While last in Tucson in 2017 we enjoyed an afternoon at the Pima Air and Space Museum, but missed the boneyard tour conducted at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. This year we reserved early and are looking forward to “completing” the tour we started 3 years ago. The AMARG as it’s properly called is the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group. Unlike it’s informal name, the facility is more storage than scrapping. While there are some planes in various states of tear-down, most of the planes and helicopters are sealed and preserved for later use.
309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, Tucson
The AMARG at Davis-Monthan is the largest storage facility in the world, currently with about 4400 aircraft. Of unique interest are the many B-52 Stratofortress that have been cut into pieces. Under the 2010 START treaty, AMARG was tasked with the destruction of some of the 365 B-52’s to be eliminated. Initially wings and tails were separated from fuselage. Later, to provide a quicker and safer method, a huge saw blade was used to sever the tail section from the fuselage. The remains of these planes still lay at Davis-Monthan in strategic positioning making it easy for Russian spy satellites to unmistakably determine that the planes have been destroyed.
B-52’s ready for Russian spy satellite viewing
We’re parked at the Cactus Country RV park in site #198. As is normal for Arizona parks, this one is a mixture of park models, single wide mobile homes and RV’s. Located about 15 miles east of downtown Tucson, this park is a close enough to be convenient to most shopping and far enough out to be quiet and dark. Site #198 is a nice end site, and provides a bit more space than some of the other sites. The shower rooms are showing their age, but spotless, and the laundry gets good reviews. We’d stay here again. From here we’re headed to Bisbee, AZ – noted by Travel Advisor as a “Great American Small City to Visit”. More from there…
Cactus Country RV site #198
Cactus Country RV
Small Home - Big Yard 