Khodynskoye field aircraft cemetery. The largest aircraft graveyard in the United States. The largest "aircraft graveyard" in the vastness of Russia

Stores on its territory a large number of very interesting things. For example, 5,000 abandoned planes, which are parked neatly and in a row among cacti and among the sand.

This place is the largest cemetery in the world. Let's go?

Although the planes have long been abandoned and do not fly, they are located on the territory of the US Air Force base called "Davis-Monten", which is located in the Arizona town of Tucson. It is very difficult to get inside - all planes are surrounded by a fence.

In this place, only military aircraft live out their lives and rot. Since the end of the Second World War, decommissioned, but not collapsed, aircraft have been concentrated on this territory, in the desert, at the Air Force base. That's why there are so many of them.

The base itself was founded in 1925, and the name of this base is in honor of the military pilots who served in the First World War - Oscar Montaigne and Samuel Davis.

The base was expanded by 1940, at a time when another world war was raging in Europe. In this place, they began to prepare crews intended for bombers. When the war ended, in 1945, the training base was closed, and they began to use it as a cemetery for combat aircraft that are no longer needed today. Local dry climatic weather, as well as hard ground, make it possible to keep aircraft well for a long time.

And very soon the training center had to be formed again. The Cold War began, and the military had to declare a stable military readiness that lasted almost forty years.

In this place, combat units for strategic aviation were formed, as well as special groups of technicians, ready to put the old aircraft into action.

End of the Cold War

In the fifties, two Boeing B-29Superfortress aviation groups were based in this place, and in the sixty-third - LookheedU-2 spy planes. In addition, not far from this area, there were 18 missile silos.

When the Cold War was over, then a stable combat readiness for a similar number of aircraft again became superfluous. Aircraft rusted and aged.

Some wanted to repaint, re-equip and use specifically for the needs of civilian aviation, but something did not work out.

With the advent of the Internet, people began to learn about the base outside the borders of Arizona, as well as America. Besides. Russian aviation enthusiasts were also able to get to Google images, who declassified most of the interesting models of aircraft, which at one time no one even had to hear about.

Although all this is a huge number of aircraft that stand in the desert and create a cemetery, it is impossible to call them completely abandoned. The Americans managed to create a good business out of this.

At the Davis-Monten base there is the 309th group of the American Department of Defense, where approximately 500,000 people work in the composition, who are involved in the repair of aircraft.

Approximately 400 new technical units appear at the base every year. In order for the cemetery not to grow to half the state, approximately the same number of aircraft is sold to friendly, but not rich states, or destroyed.

According to the agreement on the reduction of strategic hostile weapons (START), which was signed between America and Russia, 365 Boeing B-2Stratofortress bombers were destroyed in this place.

All aircraft that are stored at the Davis-Monten base are subjected to a rigorous inspection, weapons are dismantled from there, as well as all secret equipment, and the fuel systems are drained and pumped with oil.

Aircraft sales

The entire fleet of equipment is divided into 4 groups: short-term and long-term conservation (allowable combat capable equipment), equipment intended for sale and donor aircraft. In the category for implementation, sometimes non-flying military equipment also comes across. For example, last year, unused, but decommissioned according to age, combat Hummers were brought to this place.

The management of the base decided to sell them on the Internet, but they bought only a few units - this car is completely unsuitable for civilian life and therefore they die in captivity: fuel consumption is very high, uncomfortable interior, manual gearbox.

In addition, this object is now considered a tourist attraction.

The aircraft graveyard, according to official data, is called the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group. Currently, more than 40 spacecraft and 4,200 aircraft are located here.

For 80% of aircraft, this area is their final resting place, a gigantic steel graveyard where more than 350,000 units rest, which can be requested by the state at any time.

In 2005, Group 309 was able to recycle over 19,000 parts for a total value of US$568 million. The US government is giving other countries the opportunity to buy both parts and complete aircraft directly from the aircraft graveyard.

It should be noted that aircraft are also being repaired in this place, and after that the part can return to service. That is why every dollar of American taxpayers invested in AMARG will be able to return 11 dollars to the state treasury of America! According to experts, over the past 25 years, every 5th aircraft that was on the territory of this cemetery was returned to service.

