The 'Boneyard' Outside of Tucson, Arizona is a US Air Force Graveyard: Some Old Bombers Like the B-1B Lancer Get 'Reborn'

The aircraft “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base covers about 2,600 acres and normally holds roughly 3,200 aircraft, along with thousands of engines and a large supply of specialized equipment. The facility, officially called the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, stores, preserves and recovers aircraft for the Defense Department.

A March 2025 inventory listed 3,247 aircraft from 177 model groups. The collection includes fighters, bombers, tankers, transports, helicopters and surveillance aircraft operated by the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Coast Guard, NASA and foreign governments. The inventory changes as aircraft are moved to museums, stripped for parts, converted into drones or returned to service.

Tucson’s dry climate and hard caliche soil make the area useful for long-term storage. Crews protect the aircraft by draining fuel, applying preservative oil, cleaning them and sealing openings from moisture, dust and wildlife. A protective coating also helps keep the aircraft cooler. Storage methods vary depending on whether an aircraft is being preserved for possible future use, held for parts or awaiting disposal.

Some aircraft do fly again. B-1B Lancer 86-0115, retired in 2021, was removed from storage, rebuilt at Tinker Air Force Base and returned to Dyess Air Force Base in April 2026 as “Apocalypse II.” Other examples include B-1B “Lancelot” and B-52 bombers that returned to service after years in storage. The facility also supplies parts, supports research projects and has helped prepare retired fighters for conversion into aerial targets.