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.

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.

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