This graveyard is not considered the owner of these aircraft. All of them, as before, belong to the property of the American army, as well as government agencies. In addition, it is interesting to note that in this cemetery there are both working planes and planes in a non-working condition.

The desert of Arizona is fraught with a lot of interesting things. For example, five thousand abandoned planes parked neatly and in a row among the sand and cacti.

This is the world's largest cemetery of old aircraft. Shall we take a walk?

1. Although the planes are abandoned and have not been flying for a long time, they are located on the territory of the Davis-Monten US Air Force Base, in the Arizona city of Tucson. All planes are fenced, and it is almost impossible to get inside.

2. America is not Russia, there are no leaky fences here, but if you try to go around the territory along the perimeter, there is a chance to find what you are looking for.

3. Only military aircraft rot and live out their lives here. Starting from the Second World War, all decommissioned, but not collapsed, sides were brought here, to the desert, to the Air Force base. That's what has accumulated.

4. The base itself was founded in 1925, and got its name in honor of two military pilots of the First World War - Samuel Davis and Oscar Montenay.

5. The base was expanded by 1940, when another world war was already raging in Europe. At this base they began to train crews for bombers. After the end of the war, in 1945, the training base was closed and it was decided to use the place as a cemetery for now unnecessary combat aircraft. The local dry climate and hard soil provide ideal preservation for aircraft over a long period of time.

6. But soon the training center had to be formed again. The Cold War began and the military had to declare constant combat readiness, which lasted for almost forty years.

7. Combat units of strategic aviation and a special group of technicians settled here, ready to reactivate old aircraft.

8. Since the early fifties, two Boeing B-29 Superfortress air groups have been based here, and since the sixty-third - Lookheed U-2 spy planes. Also, somewhere in the vicinity were located missile silos in the amount of 18 pieces.

9. The Cold War is over and constant combat readiness for so many aircraft has again become unnecessary. Planes are old and rusty. they missed

10. Some of them thought to repaint, convert and use for the needs of civil aviation, but it didn’t work out.

11. When the Internet appeared, the base became widely known outside of Arizona and America. Among other things, Russian aviation enthusiasts also got to Google pictures, "declassifying" many interesting models of aircraft that no one had even heard of before.

12. Although all these thousands and thousands of planes standing in the middle of the desert form a cemetery, they cannot be called completely abandoned. The Americans managed to make a profitable business out of this.

13. The Davis-Monten base is occupied by the 309th group of the US Department of Defense, which employs about five hundred people involved in the repair of aircraft.

14. Every year, about 400 new pieces of equipment appear at the base. In order to prevent the cemetery from growing to half the state, about the same number of aircraft are sold to friendly but poor countries or destroyed.

15. Under the Strategic Arms Reduction Agreement (START), signed between the United States and Russia, 365 Boeing B-2 Stratofortress bombers were destroyed here.

16. Each aircraft entering storage at the Davis-Monten base is subjected to a thorough inspection, weapons and secret equipment are dismantled from it, and the fuel systems are drained and pumped with oil.

17. The entire fleet of equipment can be divided into four groups: long-term and short-term conservation (potentially combat-ready equipment), donor aircraft and equipment for sale. The latter category sometimes includes non-flying military equipment. For example, last year to bring here unused, but decommissioned by age, military Hummers.

18. The management of the base decided to sell them via the Internet, but only a few units were bought - these cars are not suitable for civilian life and die in captivity: fuel consumption is very high, uncomfortable interior, manual transmission. For some reason, I remembered with what frenzy compatriots rush to decommissioned military UAZ vehicles and BRDMs. Although it is not surprising, there are almost no such shit in America where a more or less decent SUV from a car dealership will not pass.

19. But America knows how to do business: for every dollar spent on the maintenance of the aircraft cemetery and the aircraft repair team, the air base earns 11.

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After the end of their service life, most of the aircraft find their last refuge in the so-called aircraft graveyard (photos are presented below). The fact is that the storage of aviation equipment in hangars is almost impossible due to the fact that this requires a lot of money and space. It is much more profitable to leave it on a specially equipped site. Such dumps exist in almost all countries. This article will focus on the world's largest "burial ground" of decommissioned aircraft.

