Khodynskoye field aircraft cemetery. Travel to America. The largest aircraft graveyard in the world. Significance for the American economy

In addition to the mass of attractions, such as Death Valley, many national parks and reserves, the dry Mojave Desert in the United States is also known for its aircraft graveyard. It is located near the Mojave Airport, 100 kilometers northeast of Los Angeles. Huge planes are already visible from Highway 395. For travelers by car, the city of Victorville will serve as a guide, then the small old town of Mojave and the junction of state highways 58 and 14 in Southern California.

Why is this cemetery in the Mojave Desert? The answer to the question is quite logical - a deserted desert area is an ideal outdoor storage. It has record low rainfall and high temperatures for most of the year - this keeps the planes and their remains from rusting. In the aircraft graveyard, huge, once-flying aircraft are dismantled for spare parts. Despite the fact that the gliders are fenced with barbed wire and are regularly patrolled, it is still possible to approach the fence and view these giants.

On a vast territory, you can see various models of commercial aircraft, because at the Mojave airport they began to store gliders at the spaceport since 1970. In times of economic crises and falling demand for air travel, old planes were brought here, unsuitable for further operation. Also in Mojave, in addition to passenger aircraft, the remains of military aircraft were also brought. This place is the world's largest cemetery of technology.

Here you can find various models of Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed and McDonnell Douglas. Aircraft stored and buried in the Mojave Desert in the United States belong to more than a hundred airlines, and many of them have long since ceased to exist.

The largest number of aircraft (more than a thousand) was reached in 2002, as most (about 360 units) of airliners were parked after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that hit the United States. The airlines could not afford to keep so many flights in the air at the time, the hangars at American airports were full, and a lot had to be set aside for aircraft parking. In many respects, the Mojave Desert came up.

Some aircraft, quite suitable for further operation, were then parked. They were forced to go into suspended animation. So that the sand and the desert wind would not completely destroy the mechanisms, their windows and engines were covered with plastic. Maybe someday such planes will still fly, especially since many of them are for sale.

But on the far side of the runway at Mojave Airport in the United States, there is a burial ground - this is the place where old planes go to their death. Most jetliners have already passed their useful life and can no longer be used. On average, the life of commercial aircraft is about 25 years, although now their "life" is measured not in years, but in the number of flights. After thousands of takeoffs and landings, aircraft can no longer withstand the pressures of high flight without replacing major parts. These worn-out planes, parked in deserted parking lots, are now being taken apart and their parts are being used to repair aircraft of these models. When both parts and aircraft are no longer suitable for reuse, they are dismantled and sent for processing - crushed and melted down into raw aluminum ingots.

At any given time, once in the aircraft cemetery, you can see about a dozen aircraft in various states of disassembly. Some airframes are almost dismantled, and especially expensive parts are removed, others are simply smashed. Pieces of the fuselage, tails and wings of aircraft, wheels, passenger seats are scattered around ... A real burial ground for monuments of obsolete technologies!

The Mojave Airport in the US is relatively close to Hollywood, so several planes are always on standby for film use. Dozens of famous films and shots were filmed in the Mojave Desert! Including "Speed" with Keanu Reeves, "Die Hard 2" with Bruce Willis and "Independence Day" with Will Smith in the title role. If there is a scene with an airplane explosion in the film, then it is very likely that these shots were filmed in the Mojave.

It is almost impossible to get there and look at the aircraft graveyard. This is not an amusement park! The object is classified, and visiting here is extremely limited. In addition to barbed wire, security patrols and the possibility of arrest with a fine of about 20 thousand dollars, you can be bitten (and maybe eaten) by guard dogs! But the daredevils (especially the ubiquitous photographers) are also in the US. Under the cover of night, they set off in search of adventure in the aircraft graveyard. Although during the day, smiling through the fence at the guards and politely asking, you can go in for a few minutes and take a wonderful unique shot for yourself.

Nothing on earth lasts forever. And, of course, this applies to aviation technology. "Aircraft cemeteries" - this is the name of the places where obsolete aviation equipment is located. In Russia, such "cemeteries" are located mainly in Moscow and the Moscow region.

The most popular are Khodynskoye Pole, Domodedovo Airport and the Museum of the Air Force of the Russian Federation in the village of Monino, Moscow Region, as well as the largest museum in Ulyanovsk, in the Middle Volga region. Photos of these attractions filled the Internet. And despite the fact that these photos cause a slight sadness, they also make you want to see these planes with your own eyes and visit the past a little.

Khodynka field

The Khodynka field was the first such “aircraft graveyard” in Russia. It is located in the north-west of Moscow, not far from the Aeroport metro station. At the beginning of the last century, an airfield was built there, which later received the name of the Central Airfield. Frunze. It was the Khodynka field that witnessed the first international flights in Russia. The airfield on the Khodynka field existed from 1910 to 2003. After the closure, it was decided to open an aviation museum there, but these plans were not destined to come true.

To date, some of the exhibits have been cut up for scrap, and those that are better preserved now flaunt in the Vadim Zadorozhny Museum of Technology. After the closure of the airfield, the Khodynskoye field began to be quickly built up, and the fact that Khodynskoye once had an airfield is reminiscent of the very “aircraft cemetery” where forgotten planes and helicopters rot. In 2008, not far from the field, the reconstruction of the Aviators' Park was completed, in which monuments were erected to the pilots who died on the Khodynka field in various historical battles.

Corner of memory in Domodedovo

Domodedovo Airport, located in the Moscow region, also boasts out-of-service equipment. Directly on the field, opposite the Domodedovo terminal, the departing planes settled down, waiting for their fate. Passengers can see them perfectly during takeoffs. They are also clearly visible from the Domodedovo terminal itself.

Photo: khmelikvictor.livejournal.com

Basically, Domodedovo Airlines aircraft are stationed there, but there are also imported aircraft. Many of them have already donated parts to their newer brethren. No one knows about their future fate, maybe they will go to waste, or maybe they will remain pleasing to the eyes of guests of Moscow and the Moscow region. In the meantime, everyone can come to Domodedovo at any time and take a photo against the background of the “air giants”, taking a camera with them, or maybe even sit at the controls of a real aircraft.

Aviation Museum in the village of Monino

Not far from the capital, in the village of Monino, Moscow Region, there is a museum of the Air Force of the Russian Federation, which several years ago received the status of a federal state institution of culture. This place would not dare to be called a cemetery.

Once there was one of the first airfields in the country, but when technology stepped forward, the conditions at the airfield ceased to meet the standards. And gradually the airfield in the Moscow region began to turn into an aviation museum.

The museum houses a huge collection of domestic aircraft. There are also photographic materials and documents confirming the authenticity of the collection. Probably, in Russia it is difficult to find a place where such a number of different aircraft would be assembled. By studying the presented exhibits, one can trace the history of the development of domestic aircraft. Here are collected models of military and civil aircraft, helicopters, gliders over the past hundred years. The museum has existed since 1958 and managed to host more than 3 million people from almost all over the world.

The largest "aircraft graveyard" in the vastness of Russia

About 9,000 exhibits are located in the open air in the city of Ulyanovsk. Most of these aircraft flew under their own power to Ulyanovsk to stay here forever, and one very heroic exhibit TB-1 was brought in parts and assembled on the spot. These military and civilian aircraft are all that remains of a bygone era. It is believed that the aircraft that ended up in this museum were very lucky.

Photo: alexio-marziano.livejournal.com

The museum is still young, it opened in 1983. The best time of year to visit is summer or late spring. During this period, the most colorful and lively photos are obtained. Museum staff, as well as cadets of the aviation school of civil aviation, which owns the museum, do their best to maintain the beauty and mystery of their exhibits.

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.

No one planned to arrange an aircraft cemetery almost in the center of Moscow.
The intentions were the best - in 1989 they decided to create Museum of Aviation and Cosmonautics. In 1991, the first aircraft appeared here. But, probably, in the 90s, everyone was not up to museums and the planes were very quickly stolen, crushed and covered with ugly graffiti. And what was left turned into "toilets" and flophouses.

