RIP: AMARG Tours

[Nighthawk237]

Sad new from Arizona it appears:

https://pimaair.org/plan-your-visit/available-tours/

Make of it what you will but I would guess once it has gone it won't return. I am just surprised that they put it down to Man-Power but what do I know?

P.

[Freeman Lowell]

I am just surprised that they put it down to Man-Power but what do I know?

Back in November Pima were citing the reason as 'changes in the policies of the USAF Security Forces'

Freeman

[Proteus]

I amin Tucson at the moment and got a 2 week pass today, as we were driving on DM I/we were sure we saw a large part of a B36 wing. Does anyone here know if it is part of a Peacemaker wing please?

[iainpeden]

If you could give us an idea where it s in the boneyard a google earth search may be fruitful.

[IanM]

What you might have seen was the wing of a XC-99, the transport aircraft developed from the B-36. It used to be in external store at Kelly AFB until it was dismantled. I believe parts of the aircraft are stored at DM.

Ian

[Proteus]

Thanks for the answers, I have a picture but not sure of how to upload it, it is right beside a road that bisects the base,the xc99 seems likely.

[Proteus]

Ok hopefully if I’ve done flicker correctly the 4 pictures are here…… https://www.flickr.com/photos/196683370@N05/?

[iainpeden]

If you google for images of the XC-99 they show that fuselage and those wings so you were nearly right.
Off to google earth for a look now.

[Proteus]

thanks for the answers chaps.

[Aircmdr]

Is there any news on these tours reopening? Group of us going out in September, we were gutted to hear they had stopped them.

[iainpeden]

The USN museum at Pensacola has just reopened, or will soon, to the general public; it had been shut because of covid then only reopened to service personnel and families and friends. So a change of general restrictions might be underway.
I would get in touch with the museum at Pima to ask your question and also contact public relations at D-M to ask if tours can be arranged- you never know until you ask.

[Precinct7]

Pensacola museum closed to "" Aliens " after a foreign student shot & killed personal on base
that was in December 2019 before Covid

[EAGLE]

The USN museum at Pensacola has just reopened, or will soon, to the general public; it had been shut because of covid then only reopened to service personnel and families and friends. So a change of general restrictions might be underway.
I would get in touch with the museum at Pima to ask your question and also contact public relations at D-M to ask if tours can be arranged- you never know until you ask.

It was closed to the public since the 2019 Terrorist Attack on base.

[Aircmdr]

I will get the group leader to fire an email off to both Pima and D-M Public Relations, worth a try

[KevinJ]

Would be nice if you could post any response to your request on here as well, to give other potential visitors some idea of their current attitude.

[Aircmdr]

Yeah will do, unfortunately alot of the places we have contacted have rejected base tours due to new security policies, we have had a couple of hopeful replies but we not keeping hopes up, If we hear anything I will let you know

[cargomaster133uk]

Any update ?

[plmc135]

Any update ?

A quick look at Pima website would reveal the following statement:-

NOTICE: the bus tours to Davis-Monthan AFB of the 309th AMARG (AKA “The Boneyard”) have permanently ended. This tour is no longer offered and will not be coming back due to changes in U.S. Air Force security considerations

[cargomaster133uk]

Thanks

[SuperPole]

With regards to the tours, I was out in the area not that long ago and visited Pima. I spoke with some of the volunteers at the museum and another reason that the tours have come to an end is that there were not enough volunteers left willing to take groups around, as in the past most of the people taking the groups around had been ex AMARG staff who had retired, as they still had the necessary security clearance and also had a good knowledge of the site when taking groups around.
It looks like it will be back to walking around the fence areas and overflights again. I'm just glad I managed a number of tours in the 1980s and 1990s, when they actually used to let you off the bus and go up and down the lines.
It also seems, having seen posts on various forums, the 'official' lists that appear from AMARG now have less information on them than before [not sure whether that is some sort of official policy by the military to strip out info or whether it is down to the person compiling the info not being interested]