Location

The largest aircraft graveyard in the United States and on the planet is located near the city of Tucson in the state of Orizona. It is organized at the Davis Montan Air Force Base. The repair and technical group for the maintenance of aviation and space equipment No. 309 is also deployed here. The total area of ​​the territory occupied by the repository is 10.5 square kilometers. People who pass by on the nearby motorway are presented with an exciting and at the same time gloomy spectacle, created by a huge number of ships lined up in a row.

Storage objects

The world's largest aircraft graveyard contains about 4,400 decommissioned aircraft. Here you can see jet fighter-interceptors, bombers, cargo liners, military transport ships and many other types. Some of them have already been almost completely disassembled for spare parts, and when looking at some other copies, it seems that they have recently returned from another flight. A significant proportion of aircraft are generally covered with covers that protect them from the harmful external effects of dust and sand. It should be emphasized that many of the local instances, if such a need arises, can be quickly returned to service.

Conditions

The place where this aircraft graveyard was created was not chosen by chance. The fact is that in this area almost all year round there is dry, sultry weather. Humidity is quite low here, and there is little rainfall. All this contributes to the long-term storage of aviation equipment, because it is not so much exposed to the destructive effect of rust. It is impossible not to note the nuance that at a depth of about fifteen centimeters under the soil lies a thick layer consisting of clay nitrate. It serves as a kind of solid lining, which makes it possible to leave aircraft directly on it. In other words, there is no need to build special platforms, the construction of which requires significant capital investments.

Service

Since, if necessary, aircraft must be promptly returned to service, their maintenance requires considerable effort. That is why this aircraft graveyard is maintained by the workers of the 309 maintenance and technical group, who jokingly call it a "dump of bones." All military equipment that was previously in service on aircraft carriers is cleaned of sea salt, which can cause corrosion. In order to keep all the moving parts of the aircraft lubricated, the fuel lines and tanks are first emptied and then washed with a viscous light oil. Without fail, the base staff remove absolutely all explosive devices, including the charges that provide the pilot's ejection. After that, channels and inlets are sealed with a special aluminum tape. At the last stage, all cars that enter the Davis Montan aircraft graveyard are painted with paint that can be easily removed. This is done in two layers. The lower one is black and the upper one is white, which reflects the bright rays of the sun and prevents overheating.

In total, the base uses approximately 400 thousand units of various equipment for the routine maintenance of decommissioned aircraft and the production of new spare parts. This also includes assembly lines mothballed many years ago. At the same time, the equipment removed from the local ships is used not only in the United States, but also in many other countries. A melting furnace also operates on the territory of Davis Montan, through which devices and parts that are not suitable for anything are completely processed.

The most famous aircraft graveyard in Russia is located a hundred kilometers from Vladivostok. During the Cold War, the Vozdvizhenka secret air base was stationed here, armed with supersonic bombers. After the collapse of the USSR, they turned out to be useless and remained in their original place. Currently, the base is abandoned, and the many military aircraft located here are no longer destined to take to the air. The only people she's interested in are the photographers who occasionally sneak in here for a spectacular shot.

Another interesting "burial ground" is located on the territory of the exclusion zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Here, not far from the village of Rassokha, a lot of equipment is stored that took part in the aftermath of the 1986 disaster. Despite the danger of radiation contamination, for the purpose of their own gain, people are gradually removing elements that are still usable.

Moscow storage

The aircraft cemetery in Moscow is located on the territory of the Khodynka field. In 1910, the Frunze airfield was built here, which functioned for almost a whole century. However, in 2003 it was closed. Now on its runway and taxiways you can see abandoned aviation equipment. Some time ago, the city authorities were going to create a museum on the basis of the former airfield, but this idea was never translated into reality. Thus, this place became the last refuge for fifty aircraft, including MiG-21, Su-15 aircraft and helicopters. The territory of the landfill is closed to the public, but for a fee, the guards, some people still manage to get here and take pictures as a keepsake. However, many vehicles suffered from the actions of vandals - the fuselages are covered with graffiti and inscriptions, the dashboards were looted, and the windows were broken.

In 2011, one of the oldest airports in Moscow, Bykovo, built in 1933, was closed. Having looked at the territory of the airport from satellite maps, I noticed a group of aircraft away from the runway. Now it’s up to the small thing to come there and see everything with your own eyes.

