Davis-Monthan Air Base

If you look real hard you'll see the tower. Look even harder and you'll see POA's Timbeck barking orders with a big coffee cup in his hand. Look hard, real hard.
 
I know some Army pilots that taxied a flight of Apaches onto the runway in front of 2 A-10s on final there. Got their pee pees smacked on that one.
 
Velocity173 said:
I know some Army pilots that taxied a flight of Apaches onto the runway in front of 2 A-10s on final there. Got their pee pees smacked on that one.
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Lucky the 10s didn't open up on their arses!

 
Pilawt said:
Go to the Pima Air Museum, just outside DM, and take the bus tour through the boneyard. http://www.pimaair.org/tour-boneyard
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Was just there last month, and toured both the Pima museum and the boneyard.

They have limited space for the boneyard tours, and they book up fast. There's no reservations, so you need to get to the Air Museum early to obtain one of the seats on the boneyard tour busses.

There are some limitations on the boneyard tour due to security, such as prohibitions against bringing backpacks or camera bags along (there are lockers at the museum). You are not allowed off the bus at the boneyard, so any pictures have to be taken through the windows. They check IDs, so if you're non-US, you'll need your passport. Also, people from states that don't comply with the "Real ID" driver's license rules will need an alternate photo ID.

I was glad I went on the boneyard tour, but non-aviation spouses might find it very boring. They have a special display area where a batch of significant airplanes sit, but otherwise it's just acres of intact and partially-disassembled aircraft from the ~'60s on.

Ron Wanttaja
 
Neil Rubin said:
If you have time, I'd also really recommend the nearby Titan Missile Museum (http://www.titanmissilemuseum.org). Tour a real Titan ICBM silo.
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The TItan Museum and the Pima Air Museum share a director. Yvonne was actually one of the missile officers back in the day (missiles were one of the few MOAs with advancement opportunities for women back in that time period). Neat having her explain things.
 
I've been to the Pima Air Museum but unfortunately was unable to do the boneyard tour. The museum was pretty darn cool.
 
mscard88 said:
If you look real hard you'll see the tower. Look even harder and you'll see POA's Timbeck barking orders with a big coffee cup in his hand. Look hard, real hard.
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I'm about another half inch off the screen from the top right corner of that picture but instead of barking orders, I'm probably on this here forum. ;)
 
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ejensen said:
You can ask ATC for a fly-over.
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Oh you can ask alright...

But if the wing is flying, you can't get any lower than 5,600'. We have one guy (who I know) that makes money flying British tail watchers over the bone yard. We've tolerated it even though we aren't allowed to let civil aircraft loiter over the bone yard ever since 9-11 but he's caused two, too close for comfort complaints in the last month so we're taking steps to pull the plug on anyone over the bone yard. Just passing through? No problem but anything more than a 180 degree turn and I'm sending up the F-16s. ;)
 
Velocity173 said:
I know some Army pilots that taxied a flight of Apaches onto the runway in front of 2 A-10s on final there. Got their pee pees smacked on that one.
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Don't remember that one so it must not have happened on my shift.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Don't remember that one so it must not have happened on my shift.
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I was told 4 UH-60s and 2 AH-64s. Lead (UH-60) confused "taxi to" with taxi onto the runway. Apache pilot who told me the story said they tried to call them on internal but it was too late. A-10s did a go around, tower chewed out the 60 pilots.

Don't know what punishment was dealt on the Army end. Usually these things result in PIC suspension.
 
Look mid left, above the small black strip known to us as the HTA or helicopter training area and you'll see my office. This is an old picture as the road has been redirected and there is a huge solar panel array there.

davis-monthan-air-force-base-tucson-aerial-view.jpg
 
Velocity173 said:
I was told 4 UH-60s and 2 AH-64s. Lead (UH-60) confused "taxi to" with taxi onto the runway. Apache pilot who told me the story said they tried to call them on internal but it was too late. A-10s did a go around, tower chewed out the 60 pilots.

