Tag Archives: scrap

End of the Line for These Jets

I have posted a few shots of preserved aircraft at Kemble, but Cotswold Airport is the end of the line for a lot of planes in a far less graceful way.  It is the base for disassembly of airframes that have reached the end of their operational lives.  A jet doesn’t have to be that old to have greater value in its parts than as an operational aircraft.  If a major check is coming up and it isn’t worth that much post check, it might be worth it to the owner to have it broken down for spares.  As airframes get older, this decision is more obvious.

Kemble is the location where a lot of this happens.  From the airfield or from the road that passes by, you can see a line up of aircraft that are unlikely to ever fly again.  They will be progressively stripped of their most valuable parts.  They may hang around like this for a long time with bits being gradually taken off as they are demanded by other operators.  Eventually, there will be little left of value and the scrap metal will become the most valuable thing that they have to offer.  Then they will be cut up.  It is a safe process for an aviation enthusiast but a normal part of the life cycle of an aircraft.  If you are in the area, head by to see what is there.

Breaking up the Wreck

AE7I4290.jpgA little while ago I posted a picture of a sailing boat that had wrecked on the breakwater at the marina on Coyote Point.  The next time I was back there, I guess I had timed things well.  The boat had been pulled ashore and a guy was busy breaking it up.  He used the front scoop of a backhoe to break the hull up.  Obviously it was beyond rescue.  He would pull sections off and then drop them in a dumpster.  As he broke it up, more of the interior would be visible.  The fiberglass is quite flexible so he had to work to actually break it sometimes.  However, there was only going to be one winner in this contest.

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More Tucson Exploration

While the majority of my time at Tucson International was spent chasing F-16s, there is a lot more going on at the airfield.  This part of the world is popular for aircraft storage as a result of the dry conditions that don’t encourage corrosion.  The reason that Davis Monthan AFB has the boneyard is because of this and Marana is just up the road and also stores lots of aircraft.

Tucson seems to have a few things stored but there seems to be more of a focus on reworking aircraft that have left an operator or breaking down planes for parts.  Over on the southwest side of the field seem to be a bunch of planes so I drove over to take a look and see what I could find.

There are quite a few aircraft in various states over there.  A bunch of ex-Southwest 737s seemed to be going through the process of rework.  Whether they are going back to the fleet or heading off to pastures new I don’t know.  I also came across the fuselage of an MD-80 which appears to have been part of a U2 tour prior to its demise.  I particularly liked an L-1011 TriStar that was on one ramp.  I assumed it was disused but it does appear to be in better shape than something that hasn’t flown for a long time.  Who knows.  They are a rare beast these days so let’s hope it is still flying occasionally.