Having collected all the traffic jams that were on the way to Bykovo, we got to the place just a couple of hours before dark. The weather was also unlucky, it was constantly raining. But on the other hand, as I expected, getting to the planes turned out to be elementary.

Older than the airport "Bykovo" was only the Central Airfield. M. V. Frunze, built in 1910 on the Khodynka field, which also ceased to exist in this century.

The first plane turned out to be exactly in the place where the coordinates from the satellite map showed. True, there were two of them in the picture, but in reality only one remained:

The first, no longer an aircraft, on our way was IL-76TD:

This aircraft was released in December 1982 for the USSR Air Force. As a military transport aircraft, this aircraft flew for 10 years.

After the collapse of the USSR, the aircraft remained in Ukraine, where in 1993 it was sent for storage. After standing for two years, the aircraft began to be used again, first for one year in Ukraine, and then, after being converted into the Il-76TD, it began to be operated in Russia.

In Russia, this aircraft was operated by the Aviast airline, which, after seven years of flying, left it for storage at Bykovo Airport. The aircraft has not flown since then, but was able to outlive its airline, which was shut down in 2008.

It's time to get inside the plane. The door was not locked, and we, like decent people, went through it:

Inside, there is a mess, but this does not prevent us from appreciating the rather large size of the cargo compartment. Its length together with the ramp is 24.5 meters:

The maximum commercial load of this aircraft was 50 tons and it could carry this cargo for 3,650 km. Well, let's take another look at the cargo section and move into the cockpit.

Little is left of the cab. All equipment and even the floor was dismantled. Only the navigator's seat in its place:

This aircraft is operated by a crew of 7 people, so there used to be quite a lot of equipment. There is an escape hatch in the technical compartment next to the cab that leads to the outside. Having risen through the hatch, you can run around the plane from above:

As it turned out later, a few days after our visit, this IL-76TD was broken up and taken out.

Let's move on to a group of four aircraft. All of them were manufactured by Yakovlev Design Bureau. Yak-42D is a short-haul passenger aircraft that saw the sky for the first time 26 years ago. This aircraft replaced the Yak-42 and corrected a number of its obvious inconveniences. By the way, this aircraft was produced in the same year when the Yak-42D made its first flight.

Even 5 years ago, this aircraft flew regularly, and then the Elbrus-Avia airline sent it to storage in 2008. A year later, the airline was closed due to debts and the plane was arrested. According to the Internet, this Yak-42D was put up for sale. So if someone wants to buy this plane for himself, then let him prepare 33,759,000 rubles.

Of the 120 economy class seats, only three remained.

Rear entry ladder:

Cabin. Two people were enough to control the Yak-42D:

True, this plane is unlikely to fly, most likely it will suffer the fate of its neighbor - IL-76TD.

Another Yak-42D of Elbrus-Avia. The engines have already been removed from him, so I won’t be surprised if he goes under the knife:

This aircraft was released two years later than the previous one, in 1989.

Unfortunately, the cabin is also already pretty damaged:

Let's look at the plane one more time from the side and go to the next one.

Another Yak-42D. It also has no engines. This board managed to fly a little longer than its neighbors. He arrived in Bykovo in 2009 for maintenance, where he was arrested and sent here.

The rear entrance ladder was lowered, which made it easier to get inside:

This plane was sorely missing a floor:

Let's move on to the next aircraft, in my opinion it is the most interesting - the Yak-40K short-haul passenger aircraft:

Of all the planes we were on this evening, this is the best preserved cockpit:

It's funny that all these planes survived their airlines, which closed at the end of the zero years.

We found this cemetery quite by accident, the day before yesterday. We wandered on a satellite map in search of the Money Museum and stumbled upon a strange void in the Airport metro area. On the map were strangely shaped houses and a field with airplanes. As it turned out, it was an abandoned airfield on the Khodynka field - "Frunze Central Airfield".

The next day we made a raid on this airfield. What we saw there was shocking. Once mighty, beautiful cars are left to rot in the rain, blisters are broken, insides are turned out ... But these are the planes and helicopters that once protected us ...

And behind the dead planes, the sunset burned out.

People! Whoever has access to our gentlemen from the state apparatus - do what you can! At least you can. Journalists, write about it. Maybe something will help...

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Farewell to Khodynka