Don't know what punishment was dealt on the Army end. Usually these things result in PIC suspension.
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I seriously doubt anything happened to them other than the chewing if they kept their mouths shut.
 
wanttaja said:
Was just there last month, and toured both the Pima museum and the boneyard.
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Hey, I was there last month too, on 4/27. Photos: https://goo.gl/photos/DVqrXhGQpQkM9Aju5

I enjoyed seeing the McCulloch J-2 (N4309G) in the museum, the first one I've seen since I flew them (N4301G, N4303G) in 1971. I missed getting a photo of the C-47 in the museum (USAAF s/n 41-7723), which is the second C-47 ever built and the second airframe to come out of the Douglas Long Beach plant. The C-47/DC-3 I flew as FO in 1972 was only seven serial numbers down the line from that one.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Water Ninja, why didn't you ask for a personal tower tour? I would have been honored.
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I have a reputation to uphold. :)

Besides, didn't know you were there. It's an annual trip for me, maybe next time.
Pilawt said:
Hey, I was there last month too, on 4/27. Photos: https://goo.gl/photos/DVqrXhGQpQkM9Aju5

I enjoyed seeing the McCulloch J-2 (N4309G) in the museum, the first one I've seen since I flew them (N4301G, N4303G) in 1971. I missed getting a photo of the C-47 in the museum (USAAF s/n 41-7723), which is the second C-47 ever built and the second airframe to come out of the Douglas Long Beach plant. The C-47/DC-3 I flew as FO in 1972 was only seven serial numbers down the line from that one.
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I think my favorite was the brand-new diorama featuring their Canso:
canso.jpg

Pretty impressive, putting a big amphibian like that on a simulated water surface.

One of the neatest things that happened to me was due to my new Fly Baby shirt, which features N500F, the original Fly Baby. When I walked into one of the buildings, a docent came up to me, pointed at the image, and said, "I used to fly that very airplane."

And of course, so did I.

Anyway, the guy was originally from Seattle, knew Pete Bowers, and we bounced the names of a number of joint acquaintances. He'd move to Tucson when he retired.

Ron Wanttaja
 
I spent a few years walking those flightlines and got some very up close and personal tours in the Boneyard. Such an awesome thing to see. While I was stationed there they started doing an annual "Boneyard 5K" for base personnel which let you run through the planes (on a guided path, at least). But seeing as I didn't have my pilot's license back then I only enjoyed the aerial view from a window seat coming into Tucson. I can't wait to get back out there and fly around it on my own!
 
Timbeck2 said:
Oh you can ask alright...

But if the wing is flying, you can't get any lower than 5,600'. We have one guy (who I know) that makes money flying British tail watchers over the bone yard. We've tolerated it even though we aren't allowed to let civil aircraft loiter over the bone yard ever since 9-11 but he's caused two, too close for comfort complaints in the last month so we're taking steps to pull the plug on anyone over the bone yard. Just passing through? No problem but anything more than a 180 degree turn and I'm sending up the F-16s. ;)
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Gotcha. I'm usually heading NE and if things are quiet I get turned very soon over DM
 
wanttaja said:
Also, people from states that don't comply with the "Real ID" driver's license rules will need an alternate photo ID.



Ron Wanttaja
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I've been wanting to do this tour, but now I'm wondering. AZ is not a Real ID state. Our driver's licenses read "NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION" in red letters. I wonder if I would need to bring my passport, even as an AZ resident?
 
ragedracer1977 said:
I've been wanting to do this tour, but now I'm wondering. AZ is not a Real ID state. Our driver's licenses read "NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION" in red letters. I wonder if I would need to bring my passport, even as an AZ resident?
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I suspect that's not the case. I've heard that most military bases won't take the non-compliant IDs any more, there wasn't anybody being hassled where we bought the tickets for the tour.

Ron Wanttaja
 
ragedracer1977 said:
I've been wanting to do this tour, but now I'm wondering. AZ is not a Real ID state. Our driver's licenses read "NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION" in red letters. I wonder if I would need to bring my passport, even as an AZ resident?
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On 4/27/2017 my AZ drivers license was sufficient for the AMARG (boneyard) tour. However, things may have changed in the interim. The AMARG page of the Pima museum website has this, in bold red type:

EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 2017 ADDITIONAL SECURITY PROCEDURES WILL BE IN EFFECT IN ORDER FOR QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS TO TAKE THE AEROSPACE MAINTENANCE AND REGENERATION GROUP (AMARG) / BONEYARD TOUR. FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS AND INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 520.574.0462.​

Might be worth a phone call.
 
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