[AIR] AMARG, Davis Monthan AFB, AZ

I had a golden opportunity to tour the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (309 AMARG) last Friday while on a trip to see family in Tucson. I was based here for four years in the late 80's but never had the opportunity to do this. Our escort drove us around for two hours in 105 degree heat while I took a few hundred photos. Unfortunately I couldn't pick the time and was given a 2PM start time. Not the greatest for lighting or temperature, but using a CPL I think these came out pretty well. I'll be making more visits to the boneyard now that I have a contact.

Comments are welcome, and I have more to post if asked.

My favorite tail number to fly from the 67th SOS, MC-130P Combat Shadow

I'd love to be able to own my very own C-130!!

FotoPilot wrote in post #16071950
Comments are welcome, and I have more to post if asked.

some lovely shots there - must be very strange wandering around such a place!

more please if you don't mind....

So much history there! Man, what a place. Well captured, I'd love to see more.

Thank you for the comments. Yes, it was extremely strange seeing planes I used to fly with names of friends on them. I have mostly Herk shots to post and will try to get them online within the next couple of days.

how much of the joint do you get to see during a tour?

i like the C-130 but am more of a SAC/TAC guy and would love to see more of the carcasses of former glory airframes, should i ever get out there...

LBaldwin wrote in post #16071958
I'd love to be able to own my very own C-130!!

Me to, would be a pretty cool private aircraft!! Great shots too.

Ltdave wrote in post #16073266
how much of the joint do you get to see during a tour?

i like the C-130 but am more of a SAC/TAC guy and would love to see more of the carcasses of former glory airframes, should i ever get out there...

Pima Air & Space museum has a tour twice a day from their location but it's strictly on the bus and only about 10-20% of the boneyard. I'm retired USAF and have a contact there who drove us anywhere we wanted for two hours and we walked around to get different angles. Could have spent all day there but the other friend had to get back to work. I'll get more opportunities in the future.

I flew Herks for 12 years so I focused on them this time but I do have a few fast movers from this trip and some sliced up bombers.

Yes, a Herk would be the ultimate RV and is a blast flying at low-level. Would be fun, but they're still extremely difficult to buy with all the government red tape.

Nice pics! More please! I believe the F-4s are the GAF jets that trained the Luftwaffe at Holloman AFB.

are there any tomcats still there?

Not very often do you get the opportunity to see things 'up close and personal' - thanks for sharing these, and please post more.
It boggles the mind to think how many US $$$$$$$$$ were spent on these aluminum relics, to build them, to keep them airworthy and flying, and now to store and salvage them. I doubt there are many here who could indeed afford to keep a 'Herc' as a personal pet !! LOL

Cool pics, thanks for sharing. The pic of the F4's makes me want the ability to poo money so I could buy/restore/fly one.

mhm2526 wrote in post #16074059
Nice pics! More please! I believe the F-4s are the GAF jets that trained the Luftwaffe at Holloman AFB.

Yes they are, you are correct.

UK_Tomcat_Fan wrote in post #16074496
are there any tomcats still there?

I missed seeing any on "Celebrity Row", but there is supposed to be one there. I saw two scraps, but didn't take any pics because we were running late and they were behind a fence. Most have been destroyed so the parts do not go to a foreign country (Bet you can guess the country)

Didn't know they were retiring Combat Shadows. I was in the 352nd SOG. What are they replacing them with?