This brings us to what I originally intended to be the final entry of my abandoned transportation series, though I've since found a couple more followup entries I'll be posting in time. But for now, I've posted boats and I've posted trains, but I have yet to deliver on the promised planes. This post is that delivery.

On the edge of a farmer's field a short distance from the local airport sits three DC3 planes. Google Maps shows five, but two of those have since been hauled away to places unknown. These three planes were likely decommissioned sometime after February 2001, judging by their last inspection dates, though that is an uncertain point given some other information I found.

IMG_8444 by Forgotten Interstices, on Flickr

IMG_8403 by Forgotten Interstices, on Flickr

Through a bit of Google searching and no small amount of luck, I actually found a blog entry on the yellow Polair plane. According to the blog this specific airplane had a very interesting history indeed. Built in 1977 it flew in both the Paris and Oshkosh airshows- but it was more than a show plane. It was used for Antarctic flights to aid in the installation of marine biology monitoring equipment beneath the ice, and according to an unnamed source who had seen the flightlog it had flown a series of "odd" undercover military operations in the 1980's, picking up the nickname "Spirit of Hope" at somepoint in it's service. By 1998 it had been retired from service and despite several attempts to put it in a museum it remains rusting away in a field to this day.

IMG_8405 by Forgotten Interstices, on Flickr

The wings, nose cones, and tail sections of all the planes had been unbolted and shoved into the fuselage for easier transport and storage.

IMG_8409 by Forgotten Interstices, on Flickr

IMG_8412 by Forgotten Interstices, on Flickr

IMG_8416 by Forgotten Interstices, on Flickr

IMG_8420 by Forgotten Interstices, on Flickr

IMG_8455 by Forgotten Interstices, on Flickr

IMG_8474 by Forgotten Interstices, on Flickr

Though the overgrowth made getting good shots a bit of a challenge, this location was a unique and incredible find- I don't know if three planes is enough to officially count as a boneyard, but I'm still going to call it an airplane boneyard anyway. Though this was the first location in this series I shot it's ironically one of the last ones I've posted, so I guess we've "ended" at the beginning (though there's still more to come).

So never fear, this won't be the last you'll see of abandoned vehicles from me. Until next time, may the wind ever be beneath the wings and your eyes on the horizon.

Excellent research. Great shots. Thanks a lot for sharing this.

P.S. my profile pic here comes from this spot too. 🙂

EDIT: Oh, and I’m sure I have pictures of the 5 planes somewhere but I’ll really have to dig for them.

Nice!!! I pinned this place on my map a couple years ago, but have yet to visit. Sorry to hear 2 of the 5 are gone, but that gives me motivation to go check them out before the rest disappear.

May I ask - did you get permission from the home to the west for access? Not sure if they own that property too, but it does appear that they would be the only ones to call it in if they spotted you. That county GIS is wonky right now, parcel info not popping up, but I can see the planes are on a different parcel - not sure if that home owns the plane's parcel as well. Or.... If I came up from the south then west to the planes, would the home even see me back there?

Great find Aran!

Great find, neat history too. That first photo of the cockpit is real nice!