2. For a very long time, the fate of the aircraft could not be decided, since they were in the department of the Ministry of Defense. Even after it became obvious to everyone that no museum would ever appear on Khodynka, it was easier to turn a blind eye to the problem than to find a solution.

3. This weekend I learned from the guard of the "museum" that already this month all planes will be removed from Khodynka. Fortunately, not in a landfill and not for scrap.

4. The exhibits will be transferred for storage to the private museum of equipment of Vadim Zadorozhny. Although it will be a long time to see the restored aircraft, they say the restoration may take several years.

5. I advise you to use the last opportunity to visit the Khodynka field. It makes you think in particular about our Motherland.

6. Looking at what was left of the planes, it was hard for me to believe that at one time they all arrived at the last stop on their own.

7. Most likely everything that was of any value had already been stolen, but nevertheless I saw a couple of young guys with a screwdriver who were trying to open the locked cockpits of the aircraft.

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10. MiG-21. I do not know the rest of the models, if anyone knows, then unsubscribe.

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13. Su-15? Among the exhibits is the Su-15, which in 1983 shot down a South Korean Boeing along with passengers.

14.

15. IL-14 burned down in 2009 because of a homeless person who unsuccessfully lit a fire in it.

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17. I asked the guys what they were filming. They said that a photo session for some magazine and that they still don’t know what will happen, but something drop dead is sure.

18. "MAX"

19. Planes rot behind a sagging fence. on wings, the photographer takes pictures of guys in high heels, next to someone arranges a test drive with their brand new porsche 911. Khodynka field is a kind of illustration to our country.

Every plane lands at some point, never to take off again. The age of winged machines is relatively short, and the sadder is their end: created to fly, they, even dilapidated, yearn for the sky. IT.TUT.BY has selected seven of the most interesting aircraft cemeteries.

Chernobyl, Ukraine.

Almost 30 years ago, life left this city. Abandoned houses, empty hospitals say that civilization, alas, is not omnipotent. Most of the equipment used in the liquidation of the disaster itself became a source of radiation and was left here. These helicopters will never take off again, and their remains contain deadly radiation.

Khodynka, Frunze Central Airfield, Moscow.

Built over 100 years ago, this airfield is now abandoned. The last aircraft - anti-submarine Il-28SD for the Indian Navy - took off from this airfield on July 3, 2003, after which the facility was closed. Decommissioned planes and helicopters remained on the remnants of the runway. Initially, it was planned to organize an "Aviation Museum on the Khodynka Field", but something did not grow together, and the unguarded exposition eventually turned into an aviation cemetery.

California, aircraft depot

Why exactly this place? It's simple: the dilapidated planes located here are often used as scenery for the filming of various films and TV shows. This place has become a cult not only for aircraft enthusiasts, who are allowed into the territory for a moderate fee, but also for moviegoers.

Davis-Monthen AFB, the most expensive aircraft graveyard

The world's most expensive aircraft graveyard is located in Arizona, its area reaches 6500 hectares. 40 spacecraft and more than 4,000 military and civil aircraft are falling into disrepair here. However, not all aircraft are permanently parked here, there are those who linger for a while: the aviation cemetery is still used as a free parking lot. According to experts, the total price of all objects located here is about 35 billion dollars. The filming of the film "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" took place here.

Aviation cemetery in the Mojave Desert

One of the largest collections of aircraft scrap metal is located southeast of the intersection of freeways 14 and 58 in the United States, this is the Mojave Desert region. Most of the planes that are here are in a deplorable state: they have no engines, wings, most just look like heaps of twisted metal.

Pinal Airpark Airport, Marana, Arizona, USA

The main purpose of the existence of this place is the storage of abandoned commercial airliners. As the locals say, if Boeing is retired, then it will be here. About 840 hectares of area are allotted for parking.

Private collection of Walter Soplat

American Walter Soplata bought about 50 engines and 30 aircraft from World War II in his lifetime. After his death in 2010, the family decided to keep the expensive collection a secret so that it would not be looted. About an unusual abandoned aviation museum, located in the forest near the town of Newbury, Ohio, it became known relatively recently.

Denis Aldokhin / photo smugmug.com, IT.TUT.BY