kingman airport boneyard tour

Field Guide To Aircraft Boneyards

A fun visit to the massive Tucson Airplane Graveyard, aka “The Boneyard” (over 3,000 planes!)

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Last Updated on September 8, 2022

I could stare at airplanes for hours. Which is exactly what I did at the Tucson Boneyard (geek-heaven!)

The Tucson airplane graveyard is a must-visit site for anyone who loves aircraft (that’s us!). Learn about this amazing place, and how you can visit “the Boneyard,” as it’s unofficially known. Visiting the Boneyard is one of the truly unique things to do in Tucson -there’s nothing else like it. Anywhere.

Tours of the Tucson airplane graveyard closed during the COVID 19 pandemic, and plans to reopen are unclear 🙁. We will update this site when we learn of any changes.

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What, exactly, IS the Tucson Airplane Graveyard?

“The Boneyard” is officially known as the 309th AMARG Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (military-speak for a really cool aviation junkyard). It’s located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, on the southeastern edge of Tucson, where it is the final resting place of more than 3,000 aircraft.

AMARG is the world’s largest salvage yard, minus the snarling dogs. The aircraft are lined up in rows set up with military precision, stacked so closely together that from above their wings look like they are holding hands with each other, a sharp contrast to their former roles. It’s a starkly beautiful setting as, throughout the day, the silver fuselages reflect changing colors of the Rincon Mountains to the east.

Why is there an Airplane Graveyard in Tucson?

The military has a problem. It has thousands of aircraft that are no longer being used, but they don’t want to just send them to the scrapyard like a used ’92 Chevy. So what to do? It would be impractical to build giant hangars for 3,000+ aircraft, especially when many of them are no longer operational. How about sending them into semi-permanent outdoor storage?

The Sonoran Desert of Arizona provides the perfect location, where the arid climate prevents rust.

Despite its moniker, the Boneyard is not a place merely to stockpile airplanes in eternal rest. Some have been mothballed for spare parts and potential future activation. In 2015 a B-52 bomber old enough to qualify for AARP membership was restored and returned to flying condition. Though the Cold War may have ended, the men and women deployed at the Boneyard in Tucson are on constant alert for any future chills in relations between the superpowers.

What can you see at the Tucson Airplane Graveyard?

Despite their placement on an active military base, tours are offered of the Boneyard. Visitors board air-conditioned buses at the adjacent Pima Air & Space Museum for a tour through the Boneyard of stored aircraft inside Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to see the world’s largest collection of military aircraft.

The amount of hardware on display is striking. Some of the planes look ready to take off while others are partially salvaged, as if the turkey vultures soaring overhead have been picking them clean. Upon approach the rows of angular F-14 fighter planes emerge like giant metal scorpions lying in wait on the desert floor. Security around them is strict since this particular model is still flown by the Iranian Air Force, which is desperate for spare parts to maintain their fleet.

The tour bus ambles by ranks of abandoned bombers, propeller-driven cargo planes, helicopters and fighter jets while the guide points out the former roles of each aircraft. In an odd twist, new C-27 Spartan cargo planes were delivered directly to the Boneyard. Although recent budget cuts prevent their use, it didn’t stop production of them. 

In a sign that the military possesses its own unique brand of humor, a lone ladder waiting for a pilot to climb into the cockpit is angled ten feet into the air, hovering over a set of landing gear and . . . nothing else. A sign in front of it says that this is an F-117 Stealth Fighter. It makes the grizzled tour guide’s day when groups of unsuspecting schoolchildren exclaim, “Wow! You really can’t see it!”

Afterwards, the Pima Air & Space Museum offers a fine collection of more than 350 aircraft including a B-24 Liberator, Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter, Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the unique Aero Spacelines 377-SG “Super Guppy” cargo plane that is cobbled together from parts of a retired U.S. Air Force C-97 Stratofreighter and a former Pan American Boeing 377 Stratocruiser.

Fast facts about the Tucson Airplane Graveyard, aka “The Boneyard”

Can anyone visit the tucson boneyard.

(As of early 2022 tours of the Tucson Boneyard is closed; plans to reopen are unclear) Yes, all nationalities are welcome on the tour. Be advised that you will be touring an active US Military site; as such, be prepared with proper identification.you must take a guided bus tour, which starts at the adjacent Pima Air & Space Museum

Do you need to make a reservation to tour the Tucson Boneyard?

