably the next day.
"hey kids do you know what's radical dude? Joining the US Air Force, rock and roll. Would you like to schedule an in person interview at the recruiters office?"
What's more concerning is why content creators shoehorn these images into videos. If you can't find or afford a stock photo, we're happy just seeing the host's face like we did for most of the video. AI pics are cringe and in the vast majority of cases, completely unnecessary and therefore unwelcome.
TheBoneyard isn't "20 minutes outside of Tucson", it's in the southeast corner of the city! And I loved seeing Shiprock and other volcanic plug mountains - which are in northwest NEW MEXICO - displayed as "Arizona"!! 🤣🤣
I lived in Tucson and would go often to Davis Monthan see the air shows. But the boneyard was really a treat, being able to see a B-52 and be dwarfed by it.
This was a neat video! Cool to see how we repurpose aircraft. I wonder if there’s anything like this for ground vehicles and such that you could make a video on
A former 16 year Arizona resident, and I'm here to say...I low-key love the new background, specifically the door left ajar enough to show the chandelier. Attention to details... 🍻
During the Covid Pandemic many airplanes were similarly stored in the dry part of the Northern Territory of Australia. I imagine technical support and advice was sourced from this huge facility. Another strong connection between USA and Australia.
True. I get the feeling that the type 1000 and 2000 storage were conceived first. After that type 3000 was conceived because they needed the aircraft faster and later on type 4000 storage was conceived as the aircraft became too old.
Simon, wow, you are usually exceptionally well-groomed. You have an admirable beard that you usually keep well-oiled, brushed, etc. You have jaggedy lateral tufts, my friend! Wow, out throwing down some local adult beverages the night before filming this exceptional piece? BTW, as a military aircraft geek , I have visited the Boneyard. It is exceptional!
Across the street from the boneyard is the Pima Air & Space Museum which has many historic aircraft on loan from the USAF, Navy. Etc . They also offer a bus boneyard tour .
The boneyard is totally worth a visit for the Prime Air and Space Museum and the weird Titan II museum where they maintain a mostly functioning but demilitarized Titan II silo. They do a whole walk through and simulation of a nuclear launch even pulling tour guests out to turn the keys. Really surreal and spooky museum tour.
When I was in the Air Force in the middle 80's, I put down Davis Monthan AFB as one of the bases I wanted to be stationed at. They sent me to Loring in Maine, instead. I am still bitter.
Living in proximity the the National Museum of the US Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in the birthplace of aviation made for the BEST school field trips! If you pass through Dayton, Ohio, don’t miss it!
I had the opportunity to deliver f35 tires to the afb in tucson in a semi. Very cool trip had to drive through all the boneyards and i was nerding the hell out
Just visited Tucson, partly because I always wanted to visit the boneyard since I was 10, and also PIMA Air Museum, but also because we were on a road trip in Arizona and NM. I have to say the city was a pleasant surprise, full of interest, great food, very pleasant. I would recommend it as a tourist destination actually. PIMA is great but you can't visit the boneyard any more since Covid, and there's really not much to see from the perimeter fence.
sounds like an oversize wrecker. "Here at Pick'n'Pull, Tuscon, we got all you need to restore your vintage warplane." "Ask about our ammo included finance package."
I've always known Tuscan as the place where there's a bunch of Spring Training games for like, half of all the Major League Baseball teams once a year. Had no idea it was home to an insanely good military storage/maintainence facility as well!
I went there some years ago and what an experience. Well worth a visit to the Davis Monahan facility (Do they still do tours in a bus?) but also visit PIMA which is close by and has the most comprehensive collection I have ever seen.
When I was 6 years old, I used to check out military aircraft books at the library. Wonder if I’d be allowed to do that today. I’ve worked my whole career in Aerospace engineering, both defense and commercial so those studies did make an impact.
I worked at AMARC, (called MASDC then) in the early 1980's before transferring to another agency. The F-15 was replacing the F-4 Phantom, and F-4,s along with A-4 Skyhawks, and A-7 Corsairs were flowing into AMARC on a daiy basis. There are a few F-4,s left there today, the rst are long gone. It makes me feel old,lol.
