AMARG
America’s Military Aircraft Boneyard

Speciality Press

Reviewed by Al Bowie

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If you are a fan of military aviation then it is almost certain that you will be aware of the famed US boneyard where old (and current) military and civilian aircraft go to die or be held in long term storage. 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) is located adjacent to the Davis Monthan AFB in Arizona and is the subject of this latest title from Specialty Press.

Similar to the older Osprey Superbase series but in a full A4 landscape format this book is packed full of photos in colour and black & white of fleets long gone, just retired or in long term storage. Not only have the Authors provided a brilliant photo history but backed it up with a thoroughly researched history and description of the “Boneyard” and its purpose.

The book covers a great deal in its 140 pages and is presented in four solid chapters supported by a Bibliography and Appendix as follows:

About the Authors

Introduction

1. Developing a Strategic Aircraft Reserve
2. Aircraft Storage and Disposal
3. Along the Storage Rows
4. Scrapping the Big Fleets

Appendix

• Inventory of Aircraft type (2009)
• Boneyard Tours and the Pima Air & Space Museum

Bibliography & Recommended Reading

The Author examines this amazing facility from its inception as a strategic reserve at the end of the second world war and progress the reader through the process for storage and disposal to a pictorial record of what is and has been stored and disposed there. They close it with the saddest part to this reviewer – the disposal of the big Fleets. There is something awe inspiring about B-36s parked as far as the eye can see and some sad about cannibalised or cutup hulks of once proud cold war warriors such as the B 52s and the larger transports such as the C-5.

This is a title that will find equal appeal amongst modellers, historians and aviation enthusiasts everywhere. It is a fascinating study and the photographs are diverse and representative of the collections that have been and are currently stored. The reader will come away from this title with a thorough understanding of how the US military stores and disposes of it’s vast fleets of aircraft and it gives an idea of the scope and awesome size of the various Cold War Fleets that were once the front line of the US military’s deterrent.

Again I find myself  highly recommend another Specialty Press title.

The book may be ordered calling Speciality Press at 1-800-895-4585 or at their website Speciality Press

Thanks to Speciality Press for the review sample