AMARG - Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, USA - 26/01/2009

Currently the only way to see the 309th Aerospace Maintenance And Regeneration Group (AMARG) from the inside is to pay the $7 per head and take the Pima Air & Space Museum bus tour.

If nothing else it gives you a chance to start to appreciate the enormity of the facility and marvel at the sheer numbers of aircraft present. According to our guide that figure currently totals more than 4400!

Our bus was pretty full and not really knowing what to expect, Glenn and myself sat on the left hand side of the vehicle, while Shaggie sat on the right. It's fair to say that there are gems on both sides, but undoubtedly the light's better (at least at 10am - the time we did it) and the opportunities more plentiful on the right hand side. So much so that we actually took the tour again later in the week, swapping sides to do so.

While you do get driven around a decent chunk of the facility, the main focus is on two rows of aircraft, one on each side of the bus, known affectionately as "Celebrity Row". At least one example of most of the types in storage at AMARG is present here, with many of the specific examples used of some significance or other. The bus stops at almost every aircraft to allow you to take pictures and so the guide can give you some background on what you're looking at.

Between the gaps in Celebrity Row you can grab the odd snapshot of the rows and rows of aircraft in the background.

After Celebrity Row the tour continues at a brisk pace through some of the other storage areas.

Across the bridge, on the other side of Kolb Rd is yet another storage area. I think I'm right in saying that none of the aircraft over there will ever be returned to flight. Typically these are frames that have had more than their fair share of parts removed.

At the end of this track a U-turn is performed, allowing the stuff on the other side of the bus to be seen in this area.

Perhaps closest to the main gate are the ramps where aircraft are both prepared for storage, and for the lucky ones going the other way, prepared for a return to flight. According to our guide, the general rule of thumb is that for any aircraft in storage at AMARG, and that's undergone the regular 4-year engine runs, it should be possible to return it to service in a period of 60 days. That's quite remarkable.

AMARG's one of those things that an aviation enthusiast simply has to experience at some point in their lives.

It was (in the main) nowhere near as sombre experience as I thought it might be. Much emphasis is placed on the Regeneration aspect of things, with 25% of the aircraft present expected to return to the skies at some point, be that with the US armed forces, or with other friendly Air Arms. It's said that for every $1 of tax money that's spent on the facility, $10 of revenue in generated in return, be that in terms of savings, spares recovery and sale, or sale of airframes overseas. A quite remarkable place.