8:00 USAF was seperated from the Army, not the Armed Forces. The Air Force is one of 8 Uniformed Forces, and one of the 6 service branches comprising the US Armed Forces. We have guns... we have many many guns (also rockets, and bombs and missiles and lasers and....) Aim High!
Simon, a Brit, just delivered one of the most brutal inter-service slams I have ever seen in my life, and the best part is, it was a flub, not even intentional. Fly Navy!
@jackturner214 Fair... that said, I am also a Brit.... so what you saying, bro? In all seriousness, the Department of the Boat People is OK... it's not like you are Coast Gaurd or Army.
@@smithandshortdogs What I was getting at is that I would not suspect that a Brit would get the intensity of interservice rivalry in the US as a matter of course. And it can get intense: there are people I just don't talk to for two weeks in mid-October and mid-December (the dates of the Navy-Air Force and Army-Navy games, respectively). And, while I would assume there is intense interservice rivalry between the RN, RAF, and BA, I didn't want to be presumptive about its nature or intensity. And, for what it's worth, RAF pilots are OK in my book. I've seen that RAF pilots can be carrier qualified, so that makes them like Naval Aviators (and it's not like their the Army, anyway) 😉
Been by here a few times while I was in arizona, as well as the aircraft museum next door. My wife and mom weren't nearly as impressed as I was, but I thought it was awesome.
Some of the best spots I've ever camped in were out there just a bit south of Tuscon near Sedona. The night sky is AMAZING out there in the desert away from light pollution; you cab see loads more stars clearly along with the arms of the milky way galaxy.
If you find yourself in Tucson, take a drive past the Boneyard. It’s quite a sight to see that many airplanes in one place. Tucson has grown around the Air Force base so depending on which part of town you’re in, it may be closer than you think.
I've been to Tucson a few times to visit friends, can verify it's seriously dry. It's almost dry enough for Sandworms. And I've visited the Pima Air Museum, which has a great selection of stuff, like weird Navy fighters, and the Boeing YC-14.
You'd be surprised what we can grow here. Cotton is a major crop in the Arizona desert. As for tourism....there's lots of fun things to do: - Pima Air & Space Museum - Kartchner Caverns State Park - Kitt Peak National Observatory, Mt. Graham International Observatory, Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter, Whipple Observatory - Mission San Xavier del Bac - Tucson Botanical Gardens - Biosphere 2 - Old Tucson (aka Old Tucson Studios) - Titan Missile Museum
Actually, Tucson is very beautiful place. Just don’t go in summer, although the dry heat is better than the American south at 90°F The boneyard and surrounding museums of old aircraft are a lot of fun to go and see. When I was in school with the University of Arizona, my body is and I saw an Apollo capsule laying in a junkyard!
That's my home Town my dad use to do security there at nights and i go with him it was and still is amazing love seeing all the planes and i learned how to drive in that bone yard
I worked at Air Force Communications Command (AFCC) in the late 1980's. We also had a bewildering number of name/acronym changes and "re-orgs" that didn't actually improve efficiency or reduce manpower. Someone (ok--me) tried to start a rumor that it was actually a sophisticated psy-ops operation against the Soviets: Somewhere, way back in the basement of the KGB there was a junior officer assigned to track those changes. If that wasn't enough to make him crazy all by itself, at least his superiors would soon stop taking him seriously, and it would ruin his career!
Even though I wasn't stationed there, I do have a personal connection. My grandfather used to truck parts to the base, and when I was stationed at Dover AFB, we would occasional have to order C-5 parts from Davis-Mothan.
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Simon how do you like your eggs in the morning?
@danthevanman294 how do you like your eggs in the morning?
"Aircraft" is already plural. Learn English.
@@bertram-raven everyone loves a person who is so pedantic, bet you’re busy at Christmas
@@nasn8353 Being literate is pedantic now is it?
If visiting, be sure to visit the Pima Air and Space museum-they have the biggest air museum and had their pick of decommissioned aircraft. Then, be sure to visit the Titan II missile silo museum, which is a working decommissioned nuclear silo. They completely walk you through a launch. Seriously good museums.
Been to both, brilliant places
Totally agree. Highly recommended!
