U.S. AIR FORCE AIRPLANE BONEYARD MILITARY AIRCRAFT STORAGE AND DISPOSITION FILM 23404

This is the story of the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center or MASDC. Here at mark 0:42 are USAF planes lying in wait in the Arizona desert. It is an older, priceless air force. Many of this aircraft had been used to fight in battles in World War II and they are worth fortunes to taxpayers and as parts. There’s no air force like it in the world. Until 1965, the military services maintain separate storage facilities and hence there is a private company known as MADC located at Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona. Their mission is the storage and disposition of the aircraft for future contingencies.

Over half of the incoming planes are placed on post status for possible return to out of service as seen at mark 3:05. Each new arrival immediately undergoes in-processing procedures as seen at mark 3:30. High valued parts are removed, inventories are taken. System are drained, flushed and refilled with the corrosion preventative. Also its engines as seen at mark 4:40 are also taken care of to avoid corrosion. At mark 4:50, the wheels and tires are changed to old and war tires for their stay in storage. Canopies and windows are clothed with protective materials and all openings are sealed as seen at mark 5:00. Preserved aircrafts receives periodic attention as seen at mark 5:20. Because of the sensitivity of its mission. As seen at mark 5:40, there are engineers who conduct test on corrosion growth and experimenting the control techniques. This experiment will be applied to all the other crafts in the desert.
In other areas, the aircrafts are hold as reclamation since they serve as parts to the new aircraft been developed.

At mark 6:22 is a shelter three times as long as a football field where mechanics strip the airplanes of their parts, components and systems and all other hardware using sieve list as guide. The engines are placed in special containers as seen at mark 6:50 to avoid corrosion and other damage while some parts are worked upon. In 1965 alone, Mastirk reclaimed about 8000 tons of parts and recovered 1400 aircraft engines as seen at mark 7:37. At mark 8:00, all the reclamated aircrafts are seen on the field. Airplanes are not left alone until all the usable parts have been salvaged and sold for what the market will bear. At mark 10:13, the planes are reduced and processed as the parts will help in the manufacture automobile and perhaps in missiles of aircraft. Mastirk is not just one way, as aircrafts arrive, others departs to join the active force as seen at mark 10:37. After perhaps years of storage, their systems are given checks and for control inspection as seen at mark 10:55. This op ensures its air worthiness before it leaves the Mastirk or maybe they are sent to overhaul and repair department as seen at mark 11:35 which eventually goes to Southeast Asia. This has brought new life to hundred of crafts as seen at mark 11:51 through to 11:56. Making planes more effective and fighting efficient.

However not all planes leaving the desert go back to military bases as seen at mark 13:00. Some may have been sold to aid humanitarian purposes as seen at mark 13:28. At mark 13:59 is another plane which is built to transfer rocket boosters for NASA. Donations to museums and other companies where they keep alive past memories for generations to come is seen at mark 15:15. Realizing all these, the military aircraft disposition and storage center is the desert home of standby aircrafts and is truly a desert bonanza.

The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), often called The Boneyard, is a United States Air Force aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility in Tucson, Arizona, located on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. AMARG was previously Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center, AMARC, the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposal Center, MASDC, and was established after World War II as the 3040th Aircraft Storage Group.

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com