Planespotting Davis-Monthan / AMARG — KDMA
Davis-Monthan, on the south-east side of Tucson, is two attractions in one. The active base flies combat rescue HC-130Js and HH-60Ws, Compass Call electronic-warfare aircraft and a steady flow of transients from its single 12/30 runway, used in either direction depending on the wind. Next to it lies the 309th AMARG — the boneyard — where thousands of retired military aircraft, from C-130s and B-52s to fighters and helicopters, are stored in the dry desert air, many within sight of public roads. The A-10s that defined the base for fifty years flew here for the last time in July 2026. The public bus tours of AMARG run by the Pima museum have ended for good, so roadside viewing is the only option. Winter is the season: summer means extreme heat and haze.
Conditions right now
Runways
- 12/30 RWY 12 4,169 × 60 m · 13,678 × 197 ft concrete
Ask the sky
What flew over this morning? Where was that loud one heading? Ask in plain words — the answer comes from real recorded traffic.
Airport profile
Typical traffic by hour
Relative intensity by local hour — a typical day, not live data.Peak: 10:00
Typical traffic mix
- Military80%
- Turboprop8%
- Bizjet6%
- Cargo4%
- GA2%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Kolb Road and the AMARG perimeter streets
The roads around S Kolb Rd and Irvington/Valencia skirt large parts of the storage area, with aircraft parked right up to the fence. You can work your way along the rows of C-130s, P-3s, KC-135s, B-52s and fighters; doing it properly takes two hours or more.
- Getting there
- By car, stopping briefly at the roadside — there are no proper car parks, so shoot and move on. Stay on public land outside the fence. A small two- or three-step ladder helps.
- Best time
- The western rows photograph best from morning to noon, the eastern rows from noon to evening. Winter light is lower and kinder.
- Lens
- 24–200 mm; about 70 mm for overviews of the rows.
Pima Air & Space Museum and E Valencia Road
One of the largest aviation museums in the world sits just south of the base, under the approach to runway 30. Spend the morning with its hundreds of aircraft and the afternoon in the field alongside E Valencia Road catching 30 arrivals.
- Getting there
- 6000 E Valencia Rd, Tucson, with a large car park. Museum entry is paid; the boneyard bus tour no longer runs, but the museum's own tram tour does. Keep a low profile along busy Valencia Road.
- Best time
- Runway 30 arrivals from early afternoon until sunset.
- Lens
- 100–400 mm; around 200 mm for a C-130.
S Wilmot Road at E Drexel Road
An industrial T-junction south of the base under the 30 approach. Locals regard it as the easiest place to shoot arrivals without attracting attention.
- Getting there
- Best reached from E Valencia Rd; park at the roadside. No facilities — bring water.
- Best time
- Runway 30 arrivals from sunrise until about 10:00, mainly in summer when the sun is far enough north-east.
- Lens
- 200–400 mm.
S Alvernon Way
The field just east of S Alvernon Way, north-west of the base, sits under the approach to runway 12 and has a shade tree to park under — a rarity in Tucson.
- Getting there
- Roadside parking on S Alvernon Way or in the field. Heavy traffic passes, so stay well back.
- Best time
- Runway 12 arrivals from noon to sunset.
- Lens
- 100–400 mm; around 200 mm for a C-130.
Respect private property, signage and the airport security perimeter. Spotterra predicts the active runway from live weather on the dashboard.
What you'll see
Since the A-10s left in 2026 the based flying is HC-130J and HH-60W combat rescue, the EA-37B that is replacing the EC-130H Compass Call, and US Customs and Border Protection aircraft. Winter brings a stream of transient fighters and heavies using the good weather, and aircraft arriving for storage at AMARG — which means last flights of types being retired. Tucson International, a few kilometres west, adds Air National Guard F-16s training foreign pilots, plus a commercial storage area. Weekends are very quiet on the base.
FAQ
What's that plane over Davis-Monthan?
Spotterra's live map shows aircraft around Tucson in real time — Davis-Monthan traffic, Tucson International and the Arizona Guard F-16s. Some military aircraft fly with limited transponder data, so not everything shows a registration.
Can I still tour the boneyard?
No. The Pima Air & Space Museum's AMARG bus tours have ended permanently for security reasons. You can still see a large part of the storage area from public roads around Kolb Road.
Is photography around the base legal?
Aircraft can be photographed from public roads, but never from the base fence itself, and don't photograph gates or base infrastructure. Keep stops brief, carry ID and be ready to explain what you are doing.
When should I visit?
November to March. Summer temperatures and heat haze make midday photography nearly impossible, and the roadside spots have no shade.
Spotterra watches the sky over Davis-Monthan / AMARG
A live ADS-B map of your area and smart alerts on military transports, warbirds and rare types — with 10–30 minutes lead on long-haul arrivals. Free forever, no card.
Start spotting freeMore in North America: Los Angeles · New York JFK · Miami · San Francisco · Chicago O'Hare · Dallas/Fort Worth · All 204 airports →