Tag Archives: stored

Pinal Jets

During the Arizona trip, Mark and I swung by Pinal Airpark in Marana to see what was stored on the airfield. There are aircraft that are operational here and some come in for maintenance but there are also a lot that are stored, either indefinitely or until the demand for them returns. Lots of the older types are ones that you know will not be going anywhere again. The 777s and A330s do have a good chance of finding another use. There were a ton of American Eagle EMB145s lined up near the fence. Not sure what will happen to them. The smaller regional jets are not so popular at this point, but they could find a role at some point.

All planes cease to be of use at some point. It is a bit sad to see them when that time comes but they may well contribute parts to those that remain so that is a plus. Additionally, it is interesting to see such a wide variety of different operators represented in the collection of planes stored. Some of them have replaced the jets with something newer and better while others failed as airlines and the planes became surplus. It is a change from seeing the same operators all the time.

S-2 Airframes Lined Up in the Evening Light

Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson is well known as the storage location for hundreds/thousands of airframes that may either return to service or may provide spare parts for airframes still in service.  Just outside the perimeter of the base are some privately owned facilities that also have a lot of old airframes.  Whether they will provide parts to support operations somewhere or will ultimately just become scrap metal, I don’t know. One of these facilities has an extensive collection of S-2 airframes.  They are lined up in rows and, as the evening light came in, they looked particularly interesting.  A longer lens allowed some compression of the perspective for these aircraft and their bare metal picked up the light nicely.  I imagine none of these will ever be flying again but I hope they survive for a long time.

How Long Since This S-61 Flew?

On the trip the guys made to see the Martin Mars fly, we stopped by Victoria International Airport on Vancouver Island.  Round the back of the field, there were two S-61 airframes sitting doing nothing in particular.  One was in the markings of British International Helicopters.  It has been a very long time since I last heard of that operation.  Apparently, the company has gone through various incarnations over the years.  It did operate scheduled flights to the Scilly Isles off Cornwall with S-61s so maybe this airframe came from that service.  Has it been sitting here ever since?

A-4 and F-8 Airframes Aren’t Going Anywhere

Arizona is packed with old airframes.  You can go to any number of airports and find some old military aircraft stacked up in spare locations.  Marana Regional Airport is a great example.  Wander along the fence of the airport by the road and you come across a bunch of A-4 Skyhawks and F-8 Crusaders tucked away.  The weather is ideal for preserving an airframe and they look like they are in great condition.  No idea what state they were in when they arrived and what bits are missing but they do look like they could be so close to being useful even if they are really never going to move again.  Oh to see a Crusader or two back in action.

Elwha Looks Rough in Storage

After a trip out one weekend, we were heading home and waiting for the ferry at Kingston.  We had a bit of time before our ferry was due in, so I was stretching my legs around the terminal.  To one side of the main loading ramps, an old ferry was in storage.  This is the Elwha.  Apparently, after a large amount of corrosion issues were identified, it was decided to retire the ferry rather than repair it.  It was laid up in Kingston and I don’t know what the future holds for it.

I think it must have been sitting there for a while now.  The name has been painted over but far more conspicuously, the sides of the ship are looking really scruffy.  One end of the upper superstructure must be in the shade most of the time as it has developed a lot of lichen growth.  It looks like it could have quite an ecosystem developing there.  I imagine there will be a plan for disposal at some point but, until that time, I wonder just how it will end up looking.

End of the Line at Abbotsford

My first trip to Abbotsford for the airshow got me there pretty early.  I was hanging around prior to meeting up with my friend and I saw a couple of old S-2 Trackers that were sitting in a field.  These were clearly waterbombers in days gone by but they have reached the end of the road as far as their flying career is concerned.  I understand that they were due to be heading off soon.  I was glad to see them before they went.  Seeing them flying would have been better of course.

Bulgarian L39

I was doing a favor for a guy I know back from Chicago.  He is researching Bulgarian aircraft that have found their way to the US and one of the planes he was interested in is an L39 Albatros that lives up at not too far from me.  I went up to meet with the owner and get copies of the aircraft documentation.  When I was done, he offered to take me to have a look at the plane in his hangar.  It is a lovely looking jet.  It was in amongst a bunch of other stuff in the hangar which made getting nice shots of it a little tricky, but it was still good to get shots of it.

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.

Phantoms in Pieces

When I was first into aviation, the Phantom was everywhere.  It was operated by numerous air forces and the RAF had tons of them (including some that had cascaded from the Royal Navy).  At all of my early air shows, there would be Phantoms on static and part of the flying display.  While they had started their RAF career in the strike and ground attack role, by this time they were purely used for air defense.

With the end of the Cold War, the RAF reduced in size and the Phantoms were withdrawn from service far faster than had originally been anticipated.  It wasn’t long before they were all gone.  A bunch ended up in museums and the rest were cut up.  As I was exploring Kemble’s airfield – Cotswold Airport to give it its proper name – I was surprised to come across a bunch of bits of Phantoms alongside the road.  A pair of fuselages including one of a Boscombe test jet that I had a kit of as a kid, some wings, fins and tail planes.  It was all just sitting there so I grabbed a few shots.  I have heard since that the airport was pressuring the owners to cover it all properly and I think it all went under cover shortly after I was there.  A lucky break for me, I guess.

What A Difference A Few Minutes Makes

Paine Field is getting rather full of spare 777X airframes.  They are getting stored in all sorts of locations and a recent spot for them is alongside the main assembly building at the north end of the field.  I was using the long lens and so, rather than change lenses, I shot a few images to make a pano.  It was a little dull but more of a record shot.  A few minutes passed by the the clouds behind me had moved on and the light on the airframes had improved significantly.  I reshot the scene before it changed again.  Looking at the two shots, it is hard to believe that they were only a few minutes apart.  What an impact a change in lighting can bring to a shot.