When I visited the museum in 2019, they organized the tours of AMARG. It's definitely worth the time and effort to see, imho. You did need to pass a security check to do the AMARG tour, and that takes a week or two to process.
Been to both during Air Guard deployments back in the 80s. Back then I also liked going to a downtown restaurant called El Adobe near the Pima County Courthouse.
Yup. I've been to both. Worth the visits. Give thought to the precarious nature of human existence, if only because of human hubris.
Fun fact: The Titan II on display was one of many ICBMs wih a warhead eqiuvalent to 600(!) Hiroshima type A-bombs. What could possibly go wrong?
I have a family member who works the yard. It’s mind blowing how much cool stuff is stored there.
How cool! I wonder what experience it takes to get a job there 🤔
Can he get his hands on a seat belt by any chance please?
@@Its_Dice Many years of service as an aircraft technician seems like a good first step. I would also imagine they look over how many attempts someone generally need to pass verification. People who always pass in the first go "are better suited" to being taught to work on a completely new (to them) air craft type when the shit hits the fan and someone somewhere needs a lot of parts yesterday.
Hangar queens never die. They just have a reunion at the boneyard.
Surely you should not be being told about this cool stuff yes?
Greetings from tucson! I can't believe Simon is covering us...
Did you see the russians are going to their equivalent sites and refurbishing their tanks
Right! dad worked at davis monthan for many years and as a kid i spent alot of time on base. Weird to see it on a youtube video lol
Visited Tucson on a military TDY. I saw a bit of the “boneyard”, but I’m super jealous y’all have the Pima Air and Space museum. I wish I could have spent 2 or 3 days going through it all instead of 3 hours!
I've always wanted to visit this location, just haven't been able to get the time. Is it as awesome as it sounds/looks?
Hello from a fellow Tucsonian, love to see this place covered by ole whistleboi
Watching him break the wing off that f-14 kind of hit me in my heart
I know what you mean. One of my worst days ever was helping a friend cut the wings of his derelict Mooney 201. It had sat idle for a decade and was assumed to be scrap. I used an angle grinder to cut the wings off at the roots and was horrified to note that the internal cavities were utterly corrosion free. 😢
@@robinwells8879 Did you fly into a rage, or maintain a level flight path?
@@westrimas an engineer I crashed and burned!😢
Lots of folks in the comments are mentioning the Pima Air Museum, which is literally across the street from the boneyard. It's the best air museum I've ever seen. They have great ex military tour guides that drive you around the outside displays in a covered tram. There are numerous buildings full of displays from different eras. There is also a bus that can pick you up at the front of the museum and take you on a guided tour of the boneyard. I believe you have to buy these tickets in advance of your visit. Well worth it.
Boneyard tours have been suspended permanently
Pima Air and Space Museum is one of the best of any museums I have ever visited.
I was a tour guide at the Boneyard in the mid-80s while stationed at DM. I later came back to Tucson and been working there for over 19 years.
Thank you for your service.
My Boy Scout troop toured the Boneyard in the mid-80s, so you may have been my guide. Thank you for the tour 40 years ago, I still remember it to this day.
Fyi: prior to any transformers trampling through the boneyard at Davis-Monthan AFB, two high-school students were breaking into the expansive aircraft storage facility to find something that could be used as a science project. This was the scenario depicted in the 1985 film, "My Science Project" which did have scenes filmed at the video discussed boneyard of Davis-Monthan AFB. (Btw, the reason you may not have heard of the film, "My Science Project" is because it was a "time-travel" type of film that was released and overshadowed by another time-travel film that same year, i.e., "Back to the Future.")
My Science Project was a great movie! I remember that movie!
Also in movie can't buy me love
Used to hop the fence all the time to get high quality braided high pressure lines
If you ever visit AZ please make an effort to go to the air museum in Tucson.
It was my favorite museum in AZ to go to when I lived in AZ.
And yes that dirt is a bugger to dig holes for trees.
I was stationed at DM from 02-07. Then came back in '15 - '20. I started out loaded and maintaining the weapons systems on the A-10 in the 357th Squadron "The Dragons". We had a barrel shortage one time on our A-10's and went to the boneyard to remove some from A-10's that were being retired. Also, pulled tons and tons of GCU's (gun control unit) for our aircraft out of ones in the boneyard. Its a cool place, on the backside of the boneyard where it backs up to the road leading to the shooting range. Is where alot of the older and completely mothballed aircraft and aircraft parts.
