FPP077 - The Boneyard

Where do automobiles go when they reach the end of their useful lives? Why, the junkyard, of course. So, where do military aircraft go? If they’re U.S. military aircraft they most likely go to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group aboard Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona. Just don’t call it a “junkyard.”

On this episode, U.S. Air Force Colonel Jennifer “Re-Jen” Barnard, AMARG Commander, joins us to explain how and why aircraft arrive—and eventually depart—this extensive facility which covers four square miles, employs hundreds of specialized technicians, and saves the military and taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars annually. …sure, we’re calling this ‘the Boneyard,’ but don’t let the thousands of preserved aircraft fool you, there’s a lot happening at the AMARG.

Listener questions include how aircraft self-healing fuel tanks work, air-to-air combat between fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, scary carrier landings, and the realism of the movie Top Gun’s jet wash scene.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell. This episode was produced by our friends at The Muscle Car Place Podcast Network.