As travel declines, aircraft 'boneyard' in Victorville fills up

[Liberal_in_LA]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-fi-boneyard15-2009mar15,0,4626780.story

Industry experts say this year is likely to set a record for planes sitting on the ground rather than flying. Storing them is a growing business.

By Peter Pae
March 15, 2009
With the economy in a tailspin, aircraft "boneyards" across the country are filling up with Boeing 747s and other jetliners no longer needed to ferry passengers. Call it airline limbo.

Air carriers are grounding planes at a rate not seen since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and industry experts say this year is likely to set a record for planes sitting on the ground.

That has meant job security for Richard Robertson, an aircraft mechanic at the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, formerly George Air Force Base, now one of the nation's busiest boneyards.

Robertson has perfected the art of "pickling" airplanes, aviation jargon for disassembling parts and draining fluids from aircraft so they can be stored for a long time.