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Plane enthusiasts are a special breed. Like any person who is especially interested in a particular topic, plane enthusiasts can tell you the minutia about aviation. They don’t need a blog post to tell you how to know the difference between an Airbus and a Boeing, because they already know. They’re also very aware about what Delta’s “Preferred Seats” are and if you should pay extra to sit in them. They even know why plane windows are round, what all the different-colored lights are on the outside of a plane, and why we only board planes from the left side.

Personally, I’m not a plane enthusiast. I view planes the way I view cars – they’re a means to get me from Point A to Point B. As long as they get me there safely and in the allotted amount of time, I’m good. But I’ve had my share of things I’ve found very interesting in my life, and knew the minutia about, so I “get it.”

I don’t think there’s a plane enthusiast out there who wouldn’t love the opportunity to go to a airplane boneyard. Sometimes known as aircraft boneyards, they’re big, outdoor storage areas for aircraft that either need to be stored for long or short term, or are retired from service. Most aircraft at boneyards are either kept for storage so maintenance can be done to them (many planes were stored in boneyards during COVID, when few commercial planes were flying), or they have their parts removed for reuse or resale, and whatever’s left is scrapped.

Most airplane boneyards in the U.S. are in deserts in the southwest (particularly California and Arizona). The dry conditions reduce corrosion and the hard ground doesn’t have to be paved.

Most aircraft boneyards have never been open to the public, but there’s a small handful of (some limited) exceptions.

Mojave Air and Space Port

Part of the Mojave Air and Space Port, located in the California desert, is a storage and reclamation facility for commercial airliners. it’s not open for tours, but does host a “Plane Crazy Saturday” event on the 3rd Saturday of every month. That’s when you can see the airport, displays, hear speakers, sometimes fly-in, etc. This is their schedule, although it looks as if it hasn’t been updated in a couple of months.

Mojave Air and Space Port also offers a the airport offers a Virtual Driving Tour, which shows several stops around the facility.

Aircraft Restoration & Marketing (ARM)

Perhaps the only true “tour” of an airplane boneyard in the U.S. is that of Aircraft Restoration & Marketing (ARM), which is located next to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. Once a month (give or take), The Boneyard Safari offers a hands on tour on cooperation with ARM. From Boneyard Safari:

Take a unique tour and see a side of aviation with an exclusive look through aircraft in their different conditions at Aircraft Restoration Marketing, which is one of the last regeneration facilities in Tucson.  Boneyard Safari Docents will guide 10 guests through a C-130, DC-3/C-47, Boeing 727, and walk around various other aircraft including a C-27A, T-37, C-131F, and P-3.  It is limited to 3 hours due to weather conditions.  Bring your cameras because this is a unique opportunity to go inside of aircraft as they are being regenerated or seeing their final days.  Be prepared for hot weather, so bring a hat, sunscreen and good hiking shoes (lots of critters).

Tours had been suspended during the pandemic but were reinstated a few months ago. The next few tours will be:

• January 21, 2023 ( <– click on this one for all dates below)
• February 24, 2023
• March 9, 2023
• March 18, 2023
• April 1, 2023
• April 15, 2023
• August 26, 2023

Tours last for 3 hours and cost $40 per person. They do have a limit on how many people can go on the tour, and can and do sell out. So the sooner you sign up, the better.

Other boneyards of note

These boneyards do not appear to have tours at this time, but did in the past (one says they do, but I think it’s questionable):

Pinal Airpark

The Pinal Airpark is located in Marana, Arizona, northwest of Tucson.  The Airpark is open to the public. However there are 2 distinct sides to the airport:

• The Landside is generally accessible to anyone.
• The Airside is where the planes are parked, the runway, and other areas that are dangerous or off limits for security reasons

The FAQ on Pinal Airpark’s website states they have limited availability for tours and to contact them with questions. I’ve tried emailing them and did not get a response.

Davis-Monthan AFB AMARG Facility

There used to be bus tours of Tucson’s Davis-Monthan AFB AMARG Facility, but they have been suspended indefinitely, as per the request of the U.S. Air Force (sad trombone).

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary