The main reason we decided to travel via Tucson, AZ was to visit "The Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. "The Boneyard" or AMARG (Aerospace Maintenance And Regeneration Group) as it is officially known, is a USAF storage and maintenance facility, which takes care of approximately 5000 aircraft.

The aircraft stored at the 2,600 acre facility are categorised as either long-term, or flying hold storage and are kept intact for future use. These are usually shrink-wrapped to prevent birds and other animals from nesting in their airframes and can be fuelled and ready to fly within a few hours. Other aircraft are picked apart for spare parts, while others are excess Department of Defence and are sold off in part or as a whole.

The only way to gain access to the AMARG facility is by tour bus run by the PIMA Air and Space Museum. It really does blow your mind how many different types of aircraft are in this facility. There is everything from F16's to B-52's, to Hercules, to Cessna's T-37 trainer; the Tweet, to Boeing 707's, to UH-1 "Huey" helicopters, to F-4 Phantom Fighters, plus sooo much more...the rows and rows of aircraft lined up side-by-side is really something to see.

Some aircraft are even converted AUV's (remotely piloted) and used as drones by the military for weapons testing etc.

Well, that was probably long-winded, but I can't help it if the things we do are awesome! Anyway, from Tucson we headed through New Mexico and south into Texas, eventually ending up in El Paso, (a 5hr drive) which is right on the Mexican border across from Juarez.