(As of early 2022 tours of the Tucson Boneyard is closed; plans to reopen are unclear) Yes, Tucson Boneyard tours are only available by advanced reservation.

When can I make a reservation to tour the Tucson Boneyard?

(As of early 2022 tours of the Tucson Boneyard is closed; plans to reopen are unclear) Reservations must be made a minimum of 16 days in advance. Tours can be reserved up to 60 days in advance.

What type of information is required by US citizens to reserve a tour of the Tucson Boneyard?

(As of early 2022 tours of the Tucson Boneyard is closed; plans to reopen are unclear) When making a reservation, adult US citizens (aged 16 and older) must provide the following: Full name as it appears on a driver’s license or valid state-issued photo ID (including middle initial or middle name), plus ID number & state of issue, date of birth and social security number. Be prepared to bring this same ID with you for the tour. For children under 16 years of age you must provide full name and birthdate (no ID required).

Can US citizens use a passport or military ID to reserve a Boneyard tour in Tucson?

(As of early 2022 tours of the Tucson Boneyard is closed; plans to reopen are unclear) NO. US passports and military IDs are not acceptable means of ID for the AMRAD Boneyard Tour.

What type of information is required by NON-US citizens to reserve a tour of the Tucson Boneyard?

(As of early 2022 tours of the Tucson Boneyard are closed; plans to reopen are unclear) When making a reservation, adult NON-US citizens (aged 16 and older) must provide the following: Full name as it appears on a passport (including middle initial or middle name), along with passport number, date of birth and country of issuance. Be prepared to bring this same ID with you for the tour. For children under 16 years of age you must provide full name and birthdate (no ID required).

How long is the AMRAD Boneyard tour?

(As of early 2022 tours of the Boneyard ae closed; plans to reopen are unclear) The tour is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes long.

Can you walk around the Tucson Boneyard?

(As of early 2022 tours of the Boneyard are closed; plans to reopen are unclear) NO. The Boneyard is on an active US Air Force Base. Visitors must stay on the bus for the duration of the tour.

How much does the AMRAD Tucson Boneyard tour cost?

(As of early 2022 tours of the Tucson Boneyard is closed; plans to reopen are unclear) Cost of the tour is $10 per person and is non-refundable.

Where do I make reservations for the AMRAD tour?

(As of early 2022 tours of the Tucson Boneyard is closed; plans to reopen are unclear) Contact the Pima Air & Space Museum .

For another Cold War relic head nearby to the Titan Missile Museum , home of the last of the 54 Titan II missile sites that were on alert from 1963 through 1987.

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There’s An Intriguing Airplane Boneyard In Arizona That You Need To Visit

Monica Spencer

Monica is a Diné (Navajo) freelance writer and photographer based in the Southwest. Born in Gallup and raised in Phoenix, she is Tódich'ii'nii (Bitter Water People) and Tsi'naajinii (Black Streak Wood People). Monica is a staff writer for Only In Your State, photo editor for The Mesa Legend, and previously a staff writer for The Navajo Post. You can reach her at [email protected].

More by this Author

Arizona is well-known as a snowbird paradise—for both the flying and biped kind—because of the mild winters and sunny days that are great for winter food supply and aging joints. But did you know our state is also the perfect retirement home for another flying creature? Well, less of a creature and more of a contraption. There is an incredible airplane boneyard in Arizona that is a perfect roadside stop for any plane enthusiasts out there. Or even just a fascinating stop for anyone who wants to see a rare, one-of-a-kind attraction you won’t really find anywhere else.

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Tours of the boneyard are available on weekdays from the Pima Air and Space Museum, located at 2720 S Craycroft Road, Tucson, AZ, 85707. Additional information can be found on their website, pimaair.org .

Want to find another fantastic southern Arizona find that you can visit this weekend? Check out our recent article, The Story Behind This Arizona Biodome Is Both Fascinating And Controversial .

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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The Lay of the Land

The aircraft boneyards of america.

