The World's Largest Military Aircraft Cemetery

The facility is located on the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. It was set up shortly after World War II.

The site was chosen for its arid climate that slows degradation of the planes.

Spread across the huge 2,600 acre site, equivalent in size to 1,430 football pitches, is a collection of more than 4,200 retired aircraft and 40 aerospace vehicles.

Among the aircraft are B-52s, B-1s and F-111s, F-14 Tomcats (retired from the US Navy in 2006). Other current planes spotted include F-15s, F-16s, C-130s, KC-135 refueling tankers, A-10s. There are even F-4 Phantoms from Vietnam.

Besides being a massive plane cemetery, AMARG also refurbishes aircraft, returning them to flying status or preparing them to be transported overland.

Google Earth has released a series of high resolution satellite images of the site for the first time.

The Boneyard is open to the public. The nearby Pima Air and Space Museum runs daily tours.

[BBC News via Popsci]