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23 / 05

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Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field

Gila Bend AAF in Arizona is an emergency landing facility for use by aircraft using the nearby Barry M. Goldwater ranges. These ranges are used by USAF fighter squadrons including those from Luke AFB and Davis-Monthan AFB, and a number of targets are dispersed across the ranges.

It was these targets that we were interested in seeing, but with the ranges themselves being in regular use it was obviously not possible to visit the active ranges. However, there are still numerous aircraft stored at Gila Bend AAF ready to take their turn on the ranges, replacing the older and worn-out range targets.

F-84F 52-6503

Our visit took place in the usual sun drenched blue sky Arizona conditions and we were shown around the large selection of stored aircraft. These airframes had arrived from “The Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan in Tucson, after finishing their active service with various US air arms.

Gila Bend AAF stored airframes

The airframes present during our visit are listed here:

Preserved:
52-6503 F-84F FS-503

Stored:
59-0012 F-106A
59-0115 F-106A FN004
59-0147 F-106A FN017
57-2510 F-106B FN048
58-0903 F-106B FN046
58-0904 F-106B
56-0202 RF-101C
66-18896 OV-1C
61-2726 OV-1D
158194 A-4M 3A560
158416 A-4M 3A545
158427 A-4M 3A557
159485 A-4M 3A559
157762 AH-1J 7H203
157765 AH-1J 7H207
157767 AH-1J 7H208
157779 AH-1J 7H205
154494 A-7B 6A146
154498 A-7B 6A137
142249 EKA-3B 2A072
142404 EKA-3B 2A087
142647 EKA-3B 2A086
142651 EKA-3B 2A076

Preserved at nearby Gila Bend airfield:
56-0112 RF-101C
56-0130 RF-101C

F-84 52-6503 Barry M. Goldwater Gila Bend AAF F-84 52-6503 Gila Bend AAF F-84 52-6503 F-106A 59-0115 RF-101C 56-0202 F-106B 57-2510 EKA-3B 142249 F-106B 58-0903 F-106B 58-0903 F-106A 59-0012 F-106B 58-0904 AH-1J 157767 AH-1J 157762 AH-1J 157765 AH-1J 157779 F-106A 59-0147 A-7B 154498 EKA-3B 142647 OV-1C 66-18896 A-4M 158427 A-7B 154494 A-4M 159485 A-4M 158194 A-4M 158416 EKA-3B 142404 EKA-3B OV-1C 66-18896 OV-1D 61-2726 OV-1D 61-2726 RF-101C 56-0130 at Gila Bend airfield RF-101C 56-0112 at Gila Bend airfield

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Pictures selection……

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