TUCSON’S BONEYARD IS the largest collection of aircraft on the planet. Though it has been known for some time that this was a place to see, many who live in Tucson never get around to it. So when Matthew Coolidge, director of the CLUI, was visiting the University of Arizona, he took a class of art students there. Sometimes it takes an out-of-town visitor to help people appreciate what is in their own backyard. And what a backyard it is. This is where all the surplus military aircraft in the USA goes to be stored or dismantled. There are around 4,500 airplanes here at any given time, covering nearly five square miles. It’s a fleet second only to the 5,500 active manned aircraft in the U.S. Air Force, and those, of course, are spread out all over the world, and still fly.   The site, at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, was selected as one of a number aircraft storage sites for the more than 100,000 surplus aircraft that returned to the USA after World War II. It evolved into the primary location for all the armed services, when other sites were slowly emptied, shut down, and converted to civilian use.  Southern Arizona is well known as having some of the best weather for flying in the country, a fact attested to by the high number of airports in the region (as reported in the CLUI newsletter in 2007). Also, low humidity and alkali soil helps to limit corrosion, and the hard desert ground makes it possible to move heavy equipment around without pavement.

Technically, of course, it’s not simply a boneyard. It’s the operating location for the Air Force Materiel Command’s 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, known as AMARG. 550 mostly civilian employees work there to store the planes in various states of limbo and demise. Some are expected to be here for short periods, months or years, and are kept flyable–a status known as flying-hold. Others are expected to fly again, someday, so are kept in flyable condition, but stored with more levels of preservation and more of the sensitive parts removed. Other planes are designated officially as excess, and are for sale, usually bought, through politically charged negotiations, by friendly foreign militaries. Planes considered surplus that are not sold are broken up for parts, which are used domestically and sold internationally, and, eventually, the remains are scrapped.

A TOUR THROUGH THE BONEYARD AT MOJAVE AIRPORT

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Aircraft Boneyard at Kingman Airport -->

@ Aircraft Boneyard at Kingman Airport

Acres of cargo airliners in storage, awaiting their fate at Kingman, 2013.

Kingman boneyard

Douglas DC-9-15 Midway Airlines.

Pretty easy to find. Bad thing is you can’t drive around and look. I had to use a ladder to take some pics. Pr...

You might not know it from looking at it today, but the Kingman Airport played an important role in WWII Army history. Built at the beginning of the war as an aerial gunnery training base, the airfield became one of the Army Air Corps' largest. At the end of the war, it was closed for that purpose and reopened for another one. Kingman Airport, or rather Storage Depot No. 41, became an aircraft boneyard. What's that, you ask? It's a place where old aircraft are stored. In this case, it was also the place where airplanes were taken apart and salvaged. In fact, 5,483 airplanes were scrapped there. Here's how it worked! After everything was taken off the airplane that could be reused, the metal was put into a furnace and smelted. While it was open, the furnaces at Storage Depot No. 41 ran 24 hours a day and could consume up to 35 planes a day. By the end of the war, $7.5 million dollars worth of aluminum, steel, fuel, and oil was recovered at Kingman's storage depot. Today, you'll find the Kingman Army Airfield Historical Society Museum next to the airport. Go visit to hear stories and see artifacts from the airfield's history!

• The museum is just down the road from the Kingman Airport terminal.

See inside one of the world's largest aircraft 'boneyards' where planes go after airlines are done using them

• Pinal Air Park in Arizona is one of the largest aircraft storage facilities in the world.
• The multi-million business boomed during the pandemic as airlines worldwide grounded hundreds of jets.
• The airpark is also a hub for maintenance, as well as re-configuring jets when they get a new operator.

Airlines were forced to make drastic changes in 2020, including furloughing pilots, cutting routes, and indefinitely storing hundreds of planes in the desert.

One of these facilities is Pinal Air Park in Marana, Arizona — a small town located about 90 miles southeast of Phoenix.

As airlines started to shrink in 2020, hundreds of planes from all over the world flew to the 2,080-acre airpark.

With the influx, Pinal had to take special precautions to ensure the aircraft were ready to fly once travel eventually rebounded.

Because of this, Ascent Aviation Services — the largest aircraft service provider on the airfield — had to beef up its staff to maintain the constant arrivals.

Company CCO Scott Butler told Insider that starting in March 2020, planes were coming in at about one per hour — requiring over 150 extra mechanics.

Additional parking lots were built to handle the hundreds of planes, which continued to be filled into 2021 with jets coming from places like the US, South Korea, UK, Australia, and Canada.

I went inside one of the US' largest aircraft storage facilities and saw how it isn't emptying out despite the rise in air travel

Leasing companies were also filling the airfield after buying up inexpensive planes sold during COVID and storing them at Pinal.