The idea that Iran is so desperate to keep their Tomcats in service that they'd pay Karen from Sedona millions of dollars for a new cockpit clicky bit is hysterical
Kind of surprised they can't manufacture their own parts. I mean it's ancient military hardware, they've been able to study it for decades.
@@banksuvladimir I'd guess that for whatever reason they don't have the precision machining required / metallurgical facilities to make parts up to spec. And that's not even getting into any electronics required, which could require specialised hardware to make. Hardware that may no longer exist/no one knows how to make anymore.
Also, Iran isn't exactly poor and they can make a deal with Russia to trade MiGs for oil & minerals.
@@banksuvladimir They have reverse engineered some parts and have a 'home grown' Phoenix. Mostly they've scavenged parts from their other F14s to keep about 20 flying. I've read where they've attempted to work with Russian engineers to replace the engines with Russian manufactured ones, but it doesn't work. The time and expense to reverse engineer a Pratt and Whitney turbofan engine is probably insane. The number of individual parts is, I would guess, in the thousands. Each one would have to be meticulously duplicated and a manufacturing method developed. You're talking thousands of man hours and millions of dollars before you're even close to having a working engine.
The Soviets reverse engineered the B-29 and created the TU-4. The Soviets also had what Iran doesn't, their own aircraft industry. The B-29 compared to an F-14 is a tinker toy.
@@jeffscott3186another thing is that while it is easy to find out the capabilities of an alloy, it is a lot more difficult to find out its exact composition and the exact treatment process used to reach those capabilities. For that they would need the production notes.
While I agree that the lack of an aircraft industry is a big obstacle, I would also like to note that the B29 was a prop plane utilizing mostly common materials. The materials in the engines of even first and second gen jets are going to be much more complex.
Fun fact: Iran actually bought an even 80 F-14s, but the revolution happened while the last one was still on the production line, so the US Navy took it.
Sick! I'm from tucson AND I was born on DM! So happy you're finally covering it! I used to live off stella and kolb I was right next to the base and boneyard
1:15 - Mid roll ads
2:30 - Chapter 1 - The unseen force holding the US military together
7:20 - Chapter 2 - The blossoming of the military desert flower
10:30 - Chapter 3 - The care & handling of multimillion dollar hardware
15:50 - Chapter 4 - Notable boneyard operations
I grew up on Davis Monthan A.F.B., and it was pretty cool. We went out to "the Boneyard" a few times. It is a truly enormous place!
Also I can confirm, the dirt out there is basically concrete at the surface. We went through a few shovels over the years digging to set up gardens and things. It does turn into more normal dirt once you get down a bit.
Ok…
I’ve just paused the video at 3:49(adds included).
Did anyone else see or notice the B52’s that litteraly had the wings Choped Off?
Yes?
No?
This is another function of AMARG…
The destruction of those B52’s were due to START & SALT talks between the US and the USSR.
Both had to show (via satellite) that the agreed up number of Nuclear capable aircraft had been rendered INOP.
Ya gotta remember…those talks and those agreements came down during the Carter and Reagan administrations.
That’s been a day or 2 in the past.
Yet…those birds still set there…
I promise…current satellite photo imagery could tell if they were…dummy’s.’
I’ve always found the concept of Davis Monthan fascinating.
It’s an incredible way to keep what you don’t currently need…
Yet, keep it available when you DO need.
Great stuff!
Thanks Simon!
Lol
At 18:29 in the video…what I commented was touched by less than a single sentence.
😆😆
they have to by treaty. with buffs they cut the wings, tail, fuselage off, then have to leave them awhile so the sovie...er, russian satilites can see they have been destoryed.
Aircrafts?!??!?
What next? Sheeps? Fishes?
Sheepys if you please 😂
Maybe the video is about people making macaroni necklaces in the sky 🤷
@@admlorenz 😆
It's shockingly bad.
Whenever Arizona is mentioned in big TH-camr videos, it’s always either UFO’s, the Grand Canyon, water shortage and our aircraft graveyards
About covers it no?
