Where planes go to die

Airplanes are designed to soar among the clouds, but where do they go when their flying days end? Not to a great hangar in the sky — they're towed to the desert, to so-called aircraft graveyards or "boneyards."

Tucson's secret weapon — the desert itself

Davis-Monthan was chosen for Tucson's low humidity, infrequent rainfall and hard alkaline soil — conditions that reduce rust and corrosion while letting aircraft be parked without paving thousands of acres of concrete.

Born From World  War II's Surplus

Aircraft storage at Davis-Monthan began in 1945, when the 4105th Army Air Forces Base Unit was organised to house Boeing B-29 Superfortresses and Douglas C-47 Skytrains left over after the war.

6,080 Planes At Its Peak

The facility's inventory hit an all-time high of 6,080 aircraft in 1973, as the Vietnam War wound down. Today, it holds roughly 3,280 to 4,400 aircraft of more than 80 different varieties.

Not Every Plane Is Dead

The Group annually receives about 300 aircraft for storage and processes out roughly the same number — with 50 to 100 of those actually returning to flying service rather than staying grounded forever.

A $34 Billion Parking Lot

People who work here call it "A-marg." During one fiscal year alone, the boneyard reclaimed 5,744 different aircraft parts, saving taxpayers an estimated $405.9 million in replacement costs.

From Enola Gay To  SR-71 Blackbird

The site has stored some of aviation's most famous names — including the Enola Gay, the Bockscar, and the SR-71 Blackbird — making it not just a graveyard, but a living archive of American aviation history.