Aviation archaeology
Encyclopedia
Aviation archaeology is a recognized sub-discipline within archaeology and underwater archaeology as a whole. It is an activity practiced by both enthusiasts and academics in pursuit of finding, documenting, recovering, and preserving sites important in aviation history
. For the most part, these sites are aircraft wrecks and crash sites, but also include structures and facilities related to aviation. It is also known in some circles and depending on the perspective of those involved as aircraft archaeology or aerospace archaeology and has also been described variously as crash hunting, underwater aircraft recovery, wreck chasing, or wreckology .
Europe
when, after the conflict, numerous aircraft wrecks studded the countryside. Many times, memorials to those involved in the crashes were put together by individuals, families, landholders, or communities.
As the activity grew in size and popularity, laws and regulations were created in some areas to counter problems created, such as trespassing and the disturbance of "war graves". In the United Kingdom
, regardless of nationality or the date of crash, all military aircraft crash sites are protected in the Protection of Military Remains Act
. Under the act, passed into law in 1986 it is a criminal offense for anyone without a license to tamper with, damage, move, remove or unearth any part of a crashed military aircraft.
In the United States
, the activity remains relatively unknown, and has little regulation. However, under the recently-passed 'Sunken Military Craft Act', it is illegal to disturb the wreck sites of U.S. Naval
or any submerged military aircraft and, under National Transportation Safety Board
(NTSB) part 830, any aircraft whose accident cause is under investigation. The U.S. Air Force
has no policies against the hobby, unless human remains or weaponry remain unrecovered at the site.
Crash sites vary in size and content; some may have fuselages, engines, and thousands of parts and debris. Other sites, like in civilian/commercial crashes, the Federal Aviation Administration
and the NTSB will have almost all of the aircraft and debris removed; which makes aviation archaeology more challenging. Remains of military aircraft crash sites may also be removed by various aircraft restoration groups, particularly if the aircraft was found largely intact. There are different laws, rules, and procedures, depending on the jurisdiction or land ownership that will dictate the removal or non-removal of aircraft remains. Such agencies as US Forest Service, National Park Service
, US Air Force, US Navy, US Army, US Marines, city and county governments, and land ownership will all participate in the outcome of accident remains.
In general, most recent-day (since the 1980s) aircraft crashes are removed entirely, due to environmental regulations, leaving very little to indicate the existence of a wreck.
Also, foreign nations will have their set of laws and protocols.
For example, military crashes in Arizona originate from numerous air bases, past and present. Because of the warm and sunny weather, much of the U.S. Army Air Forces flight training was located in the state, both during and after WWII. Numerous air bases dotted the states - creating conditions for numerous training accidents. Old abandoned US Army Air Corp auxiliary fields and converted fields to city municipal airports provides archaeological sites to be researched and investigated.
Keeping a record of a crash site, such as photographs, maps, journals, logs, and all terrain and weather recordings are essential, i.e. the Glenwood Springs, Colorado
, B-17 crash site or the Tells Peak, CA, B-17 crash site.
The internet is an ideal media for sharing, recording, educating, and promoting aviation archaeology as a hobby, as well as research projects for local and state aviation historical groups. For identifying aircraft type and manufacturer by part numbers and manufacturing inspection stamps can be analysed. From detailed GPS data & maps, to researching accident reports information, numerous resources help create a complete picture of the historic event. Accident reports, such as the official US Air Force Accident Report Form 14 becomes the foundation of archaeology research. From there, newspaper articles, county clerk records, sheriff & coroner reports, and library records all aid an aviation archaeologist in their research.
. This Act defines an offence of tampering with, damage to, moving, or unearthing the aircraft remains. Exceptions appy to those holding licences, which can be issued by the Secretary of State, authorising specific procedures to be performed.
For the wreck-chasing hobbyist there is a self-regulating body, the British Aviation Archaeological Council (BAAC), which defines ethical standards of behaviour, coordinates activities and provides a forum for discussion for its member groups. Not all active groups in the UK are members of this organisation.
has missile
launch sites abandoned by the US Army. Archaeological research includes these sites throughout the United States. Exploring and hiking around abandoned silos and sites may constitute trespassing as well as being dangerous. Permission from current land owners or caretakers is imperative. Research and formal site investigations adds to the historical record of the Cold War
. One such site is the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
to a local residential, commercial, and educational environment. Other bases, like the Arlington Auxiliary Army Airfield reverted back to farming and ranching.
(JPAC), traveling to former war zones throughout the world, to search for the remains of American servicemen and women that have been lost. Many of these losses involve aircraft mishaps in remote and difficult to reach areas. A group of volunteers, under the banner of "The BentProp Project
", have pursued American military wreck sites and remains without disturbing them; their findings are forwarded to JPAC. In Australia and in some other parts of the world, where there are human remains involved, a tendency has been for the armed forces to secure the services of forensic anthropologists and crash investigators.