What else is there?
@@Jameson1776 Titan II icbm silo with the missile still sitting inside, they walk you thru the launch sequence and everything. Not in Tucson but it's a short drive south of there
Maybe you should invent a fantastic beer that gets it's distinct taste from your local wat... never mind. Try knitting the worlds largest sweater.. no that won't work either. Come to think of it... perhaps Arizona is all it can possibly be?
Arizona seems to be where everyone goes RVing from what I'm told
At 18:32, the F-16 at the rear is one I worked on in the 80s. And 'aircrafts' isn't a word. The plural of aircraft is aircraft. And the National Air and Space Museum IS the Smithsonian.
I wonder if he meant to refer to the National Musuem of the United States Air Force?
It is only part of the Smithsonian.
"Aircraft" is either a singular or plural noun. No need for the 's' at the end.
🤡
"What aircraftt have in common with moose".
Maybe the video is about people making macaroni necklaces in the sky 🤷
The planes at 11:56 are not Tomcats. Rather, they're legacy Hornets.
Yeah I noticed that too. Makes me wonder how well the rest of the article is researched when I see obvious stuff like that.
@@rickyal9810 I've unsubscribed from almost all of Simon's videos because he just says whatever is on the script in front of him regardless how obviously incorrect those 'facts' are. It's getting like watching mainstream news.
@@rickyal9810Clearly none of you read the headline.
You people fail to understand(not saying it is directly your fault) how many TH-cam videos are made. One person writes the script. Another person narrates. Another person does the editing.
Simon pays for the script, records himself reading it, then sends the recording off to the editor. Simon typically reads off a teleprompter.
@@rickyal9810 He called Tucson flat within a minute of the video, when it is very much one of the least flat cities in the CONUS, and it does indeed have plenty of tourism unlike his snarky quip.
Simon says the Air Force split from the U.S. Armed Forces, they split from the U.S. Army. A slip of the tongue I know, but seems like that would be super confusing for someone not familiar with the branches of America's military.
I’m glad I’m not the only one bothered by that.
The plural of aircraft does NOT require an 's'.
Lol oh yeah! I just had to say it out loud to myself, like, 4 times 😅
Don't let the work experience person do the thumbnails.
The plural of aircraft is aircraft - no s required ;)
"Aircraft" is a mass noun (or non-count noun), meaning it is used to refer to one or more vehicles without changing form. The word "aircraft" serves as both the singular and plural form. Here are some examples to illustrate this:
Singular: "The aircraft is ready for takeoff."
Plural: "Several aircraft are on the runway."
In both cases, the word "aircraft" remains the same, regardless of whether it is referring to one vehicle or many.
Been to the "Bone Yard" 3 times now. Every visit being utterly fantastic. Not only can you do tours of the Yard. Their is also the amazing Pima Air & Space Museum on-site as well.
The word 'aircraft' covers both the singular and the plural . . . . just sayin'.
Sadly, this seems to be an illiteracy, not a Briticism. 😕
Would definitely recommend the Pima Air Space Museum bear by too. There you can walk right up to the stores and preserved aircraft.
My friend works at the boneyard. It's crazy to hear some of his stories. Love the video!
I love visiting there!! So much to do and see for such a small city. Just great!!
I remember in the mid 90s standing at the end of the runway at NAS Whidbey Island when we sent our last 2 A-6E Intruders to The Boneyard right before my squadron's decomissioning (VA-196). Core memory of a bunch of us young Navy Airmen and Petty Officers saluting our CO and CAG-bird as it flew over us for the last time to it's retirement.
I've hauled stuff in and out of this place for decades. The inventory is mind blowing, innumerable amounts of parts stashed by a great crew of people. From the gate to the breakdown crews
Always enjoyed hauling the goods
A fun thing about the START is that you can have more strategic bombers as long as they aren't fit for flight, this is why a lot of the B52s have their wings carefully removed and laid on the ground next to the plane. You can see the wing is not attached in satellite photos but they are otherwise ready to go.
I have family in Tucson and I have toured Davis-Monthan twice. Pretty fascinating place. Pima Air and Space Museum is also interesting in Tucson. Up the road is Pinal County Air Park where one can see 747s going through the scraping process. 👍
Just one look out the office door tells us that Simon now broadcasts from a rented room at the Palace of Versailles. Bravo Simon! You've come a long way from that basement in, where was it, Liverpool?