Inside a remote Arizona aircraft boneyard storing nearly 300 planes grounded by the pandemic

However, with travel now roaring back and demand on track to surpass 2019 levels, AAS has gotten back to its roots — maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO).

Basic offerings include simple maintenance checks and on-demand repairs, like fixing the landing gear or inspecting the flight controls.

However, heavy maintenance is the most costly for airlines. This involves a full assessment of the aircraft and can take up to 60 days for widebody jets, Butler explained.

"A narrowbody will cost around $2 million," he told Insider. "With widebodies, you're easily looking at $3 million."

And, these projects take a lot of manpower. Butler said the company targets 400-500 hours per day for widebodies and 300 per day for narrowbodies.

Because these checks are so expensive, many carriers opt to sell the aircraft when it gets to that stage in its lifecycle, which is typically every six to 10 years.

Source: National Aviation Academy

Or, the operator will allow an aircraft lease to expire. This means if the lessor finds a new home for the plane, it will need to be fitted for its next contract.

For these conversions, AAS offers additional services, like re-painting liveries, switching out flight systems, and installing new cabins.

Sometimes, aircraft will transition from a passenger jet to a cargo plane — a service the company saw increased popularity during the pandemic, especially with older jets.

See the giant Airbus A330 freighter aircraft that will power a new lucrative cargo operation for Amazon

For flight tests and deliveries, the operator will arrange pilots, who will land and depart on the designated runway stretching Pinal's airfield.

Overall, Butler said AAS can do nearly anything an airline would need from an MRO standpoint.

The main service it can't provide is engine overhauls, which are outsourced to other shops.

"A lot of our current projects are just waiting on engines," Butler told Insider. "There's a backlog because no one did engine maintenance during COVID because of the expenses."

He explained this is adding to the already strained supply chain that has caused a slowdown in returning aircraft to service.

While AAS does a lot of work keeping airplanes flying, it also offers aircraft reclamation and end-of-life services.

This involves disassembling and disposing of unwanted parts, which make up about 10% of the airplane.

According to Butler, the other 90% is recyclable. These include things like engines and galley carts...

...and avionics and landing gear.

However, he said custom interiors do not have much value except to the original operator.

A plane can spend months being salvaged, with hundreds of collected parts being resold or repaired for future use.

The re-certified pieces can be sent back to airlines who keep them in their inventory as spare parts — meaning retired jets can still provide for current ones.

Meanwhile, some carriers will take parts of the metal to create memorabilia, like cutting the logo or airline name from the fuselage and using it as wall art.

In addition to the strong MRO and reclamation divisions, storage and parking is still a strong revenue source for AAS.

"80% of all the stored aircraft worldwide are stored in the Southwest," Butler told Insider in 2021.

During an April 2023 tour of the airpark, Insider found the main lot full of planes, including two rare Boeing 747SPs.

Mechanics spend up to two weeks getting a plane ready for storage. Important components like the engines, pitot tubes, systems, and landing gear are sealed and protected.

This is especially important to prevent critters and other wildlife from taking up residence in the airplane's openings and small crevices.

Butler told Insider the stored aircraft also get regular maintenance checks to keep them airworthy.

Parked planes, on the other hand, do not get this service and can be left to collect dust — giving Pinal its "boneyard" nickname.

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Hoping someone may be able to help?

Is this true & is it possible to visit & maybe go on a tour?

Look forward to hearing of your experiences.

Many thanks

Maybe contact Kingman's Chamber of Commerce or it's visitor center along Andy Devine. Prob they can tell you more about is. Never been myself.

http://www.johnweeks.com/boneyard/#SITEC

http://angel-gallery.com/slideshows/swtrip2/swtrip2.html

You're referring to the Boneyard. It's on an active base, but you can tour it through the Pima Air & Space Museum. The tour is just very restricted. http://www.dm.af.mil/units/amarc.asp

Google DHL Kingman Airport and there are several pictures.

As stated above you can tour the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan on a bus that is done *through* the Pima Air and Space Museum. As it is on an active military base there are restrictions including bringing photo ID and not bringing cameras. I don't think bags are allowed either but it's been several years since I have been on the tour.

Full list is here. They do allow cameras, just not professional ones. Thankfully they allow fanny packs though, right?

http://www.pimaair.org/view.php?pg=16

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AIR & SPACE MAGAZINE

A tour of the boneyard.

