Death without Dignity
RF-8s or F8's in Bone Yard
Updated February 21, 2009
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A death without dignity. I got this satellite photo of the Davis-Monthan bone yard off Google Earth. It saddens me to see these valiant birds end up like this. Note the one with the forward cockpit chopped off (center front). I think that this is RF8 145608. The cockpit of this airplane was sent to the Pacific Coast Air Museum in California. The satellite photo seems to bear this out. The rest are, I assume, the remaining photo birds in the park. I think all of the fighters have been long destroyed by now.
Three more RF-8s or F8's in Bone Yard
Scott Scarborough Photos
"I recall with sadness the flight when I delivered the last F-8 to D/M [Davis Monthan] from NAF China Lake, the last time I ever flew the F-8." --Dick Partridge
The Bone Yard near Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson Arizona, USA
The 3rd largest Air Force in the world is sitting on the ground here.
Remember - Each one of these babies had a multimillion dollar price tag. For those of you that have never seen this, it is something to see. The precision in the way they are parked is impressive. It's difficult to comprehend the size of the 'Bone yard' and the number of aircraft stored there. Of course the important thing to remember is that they are all capable of being returned to service if the need ever arises.
If you are ever in the Tucson area, the weekly tours of the bone yard are still given through the Tucson Air Museum , located just south of Davis Monthan AFB. Both the museum and the bone yard are very popular attractions in the Arizona desert. It is difficult to comprehend the number of military
aircraft in dead storage until you see these photographs.
Even if you have seen this before, look again. The 3rd largest Air Force in the world is sitting on the ground here. Contributed by: Walt Quist
- The Bone Yard near Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. The third largest air force in the world: Davis Monthan Picture 1 -Click to see: Davis Monthan Picture 2 -Click to see: Davis Monthan Picture 3 - Contributed: Adam Miklovis
Jerry Nolan, former VFP-63 PT, adds:
Hi Ken,
I always enjoy the chance to do a little Photo Intel work, even if it's just for fun. I've attached a couple views I got off GoogleMaps last night [Feb 19, 2009] (see below)... showing the remaining RF-8's at Davis-Monthan. At least I think they're all that remain, I'm too lazy to PI the whole place.
The shot on the website [above] showing a row of 11 F-8's (one with chopped cockpit) is outdated. S-3 Vikings in white cocoons are in that location now. The F-14's are still there. [Webmaster's Note: The photos above are circa 2006]
A single F-8 (below) which I suspect is also a photo bird, I think BuNo 145645 was
parked near this plane before it went to the USS Alabama.
Here are the three RF-8's from the other pic on the website [ground level pictures below], they've been sitting in the same place for a long time.
Three RF-8Gs from Ground Level [Airliners.net ]
Google imagery is copyright 2009
"It really was an eerie feeling taxing through all of that history, and knowing that when I brought the throttle around the horn, she would never "breathe" again."
Regarding last F-8's to the bone yard. I flew the last F-8 fighter which was attached to an F-8 squadron to DM on my 30th birthday May 19, 1976. The Jet Journal did a big spread on it. It was a 211 plane with Skip Leonard's name on the side. There were other photo versions to go later
obviously, and I think some fighters from some of the test facilities.... I think it was Barry Gabler, in D.C., who had the last F-8 flight-- which was in a photo bird.
It was rumored that Turtle Redditt and Rattler Rucker climbed up on the top of the top gun offices, and came to full attention and full salute in honor of my takeoff from Miramar. Little did they know that I went on emergency T trim just after I lowered the wing, Which made the 550 kt break at DM a bit interesting. Had to put the old gal down in style. It really was an eerie feeling taxing through all of that history, and knowing that when I brought the throttle around the horn, she would never "breathe" again. --Track/Bubba Meyers
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Created on ... May 19, 2006