You can see this place on google Earth. Of course, it doesn't show the real scale of everything, but as something you can find within minutes, it's fascinating how massive these kinds of places are.
I've driven past it a few times, and even from the roadside it is impressive as hell.
"but it's not what you think" followed by simon threw me off😂
Going down route 14 in California we drove past the commercial airliner storage, what my friend called the Airline Graveyard. We didn't have the time to stop and take a look even from the outside (he said it was open to the public at some point but no longer) but just driving past and seeing all thede jets, many from companies i didn't recognize or wouldn't have expected to come to rest in the US desert. Really weird but also cool.
The ANG unit I was a member of back in the 80’s would do our winter training in Tucson. I have been on a couple of behind the scenes tours of the bone yard. One year I was able to see one of the last F-105s leave DM. Was told it was to become a target drone.
A YC-14 at 5:45. Amazing to see one still in existence at the boneyard. Cool aircraft intended to replace the C-130. Even crazier, a WB-57 at 13:08. When I was stationed at Elmendorf AFB years ago two different of these aircraft periodically flew out of there. One with Air Force markings, one with NASA markings. The area where the bomb bays would have been were a large array of cameras. They told us they were used for weather research. Riiiight. My guess is they researched weather over the Soviet Union.
Supplies were not dropped on Berlin. Every plane landed, was off-loaded (by hand) and took off. It was an amazing operation with every plane having a strict landing-time. If you missed that you went home and tried again probably the next day.
The AI generated airman at 8:06 is insane
Jesus that nametape is horrific, AI art has a looooooooooong way to go. I'm kinda surprised it got his hands right 😂
"hey kids do you know what's radical dude? Joining the US Air Force, rock and roll. Would you like to schedule an in person interview at the recruiters office?"
What's more concerning is why content creators shoehorn these images into videos. If you can't find or afford a stock photo, we're happy just seeing the host's face like we did for most of the video.
AI pics are cringe and in the vast majority of cases, completely unnecessary and therefore unwelcome.
@@WeAreTheTrueMedia Preach!
TheBoneyard isn't "20 minutes outside of Tucson", it's in the southeast corner of the city!
And I loved seeing Shiprock and other volcanic plug mountains - which are in northwest NEW MEXICO - displayed as "Arizona"!! 🤣🤣
I lived in Tucson and would go often to Davis Monthan see the air shows. But the boneyard was really a treat, being able to see a B-52 and be dwarfed by it.
Tucson here! Awesome video
This was a neat video! Cool to see how we repurpose aircraft. I wonder if there’s anything like this for ground vehicles and such that you could make a video on
A former 16 year Arizona resident, and I'm here to say...I low-key love the new background, specifically the door left ajar enough to show the chandelier. Attention to details... 🍻
During the Covid Pandemic many airplanes were similarly stored in the dry part of the Northern Territory of Australia. I imagine technical support and advice was sourced from this huge facility. Another strong connection between USA and Australia.
Great content Tim! Thank you for your hard work.
Good overview! Thanks, Simon!
So the storage categories in order of quality go:
Type 3000
Inviolate Type 1000
Type 1000
Type 2000
Type 4000
This causes me genuine pain.
True. I get the feeling that the type 1000 and 2000 storage were conceived first. After that type 3000 was conceived because they needed the aircraft faster and later on type 4000 storage was conceived as the aircraft became too old.
I wondered why no mater how many times I listened to that section I couldn’t make it make sense. Thank you for clarifying!
Simon, wow, you are usually exceptionally well-groomed. You have an admirable beard that you usually keep well-oiled, brushed, etc. You have jaggedy lateral tufts, my friend! Wow, out throwing down some local adult beverages the night before filming this exceptional piece? BTW, as a military aircraft geek , I have visited the Boneyard. It is exceptional!
The bone yard was able to keep the Australian Airforce F111's flying until they were retired.
Across the street from the boneyard is the Pima Air & Space Museum which has many historic aircraft on loan from the USAF, Navy. Etc . They also offer a bus boneyard tour .