The aircraft retirement home in Arizona is well worth a visit.

John Sotham

My son Ian and I had already spent two days at the Pima Air & Space Museum outside Tucson, Arizona, walking the hangars and the terrific collection of aircraft parked outside. Pima is adjacent to the fence line of Davis-Monthan AFB, home of the “Boneyard.” Its official name is the Air Force’s 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group—the caretakers of nearly 4,000 U.S. military aircraft headed for scrap, storage, or potential rebirth, all parked on 2,600 acres of Arizona desert.  

Boneyard tours are exclusively handled by the Pima museum. You can get tickets online or in person at the gift shop.

Buses to Davis-Monthan depart just outside the Pima main entrance. We queued up—after a check for identification and a cursory bag check—and got onboard to enter the base’s gate. I presented my military ID, and our tour guide, Bob Ratledge, waved us aboard the bus with a few questions (where was I stationed?) and a thanks for my service.  

We rolled toward the DM gate. Over the bus’s intercom, Ratledge began his tour and welcomed our international guests (I was amazed at how many were visiting this dusty corner of the U.S.), who came from Italy, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. After we were inside the base, he gave us a plane-by-plane guide to “Celebrity Row,” a lineup of iconic aircraft retired here.

One of only two YC-14s entered our view—the Boeing counter to the requirement that resulted in the McDonnell-Douglas (ironically, now Boeing) C-17 Globemaster III that flew me to and from Afghanistan. A brooding F-4 came into view (Phantoms always look grumpy to me), the airplane I used to tend to as a young Senior Airman crew chief. There are still a good number of these iconic fighters here, still being converted into target drones, along with more modern, but still outmoded, early-model F-16s.

I grew tired of craning my neck to one side (if you’re into fighters, grab a seat on the left side of the bus). My other heartbreak as a former “Warthog” crew chief: Endless rows of deadly tank-busting A-10 Thunderbolt IIs.

Hundreds of C-5s are stored here. For scale, a diminutive T-37 “Tweet” is parked next to the Celebrity Row Galaxy. After the bus passed acres of C-5s, followed by KC-135s, C-130s, HH-60s, and S-3-Vikings, the massive YAL-1 Airborne Laser—a Boeing 747-400 airframe fitted with a high-powered laser capable of downing an incoming missile—came into view. The YAL-1 sits forlorn, engineless and headed for scrap.

Soon it was time to turn around and head back to Pima, and Ratledge passed the return trip with an intercom quiz about aircraft and World War II history. (Ian shot his hand up to answer after nearly every question.)

If you’re near Tucson, don’t miss Pima or the Boneyard tour. Next stop on our tour: the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, where we’ve got space-available military lodging reservations.

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John Sotham | READ MORE

A former associate editor of Air & Space , John Sotham is a hopelessly nearsighted frequent flyer, with thousands of hours logged in exit rows worldwide. He is a retired U.S. Air Force Reserve colonel and a former crew chief on the F-4D Phantom II and A-10A “Warthog.” He started collecting aviation books when he was eight years old. Any opinions expressed are solely the author’s.

Pinal County Airpark (MZJ) in Arizona

The Pinal County Airpark , located in Marana, Arizona, northwest of Tucson, is a county-owned airport just north of the Pinal/Pima county line along Interstate 10. It was originally known Marana Army Air Field .

On the grounds of the airport are a variety of tenants, both private sector and government.

One primary function is serving as a "boneyard" for civilian commercial aircraft as well as airliner storage, reconfiguration, and reclamation. Out-of-service airliners are stored there since the dry, low humidity of the Sonoran desert provides an ideal storage environment.

We have visited Pinal on several occasions over the years.

About the Pinal County Airpark

The Pinal County Airport Economic Development Department is responsible for the development and management of two airports in the County. San Manuel Airport is a General Aviation Airport that is located in the town of San Manuel. Pinal Airpark is a reliever airport whose main tenant s perform A&P service on aircraft for a multitude of customers, as well as aircraft storage.

The airpark covers an area of 2,080 acres, and sits at an elevation of 1,893 feet above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 12/30 with an asphalt surface measuring 6,849 by 150 feet.

The Airpark is open to the public. However, there are though two distinct sides to the airport just like most others. The Airside which is the side where the planes are parked, the runway, and other areas that are dangerous or off limits for security reasons, and the Landside which is generally accessible to anyone.

