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The 309th Aerospace Maintenance And Regeneration Center, (AMARG). |
Often referred to and most commonly known as "The Boneyard", AMARG is an aerospace storage and maintenance facility adjoining Davis-Monthan AFB located in Tucson, Arizona. Managed by the US Air Force Material Command, AMARG provides this service to all branches of the US military (Air Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Army), as well as other national agencies. The Center currently controls over 4,200 aircraft as well as many other types of military equipment. AMARG works very hard in promoting itself as not just a "Boneyard" and takes every opportunity in explaining how it operates it's cost effective, tax saving operations. Many of the stored aircraft can be returned to an operational status in a short period of time and there is a continual process of anti-corrosion and re-preservation work which keeps the aircraft in stable conditions during their stay.
Currently, five types of storage are undertaken at AMARG. Type 1000 (Long term storage) where the integrity of all aircraft systems is maintained and each aircraft is re-preserved after inspection every four years. Type 1500 (Long term storage) is the same as Type 1000 but the re-preservation of these aircraft is not required and only applies to NAVY aircraft that have spent a large part of their life aboard ships. Type 2000 (Parts reclamation storage) where the integrity of aircraft parts and components are maintained but may be removed and returned to active service with other aircraft. Type 3000 (Flyable hold storage) is when aircraft are maintained in flyable status awaiting disposition for 90 days. This type of storage also applies to aircraft pending sales or transfer under Foreign Military Sales. Type 4000(Excess to DOD requirements) is for aircraft that have had all re-usable parts reclaimed and are excess to DOD requirements while awaiting final disposal.
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Any type of aircraft arriving to AMARG for short or long term storage has to go through a careful and meticulous in-processing. Most of the aircraft arriving at AMARG are delivered by flight. In some cases when the aircraft has to be delivered by overland transport, AMARG have the capability to deploy a team of specialists to assist in disassembly and transportation of the aircraft to the facility. After arriving at AMARG, details of in-flight discrepancies are recorded, aircraft records are handed over and AMARC takes custody of the aircraft. After the aircraft is tied down in the receiving area, samples of engine oil, hydraulic fluid and landing gear fluid are taken for analysis by a laboratory. Aircraft are made safe by the removal of hazardous and dangerous components or materials, followed by a complete inventory of the aircraft to document any missing items. Classified items are removed and sent to a secure storage area. The aircraft can now be moved to the Flush Farm where its fuel systems are drained. The empty fuel tanks are filled using NATO grade 1010 preservation oil, the oil is pumped through the entire fuel system to preserve all of its components. Next step is the Wash Rack where the aircraft is thoroughly cleaned and inspected for corrosion. The final step before storage is the protection of the aircraft with a vynil compound called Spraylat which is applied by two coats. The first coat is black and seals the aircraft to protect its systems from dust, moisture, animals, and insects. The second coat is white and helps reflect sunlight and heat to protect the aircraft from excessive internal temperatures. Before the spraylat is applied the engine intakes and exhaust areas have desiccant material installed into them, and other openings are filled with barrier material or barrier tape. All access panels, doors, plates, and other small openings are sealed with tapes. Brushable spraylat is used in conjunction with the barrier materials and tape to ensure a complete seal. Without this protection the internal temperatures would reach in excess of 200 degrees and this would result in the rapid deterioration of the plastic, rubber and other heat sensitive components. The aircraft is then towed to its designated storage position and is secured to the ground. Various experimental storage procedures have been tried and tested at AMARG. The most successful one has been the plastic bag. The aircraft is covered with a made-to-measure plastic bag. Since the bags can be re-used, that process turns out to be cheaper and allows easier access inside the aircraft if needed for part removal.
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The reclamation process is why the "Boneyard" reference has been pinned on AMARG by so many people. On first sight, the Reclamation Insurance Type (RIT) area appears to contain a mass of broken aircraft in various stage of dereliction. Many are supported by wooden cradles due to their undercarriage having been removed , other are missing major components like wings and vertical stabs. Some aircraft still listed on AMARG inventory are little more than a pile of unrecognizable metal. However, the reclamation undertaken at AMARG is done in a very controlled and deliberate manner. Reclamation is one of the main reasons AMARG remains viable as a facility, it has the skills to extract the very last tax dollars from aircraft that have reached the end of their useful operational lives. Reclamation of aircraft parts come under two types, priority removal and programmed reclamation. Priority removal is done when the owning service of a particular aircraft contacts AMARG to arrange a priority removal of a component to satisfy and urgent requirement. Removal requests can be made under one of two priorities. Priority A requests should be completed within 10 days, while B requests within 30 days. Again the parts are gone through cleaning, inspection or other shops for testing as required, then packaged and shipped. After the removal of the component from a particular aircraft, this one is resealed with Spraylat so that deterioration is kept to a minimum. Programmed reclamation is performed on an ongoing basis. The owning service Weapons System Manager is responsible for maintaining a save list which specifies the range and quantity of spares required, the information from these lists is fed into the overall reclamation schedule to ensure the required time scales are met. As components are removed from a particular aircraft, they pass through cleaning and inspection workshops to ensure they are of serviceable quality. After this the components are packaged and shipped according to directions specified by the owning service.
When there is no reclamation potential left for an aircraft, AMARG will obtain permission to dispose of the remaining airframe from the owning service. After permission is granted, AMARG technicians remove all hazardous or dangerous materials from the aircraft. Finally engines are removed and the aircraft is dismantled. The aircraft is turned over to the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO) for it's disposal. The DRMO performs the disposal and sales function for all of the US Military Services and return the proceeds to the U.S.Treasury. AMARG does not sell aircraft or parts directly to non -government organizations or individuals.
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This page is intended to give an overall view of what is the 309th Aircraft Maintenance And Regeneration Group and what is going on when an aircraft is retired and put into storage there. Every aviation enthusiast out there knows about AMARG and dreams to the day when he will have the time to travel to Tucson, AZ to look around the facility. While in Tucson, your first stop should be the PIMA Museum and plan to take the AMARG tour from the museum. For more info about the museum and its AMARG tour, visit its website. When in the museum gift shop, I invite you to purchase the book 'AMARC (MASDC III)', the most detailed and comprehensive book on the subject. A must have in your library.
Previously called AMARC, the facility was redesignated the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) and squadron numbers were allocated to the various sub-divisions following a restructuring in May 2007.
Air National Guard and Reserve aircraft at AMARG. (More photos!)
All photos by author. |
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