Retired aircraft

[F-111 C/C]

I'm pretty familiar with the retirement and storage of US military aircraft mainly done at AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona, USA, in fact it's quite a facility to behold. However, I'm curious what other nations do with their retired aircraft and where they store them. Anybody?

[F-111 C/C]

Bump TTT

[F-111 C/C]

Since nobody's helping me out here, I thought I would post some pics from the USAF retired aircraft yard.

[tigershark]

I know it would be costly but could a squadron of F-111's be brought out of retirement if need be?

[F-111 C/C]

Allegedly a certain number of a retired aircraft have to be able to be made functional within something like 90 hours supposedly as wartime spares in the event of combat attrition losses. When the aircraft are received they are determined for parts or mission capability and then stored accordingly. Some are COMPLETELY raped of parts and others are perfect with plastic shrink wrap much like when putting a boat away for the season. RAAF bought 15 F-111Gs that were sent to them from the 'boneyard'. What amazes me is that most of the F-111Gs and F-111Fs only have around 5000 hours on them! They fly to Arizona in perfect working condition and then are 'moth-balled'! Amazing. AMARC is an amazing place. If you have Google Earth you can look at all the aircraft from satellite photos (Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, USA). Literally rows and rows of B-52s, F-4s, F-14s, F-15s, F-16s, A-10s, F-111s, C-5s, C-141s, A-4s, A-7s, etc., etc.

[Cheetah C]

Absolutely fascinating F-111C/C!!!

Down here in SA, the only SAAF aircraft in open storage are 8 Transal transport aircraft. They're kept near the perrimeter of AFB Waterkloof without their motors nor protective coverings.

All the the other aircraft are either shipped off to the SAAF Museum or sitting in hangers at AFB Makado or Hoedspriut.Apparently we still have a fair amount of F-1AZs and Impala mkIs & IIs still in flyable condition. Then there's also the Cheetah C/Ds that have just been retired...

[F-111 C/C]

Thanks for the reply Cheetah. I always wondered what other countries did. As you can see by the pictures there are 10s of thousands of aircraft there. Arizona, USA has a relative humidity of less than 20%, so long term, outdoor storage, has little to no affect on the aircraft.

[Webmaster]

Although not having such favorable weather conditions, almost all countries have aircraft in open storage. Aircraft with a future are often stored wherever in-house storage is available, often facilities built during the Cold War with plenty of space or no longer in active use. So, no probably not as big or centralized as AMARC. Sometimes aircraft bought under FMS are returned to the States and also end up at Davis-Monthan. Sometimes they are placed at some commercial maintenance company, awaiting a decision, after which the company would then be contracted to overhaul or scrap them. Especially in Europe, former bases with facilities have been available for decades now.

Your question is very open, but I will make an attempt at listing some storage places, some are more like dumps though. Rugao, China, is reportedly the second biggest after Davis-Monthan. I think Lipetsk, Cheben'ki (Russia) and Chateaudun (France) would be in the top 10.

Albania
Gjader, cavern hangar (F-7, F-6)
Tirana-Rinas airport, shelters (F-7, F-6, FT-5)
Kucove, cavern hangar (MiG-15)

Austria
at Zeltweg I believe

Australia
Damascus Barracks, Brisbane (UH-1H)

Belgium
Koksijde
Weelde (F-16)
Vissenaken depot, Brussels Air Museum

Bosnia & Heregovina
Mahovljani AB, Banja Luka (Sokol trainers)

Bulgaria
Dobrich
Dobroslawzi
Graf Ignatievo
all open storage of MiG-21s a.o.

Colombia
Apiay, open storage

China
Rugao airbase

Chad
dump at N'Djamena airport (Mi-17s)

Czech Republic
Prague-Kbely AB, LOM Praha overhaul company

Ecaudor
Taura AB, sun shelter / hangar (Jaguars)

France
Châteaudun (Magister, Jaguar, Mirage III/IV, C-160)
Clermont-Ferrand
 
Germany
Jever AB (F-4F scrapyard)

Georgia
TAM facility and Tbilisi-Vali airfield

Greece
Agrinion AB, open storage plus some shelters (F-104, A-7)

Israel
Lod AB (near IAI facility, adjacent Tel Aviv Int/l Airport) (C-130)

Italy
Bentivoglio a.o.

Laos
Xieng Khouang AB, open storage (MiG-21, Y-7)

Lebanon
Rayak AB

Lithuania
Siauliai AB, open storage (An-2, L-39)


Netherlands
Woensdrecht AB / Fokker Service facility (Fokkers, F-16)
Soesterberg AB and depot

Pakistan
PAC facility, Kamra (Mirage 5, FT-5, F-6)

Peru
Callao

Portugal
Alverca

Romania
Boboc AB (An-32 a.o.)
Craiova (IAR-93 a.o.)

Russia
strategic reserves... among others:
Ryazan-Dyahilevo air base, (Il-76/78)
Protasovo, Ryazan (Mi-8/24)
Kasimovo (Mi-8/24)
Lipetsk, (MiG-23/27/29/31, Su-25/27)
Migalova, (An-22)
Cheben'ki, (MiG-27/29, Su-17/22/24, L-29)
Tambov, (L-29/39, MiG-23/27)
Totskoye-2 AB, (Mi-2/8/24)
Rzhev (MiG-25, Su-24)
Slavgorod
Step-Olovyannaya
not to mention the dozens of operational types scattered across operational bases and repair bases awaiting overhaul
and then the probably hundreds of dumps

Serbia
Moma Stanojlovic air depot, Batajnica
Aviation museum, Belgrade (G-2, G-4, J-22, Ka-28, the latter will be return to service)

Slovakia
Sliac AB

South Africa
Waterkloof AB, open storage (C-160)

Sweden
Mälmslätt AB (Gripen reserves?)

UK
Boscombe Down

Ukraine
Aviakon company, Konotop, mainly open storage (various Mils, L-39)
Odesa Aircraft Repair State Enterprise facility (MiG-21/23, L-39)
Lviv air base, MiG-21/23/29

US
http://www.johnweeks.com/boneyard/index.html

Feel free to add more.

[tigershark]

Thanks webmaster very cool

[Webmaster]

Some more

Belarus
Baranovichi air base (MiG-23 and the handful of Su-27s not operated)
Lida air base (surplus Su-25)


Bulgaria
Graf Ignatievo (MiG-21)

Cuba
San Julian air base (MiG-21)

Hungaria
Pápa Air Base (MiG-21/23)

Kazakhstan
Simkent (MiG-23)

Sudan
Khartoum (MiG-21 or F-7, not sure)

Sweden
Halmstad, Viggen scrapyard

Switzerland
Emmen facilities (Hawk storage, F-5?)

Turkmenistan
Kizyl Arvat air base (lots of MiG-23s)
Ashkhabad (MiG-23/25)

Vietnam
Phnom Penh air base (MiG-21)

[F-111 C/C]

Thanks for those comprehensive lists Webmaster! I'm 'cranking up' Google Earth to see what I can see.

[Webmaster]

I remember a photo, showing a pill-up of RAF Tornado F.3 airframe remainings, can't remember where, probably at some recycling company. Any idea someone?