Great video Simon! We offer helicopter photography flights over AMARG and the civilian boneyard at Pinal Airpark for those interested 🚁📸
I first knew about the boneyard from the movie "Can't Buy My Love" from the mid-1980s.
Great movie!
The boneyard is totally worth a visit for the Prime Air and Space Museum and the weird Titan II museum where they maintain a mostly functioning but demilitarized Titan II silo. They do a whole walk through and simulation of a nuclear launch even pulling tour guests out to turn the keys. Really surreal and spooky museum tour.
When I was in the Air Force in the middle 80's, I put down Davis Monthan AFB as one of the bases I wanted to be stationed at. They sent me to Loring in Maine, instead. I am still bitter.
My home! The airfield is a trip to drive by. I haven't lived in Tucson for many years, but it will always be my home.
If I lived in Arizona, I’d probably sleep during the day in an air-conditioned environment, and take an astronomical telescope out at night.
The _siesta_ is a useful idea.
Living in proximity the the National Museum of the US Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in the birthplace of aviation made for the BEST school field trips! If you pass through Dayton, Ohio, don’t miss it!
I had the opportunity to deliver f35 tires to the afb in tucson in a semi. Very cool trip had to drive through all the boneyards and i was nerding the hell out
Just visited Tucson, partly because I always wanted to visit the boneyard since I was 10, and also PIMA Air Museum, but also because we were on a road trip in Arizona and NM. I have to say the city was a pleasant surprise, full of interest, great food, very pleasant. I would recommend it as a tourist destination actually. PIMA is great but you can't visit the boneyard any more since Covid, and there's really not much to see from the perimeter fence.
The comments on the use of aircraft vs aircrafts is priceless. Some people have way too much time on their hands.
There’s also a boneyard in Alice Springs Australia which is mainly used for storing Australian, Kiwi and sometimes SE Asian civilian aircraft.
Been waiting for this one
"Aircrafts"?? Is that like "Sheeps" and "Deers"?
It's the biggest Pick n' Pull the world has ever seen!
sounds like an oversize wrecker. "Here at Pick'n'Pull, Tuscon, we got all you need to restore your vintage warplane." "Ask about our ammo included finance package."
I've always known Tuscan as the place where there's a bunch of Spring Training games for like, half of all the Major League Baseball teams once a year. Had no idea it was home to an insanely good military storage/maintainence facility as well!
I went there some years ago and what an experience. Well worth a visit to the Davis Monahan facility (Do they still do tours in a bus?) but also visit PIMA which is close by and has the most comprehensive collection I have ever seen.
Wow I never seen you switch rooms before Simon, this has to be an important show. Chandelier. La dee daa.
It's quite a sight to see, when driving by. Hello from Tucson
I can’t believe TH-cam has age restricted this..
When I was 6 years old, I used to check out military aircraft books at the library. Wonder if I’d be allowed to do that today. I’ve worked my whole career in Aerospace engineering, both defense and commercial so those studies did make an impact.
TH-cam really sucks that way
I worked at AMARC, (called MASDC then) in the early 1980's before transferring to another agency. The F-15 was replacing the F-4 Phantom, and F-4,s along with A-4 Skyhawks, and A-7 Corsairs were flowing into AMARC on a daiy basis. There are a few F-4,s left there today, the rst are long gone. It makes me feel old,lol.
If you make an hour(or more) long video about how The Boneyard has been a critical part in our military operations, I will watch it!
that beard is just....majestic.
8:00 USAF was seperated from the Army, not the Armed Forces. The Air Force is one of 8 Uniformed Forces, and one of the 6 service branches comprising the US Armed Forces.
We have guns... we have many many guns (also rockets, and bombs and missiles and lasers and....)
Aim High!
Simon, a Brit, just delivered one of the most brutal inter-service slams I have ever seen in my life, and the best part is, it was a flub, not even intentional.
Fly Navy!
@jackturner214 Fair... that said, I am also a Brit.... so what you saying, bro?
In all seriousness, the Department of the Boat People is OK... it's not like you are Coast Gaurd or Army.
