Where Do Airplanes Go When They Can’t Fly Anymore?

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Welcome to the world of aircraft graveyards.

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The old scenario unfolds when airlines ground planes that are still capable of flying but are no longer cutting-edge. "As aircraft technology continues to improve, airlines will retire some planes from service, which means older planes will often be sent to the storage facility," says Bubb. "Other airlines might acquire those older planes because they're less expensive than purchasing new ones."

If the aircraft is too old, it is typically taken apart to use for spare parts. "After an airline plane is no longer used, it goes to a junkyard where it is drained of any remaining fuel, oil, and other liquids. At that point, the useful parts - from gauges to engines - are taken out and sold," says aviation expert Shea Oakley. "Once the liquids are removed and the useful parts are gone, the plane is ready to be taken apart. The metal and plastic parts that are left are almost always recycled in some way. By the end, almost nothing is left of the airplane."

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"The really dry air in a desert environment acts as a natural preservative, particularly for metals, if the plane is stored for a long time, especially if it's mothballed for possible future use. Metals, by nature, tend to corrode, but in this case, they remain in good condition," remarks Oakley.

It's not shocking that the largest aircraft storage facilities are located in the desert. "There is less rain, snow, and bad weather that can cause planes to rust," says Bubb. For example, the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona is home to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (309 AMARG), which runs the world's largest aircraft storage site, capable of holding more than 4,000 planes – specifically, military aircraft from fighter jets to bombers – on 16.5 square miles of land. Although you can't visit this storage site, you can still see many of its planes from the outside of the fence.

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For retired commercial airliners, you'll want to visit the Mojave Air and Space Port (MHV) and Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA) in California, home to the second- and third-largest aircraft boneyards in the world. Like the one at Davis-Monthan, these boneyards are off-limits to the public. However, you can still get a glimpse by looking at them on Google Earth.

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