The Pinal Airpark has limited availability for tours. Please contact Christina M. Martinez at (520) 866-6448 or email [email protected] for information/tour questions.

Regarding photography: If you are on the public side, photography is permitted. If you are on the Airside of the Airpark being escorted or on a tour you are asked not to, unless you are told you may. The reason is that many planes are missing engines or other recognizable parts, and some of the owners or operators of those aircraft have asked that people not take pictures because the planes are not in a good condition. It is asked that people respect the wishes of those owners and operators.

For more information, visit the website of the Pinal County Airpark , or contact Jim Petty, the Economic Development Director for the airport, at 520.866.6545.

Pinal Airpark Location, Driving Directions and Access

Pinal Airpark lies between Tucson and Phoenix, and can be reached via I-10 Exit 232 onto the Pinal Airpark Road ... the gate area is about 3 miles west of Interstate 10.

When we last visited Pinal, dozens of airliners were parked at various locations around the airpark.

While the airpark was previously not accessible by the general public, the entrance gate and guard house have now been removed and several roads are open and drivable. Airliners can be seen from these roads, some close-up, others at a distance.

As always, we recommend obeying all warning signs and avoiding restricted areas.

Aerial View of the Pinal Airpark

The last boeing 747 from delta air lines arrives at pinal in 2018.

Pinal Airpark was in the news in early 2018, with the arrival of the last Boeing 747 from Delta Air Lines. (see videos below on this page covering the final flight, and final flyover at Marana) .

It joined other 747s and airliners from Delta and a variety of other airlines for storage and reclamation. About 38 Delta airliners are parked at Pinal, including most of Delta’s fleet of retired Boeing 747s.

Airliner Storage at Pinal Airpark During the COVID-19 Outbreak in 2020 and 2021

The Airpark experienced significant storage activity in 2020 and 2021. Most have now returned to active service.

Grounded airliners in storage

Ascent Aviation Services

Ascent Aviation Services offers secured ramp and storage area for all sizes of aircraft at the Pinal Airpark.

The company is a Class IV 14 CFR Part 145 certified repair station specializing in every aspect of aircraft maintenance for the service life of an airline's fleet. It maintains narrow and wide body, small to large, regional to long-haul aircraft and one of the largest storage and reclamation operations in the world.

It features nearly 500 acres of secure storage for aircraft in Arizona’s ideal dry climate. This includes short and long-term storage and ramp capacity for over 400 aircraft.

The company also provides heavy maintenance services, as well as reclamation services ranging from basic component removal to complete airframe teardown and disposal.

For more information, visit the Ascent Aviation Services or phone 520.682.4181. It is physically located at 24641 Pinal Airpark Road, Marana, AZ 85653. The company also has operations at Tucson International Airport.

JetYard LLC JetYard LLC is a FAA 145 Repair Station #7QAR515C at Pinal, providing complete aircraft storage and parking along with part-out and disassembly services. These services can also include demolition and recycling for aging aircraft and engines. Jet Yard can disassemble, part-out and recycle all commercial and military aircraft manufactured by Boeing, Airbus, McDonnell Douglas, Bombardier, Embraer, Lockheed Martin and others. Jet Yard has an inventory of aircraft parts for sale. These parts have been harvested from aircraft or engines that Jet Yard has purchased. All parts have been removed and tagged by experienced FAA licensed Airframe and Powerplant Technicians. Jet Yard will also source parts to facilitate customer needs. The company's storage facility is located at 85233 E. Pinal Airpark Road, Suite 100, Marana, AZ 85653. Phone 952.224.2424. More Information about the Pinal Airpark

For more information, we recommend you contact the airpark and/or tenant companies and government agencies for current information on access and possible tours.

A great starting point is the website of the Pinal County Airpark , or Jim Petty, the Economic Development Director for the airport, at 520.866.6545.

See interactive map below for driving directions to the Pinal Airpark.

Photos of the Pinal County Airpark

Youtube video of pinal airpark in marana, arizona (may 2015).

Delta Retires Last 747 to Pinal Airpark (WYFF, January 2018)

Delta Boeing 747 flyover at Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona (January 2018)

Interactive Map of Pinal Air Park area in Arizona

Pinal Airpark in the News

Map of locations of active and post-WWII airplane boneyards and plane storage facilities in the United States & worldwide

The impact of world war ii on marana.