@@smithandshortdogs What I was getting at is that I would not suspect that a Brit would get the intensity of interservice rivalry in the US as a matter of course. And it can get intense: there are people I just don't talk to for two weeks in mid-October and mid-December (the dates of the Navy-Air Force and Army-Navy games, respectively).
And, while I would assume there is intense interservice rivalry between the RN, RAF, and BA, I didn't want to be presumptive about its nature or intensity.
And, for what it's worth, RAF pilots are OK in my book. I've seen that RAF pilots can be carrier qualified, so that makes them like Naval Aviators (and it's not like their the Army, anyway) 😉
Been by here a few times while I was in arizona, as well as the aircraft museum next door. My wife and mom weren't nearly as impressed as I was, but I thought it was awesome.
For all the language police out there, something to remember. Simon is British. In the U.S. we say Math. In Britian they say Maths.
Some of the best spots I've ever camped in were out there just a bit south of Tuscon near Sedona. The night sky is AMAZING out there in the desert away from light pollution; you cab see loads more stars clearly along with the arms of the milky way galaxy.
Sedona is far north of Tucson.
Do you mean Sonoita?
Not likely based on readily available maps.
If you find yourself in Tucson, take a drive past the Boneyard. It’s quite a sight to see that many airplanes in one place. Tucson has grown around the Air Force base so depending on which part of town you’re in, it may be closer than you think.
I've been to Tucson a few times to visit friends, can verify it's seriously dry. It's almost dry enough for Sandworms.
And I've visited the Pima Air Museum, which has a great selection of stuff, like weird Navy fighters, and the Boeing YC-14.
No sandworms but there are sand trout in the larger arroyos. 😅
Your most interesting video in a long time and that is saying something
I drive through this several times a week. Simon! I feel so fancy now…..
Wonder Woman's invisible jet is stored at AMARG.
The plural of aircraft is aircraft. Aircraft's is the possessive.
You'd be surprised what we can grow here. Cotton is a major crop in the Arizona desert. As for tourism....there's lots of fun things to do:
- Pima Air & Space Museum
- Kartchner Caverns State Park
- Kitt Peak National Observatory, Mt. Graham International Observatory, Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter, Whipple Observatory
- Mission San Xavier del Bac
- Tucson Botanical Gardens
- Biosphere 2
- Old Tucson (aka Old Tucson Studios)
- Titan Missile Museum
We grow lots of weed out in Marana.
@@quikdraw5203
sounds like home 😂
We grow corn and pecans up north around Flagstaff.
Actually, Tucson is very beautiful place. Just don’t go in summer, although the dry heat is better than the American south at 90°F The boneyard and surrounding museums of old aircraft are a lot of fun to go and see. When I was in school with the University of Arizona, my body is and I saw an Apollo capsule laying in a junkyard!
5:54 ive been in that area when the temps exceeded 130 F. Truly unreal heat, and quite common in the area
I have relatives who live in Tucson and they have mentioned this "Boneyard" to me, being an aviation geek I wish to visit it one day.
That's my home Town my dad use to do security there at nights and i go with him it was and still is amazing love seeing all the planes and i learned how to drive in that bone yard
Great video. Very interesting.
I worked at Air Force Communications Command (AFCC) in the late 1980's. We also had a bewildering number of name/acronym changes and "re-orgs" that didn't actually improve efficiency or reduce manpower. Someone (ok--me) tried to start a rumor that it was actually a sophisticated psy-ops operation against the Soviets: Somewhere, way back in the basement of the KGB there was a junior officer assigned to track those changes. If that wasn't enough to make him crazy all by itself, at least his superiors would soon stop taking him seriously, and it would ruin his career!
Hi. Love your videos keep em coming. Question!? Are you a Gerry Anderson fan by any chance?? All the best.
Even though I wasn't stationed there, I do have a personal connection. My grandfather used to truck parts to the base, and when I was stationed at Dover AFB, we would occasional have to order C-5 parts from Davis-Mothan.
Simon, is there a navy version of the air Boneyard for , subs, ships, boats? Would love to see that!
Actual a lot of aircraft and equipment from all the services goes here
Video idea for the channel or maybe Side Projects: The Tees Transporter Bridge.
"Tuscon, Arizonia" - Laszlo Cravensworth
Who’s this Laszlo person? Only Jackie Daytona around here.