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No more public tours of the "boneyard" at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson Login/Join 
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posted
https://pimaair.org/plan-your-visit/available-tours/

http://www.warbirdinformatione...phpBB3/viewtopic.php

I've gotten multiple great tours of the Boneyard as an ANG member, last time was as a "regular" person (retired ANG) in the fall of 2017 or 18. It was a major PITA, had to submit all kinds of info ahead of time and could not leave the bus.

On the bright side, you can still visit the Pima Air Museum and the Titan II site:

https://pimaair.org/

https://titanmissilemuseum.org/
 
Posts: 15899 | Location: Eastern Iowa | Registered: May 21, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Giftedly Outspoken
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That stinks. I did the boneyard bus tour back in 2016 and had a great time.



Sometimes, you gotta roll the hard six
 
Posts: 4507 | Location: SouthCentral PA | Registered: December 05, 1999Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Dangit!

We were in Tucson last week and missed getting to see that. Frown




God bless America.
 
Posts: 13428 | Location: The mountainous part of Hokie Nation! | Registered: July 15, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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That's a bummer. We did the tour about 6 or 7 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. At least you can still get to Pima Air and Space...that museum is awesome in itself.

Probably the same logic that led to closing NAS Pensacola (and by extension the Naval Air Museum) to all civilians after some Saudi students who were here as invited guests of the DOD shot the base up. Roll Eyes. Still miss being able to visit when we're in town Frown.
 
Posts: 8422 | Location: In the Cornfields | Registered: May 25, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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^ We didn't know NAS Pensacola wasn't public accessible when we were there til we looked it up.
Didn't think to post here to see if any local members could escort us.




The Enemy's gate is down.
 
Posts: 15154 | Location: Spring, TX | Registered: July 11, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Only the strong survive
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I was at the Titan site in 1982 during an exercise before they closed it down.
It is nice they kept it for tours.


41
 
Posts: 11828 | Location: Herndon, VA | Registered: June 11, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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FWIW if you go to the Titan Missile Museum in Green Valley/Sahuarita AZ, if you are a ham radio operator be sure to take a HF radio. You get to use their huge discone antenna, which is original to the site. A ham friend just went and took his HF radio and had a blast. You pretty much don't need a tuner on any band.

And BTW they sell in the gift shop a book of all the operations of the missile and site, I just ordered one from their website. I've been told it's an amazing book.

Titan Missile Museum LINK
.
 
Posts: 11814 | Registered: October 26, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by OKCGene:

...And BTW they sell in the gift shop a book of all the operations of the missile and site, I just ordered one from their website. I've been told it's an amazing book.



Is this the book you're thinking of? I could not find it on the museum link. Author Chuck Penson knows his stuff.

https://titan2handbook.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Titan-I...werful/dp/B004U8PPQ2

About five years ago I took the awesome five-hour "top to bottom" tour to every level of the silo, our guide was Chuck Penson himself!
 
Posts: 15899 | Location: Eastern Iowa | Registered: May 21, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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^^^^^ Yes, it sure is. ^^^^ I think they may have just run out of copies at the Titan Museum, hopefully they will get more in. I think they had free shipping from the museum. Copies are availabe on Mr Penson's website, the one you listed.

One of the guys in my ham radio club was a young Lieutenant crewman at an Atlas location. I can't recall which one he said, but it was not the museum site one.

I was born and raised in SW Oklahoma not too far from Altus AFB. There were quite a few Atlas Silos around, including just across the Red River near Wichita Falls TX. I've explored the ground level of many. AFAIK they were all sold surplus to school systems and farmers. All are in terrible condition, all the silos are either filled in with dirt or rock or rubble or flooded with water.

I vividly recall, at the age of around 7 years old, riding in the family car down the highway, and seeing an Atlas missile raised up to ground level, and asking my Dad what that big thing was. He explained it was a missile to strike back at the Russians if they attacked us. I was so young I had no idea what he was talking about.
.
 
Posts: 11814 | Registered: October 26, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Only the strong survive
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There are copies on Ebay.


41
 
Posts: 11828 | Location: Herndon, VA | Registered: June 11, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Way back in the 80’s I was privileged to visit the base. Really cool to drive what seemed like forever and parked planes all over.




A few Sigs and some others
 
Posts: 2219 | Location: Waukesha, WI | Registered: February 04, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Here are the four former ICBM sites that are open to the public:

https://www.afmissileers.org/Tour-a-Missile-Silo



Oscar-01 is on Whiteman AFB and base access is limited to military ID card holders:

https://www.whiteman.af.mil/Co...ours/Oscar-01-Tours/

Individuals must have base access to sign up for a tour.
Tours take place Monday - Friday, and are scheduled by calling (660) 687-6560.
Group size is limited to 8 people per tour - Masks are no longer required in the facility.
No food or beverages are allowed inside the facility.
 
Posts: 15899 | Location: Eastern Iowa | Registered: May 21, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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If you are in, nearby, or traveling through, Albuquerque has the National Atomic Museum (Smithsonian affiliate).
LINK TO MUSEUM

I've been multiple times, there is so much that each time I just see more than before.

They show the history of nuclear development, the Slotkin incident (fascinating), peaceful nuclear power, nuclear medicine, nuclear weapons and more. They have an awesome display of aircraft outside the building.

Inside they have a Poseidon (boomer sub launched missile) hanging from the ceiling. Actual nuke air dropped bombs on display (of course empty shells only, nothing inside) whenever I look at one there they sort of give me a weird chill feeling.

In 1966 the Palomares nuke accident happened. A B-52 collided with a refueling tanker and 4 nukes came out and landed in the ocean and 1 on land. All were recovered. The amazing thing is that the museum has 3 of those on display. They're banged up but never ruptured open or went off. To me it's just fascinating to stand so close to them you could almost touch them, you're within just a few feet of them. The thought that these could and would cause immense damage when needed is sobering. I can't imagine being around these in a live state, ready to go.

There is just so much "stuff" inside this museum I can't and won't even try to list much more.

It's just absolutely sobering and fascinating to see these things. My thanks for the US Military, each and every branch, who have served to protect us, and to those who have worked to design ways to keep us safe.
.
 
Posts: 11814 | Registered: October 26, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Bummed to hear this, had hoped to get any tour I could when I finally made it to Tucson.
 
Posts: 338 | Location: Twin Cities MN | Registered: April 21, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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