Aircraft Bone Yard

[RockyMnt1]

I just got back from flying into Pinal Air Park (Evergreen Air Service) just outside of Tucson, Az. I had never been there before. I was just blown away by the 50-60 transport category aircraft sitting there doing nothing. I realize that some of the the aircraft were being serviced, but most, it appeared, were there for the duration. While there were older aircraft mothballed, there were also recent models(i.e., B747-400). Some aircraft had been scavanged for parts, but most appeared to be intact. There were aircraft from all over the world there (Luftansa, Phillipines, Quatas, the shuttle carrier, TWA, Emery Worldwide, Chaulk's seaplanes, United, etc.). Folks that I spoke with indicated that the aircraft population is at an all time high.

It is really depressing to think about the number of folks adversly affected by the number of aircraft sitting idle, not to mention the incredible amount of non productive money sitting on that airport.

Just my thoughts....

 

[Typhoon1244]

Maybe they'd work as homeless shelters. No, wait, hear me out! Plug ground power/air into a 747-400, and you've got a pretty decent apartment for about twenty families.

Remember that "Aeroflot Express" station manager and his wife that were on CNN a couple years back? One day the mail brought them an letter and a huge crate. The letter basically said, "sorry, but we're discontinuing service to your out-station and we don't have enough cash to send you your last check, so take this Antonov An-2 [the contents of the crate] in lieu of payment." The An-2 was so much nicer than the hovel this couple was living in, they moved into it.

Maybe we could solve our surplus airframe and homelessness problems at the same time!

(I haven't had coffee yet...not sure if I'm joking or not.)

 

[Indapool]

Evergreen performs maint. on NASA's 747's there too( the one's that transport the space shuttle).