With the beginning of World War II, the War Department had to quickly mobilize its air forces, and train its airmen. The prime areas selected for new training airfields were the deserts of the southwestern United States, which offered wide-open spaces and year-round flying conditions.

Nearly 200 airfields and air strips were built in the southwest, from West Texas to Southern California. More than 60 airfields and strips were built in Arizona alone between 1942 and 1944, the majority in central and southern Arizona.

The impact of the rising tide of military air power came quickly to Marana. Among the dozens of bases built by the War Department in Arizona from 1942 to 1944 as part of that immense mobilization was a dusty airfield just south of Picacho Peak.

In 1942, the U.S. Government bought about 3.5 square miles of the old Aguirre Ranch southwest of Red Rock for construction of an air base.

The air field was built in 1942 by the Sundt & Del Webb Construction Companies in just three months. The construction transformed what was mostly farmland surrounded by desert into a bustling Army airfield, with a "lean-to" kitchen and small shacks with screenless windows. By 1943, the base was in full operation.

The base was originally known as Marana Army Air Field , and was under the command of the 389th Army Air Force Base Unit, AAF West Coast Training Center. Its prime function was a pilot training base, and conducted basic flight training & the training of transport pilots in instrument flying and navigation.

The Marana AAF became the largest pilot-training center in the world during WWII, training over 10,000 flyers. To serve the nearby military facility, the highway from Tucson to Casa Grande was improved and soon became the major road through the Marana area. A German and Italian prisoner-of-war camp was also built northwest of Marana, and the prisoners helped harvest crops.

In addition to the main Marana air field, there also were several satellite fields used for landing and takeoff training:

• Picacho Auxiliary
• Rillito Auxiliary (today, the Marana Regional Airport )
• Coronado or the Red Rock Auxiliary
• Avra Auxiliary
• Sahuaro Auxiliary (today, the El Tiro Gliderport)

Marana Army Air Field in the Post-WWII Years

The Marana Army Air Field became the largest pilot-training center in the world during WWII, training over 10,000 flyers.

The field was closed after World War II and in 1948 Pinal County took possession of the property. From 1948-51, Pinal County leased the property to multiple tenants, and from 1951–56, Marana was reused as a contractor-operated USAF flying school, operated by Darr Aeronautical Technical Company.

During the Vietnam War, the airfield was dominated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and used as one of the Agency's primary facilities for global covert air operations. A number of CIA false "front" aviation companies operated there, including Intermountain Airlines. "Air America" had its roots at Marana.

In 1979 Evergreen International Aviation , a provider of passenger and cargo services, took over the facility lease. Three years later, in 1982, Evergreen Air Center opened its doors offering maintenance, initially on Evergreen’s fleet.

The last of the small Beechcraft Starship fleet was built in 1995, and by 2003 Beechcraft had decided that supporting a small fleet of airplanes was cost-prohibitive. Raytheon Aircraft thus began scrapping and incinerating the aircraft, with Pinal Airpark chosen as the locale for the work. Several Starships still survive today, some in airworthy condition.

Western Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (WAATS)

Just north of the airpark is the Western Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (WAATS) located at the Silverbell Army Heliport Marana . Co-located at the heliport is the 1st/285th Apache Helicopter Attack Battalion, a unit of the Arizona Army National Guard. The site is used for Apache (ARNG AH-64) helicopter training and military combat training operations.

The WAATS is the premier training site for attack and aero-scout helicopter training for the Army National Guard. The training site also serves both active duty and National Guard aviators with simulation support, utilizing the AH-1 Flight Weapons Simulator or the AH-64 Combat Mission Simulator.

Parachute Training and Testing Facility

Pinal Airpark also hosts the U.S. Special Operations Command's Parachute Training and Testing Facility . In 1992, United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) bought 480 acres of Airpark land in the southwest corner of the leased property for $1,000,000. The acquired property includes the use of the Airpark runway.

Marana Regional Airport (AVQ)

Another airport in the area is Marana Regional Airport (AVQ), purchased by the Town in 1999 from Pima County. It is classified as a general aviation reliever airport for Tucson International.

It is located approximately 15 nautical miles northwest of Tucson and is 5 miles west of Interstate 10 on Avra Valley Road. The airport is home to more than 310 based aircraft and had more than 110,000 takeoffs and landings in 2010. The airport's main runway is 6,900 feet and the crosswind runway is 3,900 feet.

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