# Aircraft boneyard in California's San Joaquin Valley? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 16, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-boneyard-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley/658541 "2013-05-16T19:20:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-boneyard-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley/658541/1 "2013-05-16T19:20:11Z")
Many years {30 or so) I used ride Amtrak’s aptly name train up and down that valley. At some point, far off in the distance, you could see the tails of military aircraft. The conductor would point it out and name it as an aircraft graveyard. I’ve been searching google and a couple other places but haven’t found so much of a mention. I suspect those spooks at Roswell might have teleported the whole site over there. Or, I was stoned the whole time. Could be. Any Dopers know of such a place? Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-boneyard-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley/658541/2 "2013-05-16T19:24:58Z")
Could it have been [Mojave Airport](http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl)? That place has been the storage dump for unneeded aircraft for decades. Now it is a spaceport. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-boneyard-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley/658541/3 "2013-05-16T19:27:35Z")
“Aptly named train”? The Fertilizer Express? The Cotton Picking Flyer? The Boring and Flat Valley Limited? Edit: [San Joaquins - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Joaquin_(train)) Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-boneyard-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley/658541/4 "2013-05-16T19:39:59Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Could it have been [Mojave Airport](http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl)? That place has been the storage dump for unneeded aircraft for decades. Now it is a spaceport. Specifically, a civilian aviation boneyard. The [US military boneyard](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Davis+Monthan+Air+Force+Base,+Tucson,+AZ&hl=en&ll=32.160464,-110.839734&spn=0.02238,0.036263&sll=32.10119,-110.489502&sspn=2.866263,4.641724&oq=davis-monthan&t=h&hq=Davis+Monthan+Air+Force+Base,+Tucson,+AZ&radius=15000&z=15) is the [309th AMARG at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/309th_Aerospace_Maintenance_and_Regeneration_Group) BTW, your google maps link just showed me the entire US, so it was kind of hard to pick out the bonyard you were talking about from that. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ispolkom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47774/32.png) [@Ispolkom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ispolkom)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-boneyard-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley/658541/5 "2013-05-16T19:54:14Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Could it have been [Mojave Airport](http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl)? That place has been the storage dump for unneeded aircraft for decades. Now it is a spaceport. The San Joaquin doesn’t go that far south. It ends at Bakersfield. I’m guessing **mangeorge** saw Castle Air Museum, which IIRC is easily visible from the train. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-boneyard-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley/658541/6 "2013-05-16T20:09:19Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > “Aptly named train”? > > The Fertilizer Express? > > The Cotton Picking Flyer? > > The Boring and Flat Valley Limited? > > Edit: [San Joaquins - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Joaquin_(train)) Sigh. The San Joaquin. It runs mostly up and down the aptly named valley. Which is a prairie. Hence, boring and flat. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-boneyard-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley/658541/7 "2013-05-16T20:34:29Z")
> [@Ispolkom](#): > > The San Joaquin doesn’t go that far south. It ends at Bakersfield. I’m guessing **mangeorge** saw Castle Air Museum, which IIRC is easily visible from the train. That’s it! Its right off US 99. I think I’ll mosey on down there in my beat-up old RV. Gettin’ used to this “retired” thing. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-boneyard-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley/658541/8 "2013-05-16T21:52:33Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > That’s it! Its right off US 99. > I think I’ll mosey on down there in my beat-up old RV. Gettin’ used to this “retired” thing. > Thanks Its actually a really neat place, any aircraft afficianado would enjoy it for a day. I think last weekend they actually had an “open plane” day where they would let you inside some of them. may want to inquire if another one is scheduled to plan a visit then. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-boneyard-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley/658541/9 "2013-05-16T22:13:07Z")
Wait, let’s clarify something here – The above posts mention two distinct, and real, old airplane places: – Mojave boneyard, at the town of Mojave, CA, at the junction of State Routes 14 and 58, at the eastern foothills of the Tehachapi Mountains. I doubt that this place is open for public touring. It’s a huge tract of airplane carcasses. – Castle Air Museum, in Atwater, CA, which is on State Route 99 between Fresno and Modesto. This used to be Castle Air Force Base. One corner of the property is a museum of military aircraft. When the Air Force moved out, the field became a municipal airport, but the museum corner lives on. This would be visible from the train, I think, as the tracks run near there. It’s not visible from SR-99. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-boneyard-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley/658541/10 "2013-05-16T22:26:27Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Wait, let’s clarify something here – > > The above posts mention two distinct, and real, old airplane places: > > – Mojave boneyard, at the town of Mojave, CA, at the junction of State Routes 14 and 58, > at the eastern foothills of the Tehachapi Mountains. I doubt that this place is open for public touring. It’s a huge tract of airplane carcasses. > > – Castle Air Museum, in Atwater, CA, which is on State Route 99 between Fresno and Modesto. This used to be Castle Air Force Base. One corner of the property is a museum of military aircraft. When the Air Force moved out, the field became a municipal airport, but the museum corner lives on. This would be visible from the train, I think, as the tracks run near there. It’s not visible from SR-99. Not visible, but close. You take 99 to get there. My interest is re-piqued. mangeorge, not confused. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-boneyard-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley/658541/11 "2013-05-16T23:52:13Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > not visible, but close. You take 99 to get there. My interest is re-piqued. dopefest!!! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-boneyard-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley/658541/12 "2013-05-17T00:00:13Z")
There isn’t shit at Mojave anymore. I drive through there at least once a year and the picking are pretty slim lately. I just thought it might be the place because the train tracks run through the town, about 5 miles from the field. I wouldn’t have thought of a museum, even though there is one not 20 miles from here at March Field. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-boneyard-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley/658541/13 "2013-05-17T01:17:31Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > dopefest!!! Haven’t been to one since Santa Cruz, but hat sounds like fun. Wait, that wasn’t a dopiest, it was a Honda Ridgeline fest. ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-boneyard-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley/658541/14 "2013-05-17T05:51:07Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > Its actually a really neat place, any aircraft afficianado would enjoy it for a day. I think last weekend they actually had an “open plane” day where they would let you inside some of them. may want to inquire if another one is scheduled to plan a visit then. The next one is May 26. Annoyed that I’m going to have to miss it! [http://www.castleairmuseum.org/](http://www.castleairmuseum.org/) ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-boneyard-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley/658541/15 "2013-05-17T17:40:01Z")
> [@UncaStuart](#): > > The next one is May 26. Annoyed that I’m going to have to miss it! > [http://www.castleairmuseum.org/](http://www.castleairmuseum.org/) I just spent a little time checking out that website, really enjoyed it. I had relatives in Salinas once, I’d make the trip to Atwater if they were still living that close. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-boneyard-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley/658541/16 "2014-05-26T21:13:09Z")
Just posted fun video: You know those time-lapse films of flesh-eating beetles reducing a carcass to nothing? (If you don’t, they’re pretty cool.) [Here’s one of a C-130.](http://youtu.be/wtwcTrZHSNo)