The Airchive-Ardmore, Oklahoma Graveyard

Airline aficionados are familiar with the typical graveyards of Mojave, Marana, and Las Vegas but an impressive collection of derelict airliners exists 75 miles south of Oklahoma City in Ardmore, Oklahoma. The short runway, barely 5,000 feet means this is the air equivalent of “The Roach Motel” – Planes check in but they don’t check out. Virtually every airframe here is destined for the scrappers. It’s most famous victim was the L-1011 prototype which was scrapped in 1986. These images were taken in November, 1999.

	Scrapper’s Row A sad looking set of septuplets: 2 Continental 737s, 2 United 747s, an Air Inter (France) A300 B-4, and an ex-Korean A300 B-4 rest in various states of salvage.
	Continental 737-100 This 737-100 was one of the original 30 first generation 737’s. This de-snouted example served with launch customer Lufthansa before being purchased by People’s Express and eventually merged into the Continental fleet in 1987. This doomed 737 is flanked by an equally sad ex-United 747-100.
	Continental 737 interior Robbed of all interior fittings except overhead bins, beverage carts, and oxygen wiring, this 737-100 was scrapped shortly after this image was taken in November, 1999.
	737 Cutaway Decapitated Unfortunately for this 737, it was decapitated of it’s cockpit. Fortunately for us, it provides an excellent view of the avionics and nose wheel bays on the lower deck and the galley in the upper deck.
	Tri-Fecta DC-9 and 747 2 ex-Northwest DC-9 Series 10s rest in front of an ex-All Nippon 747-100SR.
	Three Blind Jets Three cannibalized jets, each worse for ware than the next sit next to each other in November, 1999: A United DC-10-10, United 727-200, and an ex-Korean A300-B4.
	747 sitting on 737: He's Not Heavy... One of the more comical shots taken in November 1999. An ex-United 747-100 straddles a similarly destined Continental 737. The United 747 was delivered to United in November, 1970 and was the 99th 747 off the line in Everett. Note “the sunroof” on the Jumbo and that the 737 lacks the dignity of ground supports.
	Korean A300-B4 This ex-Korean A300-B4 first generation Airbus sits on trusses. A sister ship was cut up and shipped back to South Korea for use as a restaurant which may explain it’s better preservation than other airframes in Ardmore.
	United 747 sideview Shedding it’s slats, flaps, Turbofans, and Rudder, this ex-United 747-100 has met the beginning of the end.
	Air Inter A300-B4 This first generation A300-B4 formerly of Air Inter of France was delivered in the mid-70s to the mainline domestic carrier. It basks in front of a flock of ex-Continental 737’s.
	Continental 737-100 With it’s valuable fiberglass radome removed, this ex-Continental machine looks particularly sad resting on the ground. Judging by cannibalized airframes surrounding it, the scrapper can’t be far away.

United Boeing 747-100 & 747-SP
Looking like a cracked egg is the remains of an ex-United 747SP that once served with Pan Am. In the background is one of United’s original 747-100s. Both of these planes were flown in from Las Vegas where they were stored. Both airframes had relatively complete interiors when this image was taken in November 1999.

	UA 727 This ex-United 727 has 2 entire sections of it’s fuselage cutaway and it’s bogeys placed next to the mounts of where JT-8-9D #1 and #3 used to be. The tri-jet’s bins are visible through the cut out of the mid section.

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