Professional aviation archaeologists may also be involved in the recovery of near-complete examples of wrecked or abandoned aircraft for profit. The clients of these professionals range from private individuals and aviation museums, to government agencies. Often these aircraft are in remote areas, which aids wreckage preservation. Examples include Glacier Girl
, a Lockheed P-38 that was successfully recovered from below the Greenland
ice cap, and restored to airworthy condition, and Kee Bird
, a B-29 Superfortress
also abandoned on the Greenland ice cap, but severely damaged by recovery efforts.
In June 2009, the Wreckchasing/Aviation Archaeology Symposium, on the topic of wreckchasing and aviation archaeology was held in northern California at Moffett Field near Mountain View
.
at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport for a two-day summit. The attendees came from Arizona
, California
, Canada
, Colorado
, Illinois
, New Mexico
, and Oklahoma
representing the interests of wreck chasers, aircraft recovery teams, and avocational archaeologists. The North American Aviation Archaeology Summit was conducted and sponsored by the North American Institute of Aviation Archaeology and Colorado Aviation Historical Society
's Aviation Archaeology Programs Staff. Some of the attendees had also attended the 2009 Symposium at Moffett Field. The group discussed all aspects of aviation archaeology, wreck chasing, recovery, modern archaeology techniques, ethics, education, training, hobby enthusiasts, and professional interests. Breakout sessions, consensus, and voting occurred to determine the Summit outcome. The Summit created an organization initially respresenting the United States
and Canada, now to be called: Aviation Archaeology and Heritage Association, and with full agreement to expand and include all nations interested in aviation archaeology and wreck chasing.
Australia
Canada
Germany
UK sites
US sites
Aviation history
The history of aviation has extended over more than two thousand years from the earliest attempts in kites and gliders to powered heavier-than-air, supersonic and hypersonic flight.The first form of man-made flying objects were kites...
. For the most part, these sites are aircraft wrecks and crash sites, but also include structures and facilities related to aviation. It is also known in some circles and depending on the perspective of those involved as aircraft archaeology or aerospace archaeology and has also been described variously as crash hunting, underwater aircraft recovery, wreck chasing, or wreckology .
Post World War II history
The activity dates to post-World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
when, after the conflict, numerous aircraft wrecks studded the countryside. Many times, memorials to those involved in the crashes were put together by individuals, families, landholders, or communities.
As the activity grew in size and popularity, laws and regulations were created in some areas to counter problems created, such as trespassing and the disturbance of "war graves". In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, regardless of nationality or the date of crash, all military aircraft crash sites are protected in the Protection of Military Remains Act
Protection of Military Remains Act 1986
The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom which provides protection for the wreckage of military aircraft and designated military vessels. The Act provides for two types of protection: protected places and controlled sites. Military aircraft are...
. Under the act, passed into law in 1986 it is a criminal offense for anyone without a license to tamper with, damage, move, remove or unearth any part of a crashed military aircraft.
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the activity remains relatively unknown, and has little regulation. However, under the recently-passed 'Sunken Military Craft Act', it is illegal to disturb the wreck sites of U.S. Naval
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
or any submerged military aircraft and, under National Transportation Safety Board
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
(NTSB) part 830, any aircraft whose accident cause is under investigation. The U.S. Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
has no policies against the hobby, unless human remains or weaponry remain unrecovered at the site.
Current day
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
and the NTSB will have almost all of the aircraft and debris removed; which makes aviation archaeology more challenging. Remains of military aircraft crash sites may also be removed by various aircraft restoration groups, particularly if the aircraft was found largely intact. There are different laws, rules, and procedures, depending on the jurisdiction or land ownership that will dictate the removal or non-removal of aircraft remains. Such agencies as US Forest Service, National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, US Air Force, US Navy, US Army, US Marines, city and county governments, and land ownership will all participate in the outcome of accident remains.
In general, most recent-day (since the 1980s) aircraft crashes are removed entirely, due to environmental regulations, leaving very little to indicate the existence of a wreck.
For example, military crashes in Arizona originate from numerous air bases, past and present. Because of the warm and sunny weather, much of the U.S. Army Air Forces flight training was located in the state, both during and after WWII. Numerous air bases dotted the states - creating conditions for numerous training accidents. Old abandoned US Army Air Corp auxiliary fields and converted fields to city municipal airports provides archaeological sites to be researched and investigated.
Keeping a record of a crash site, such as photographs, maps, journals, logs, and all terrain and weather recordings are essential, i.e. the Glenwood Springs, Colorado
Glenwood Springs, Colorado
The City of Glenwood Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimated that the city population was 8,564 in 2005...
, B-17 crash site or the Tells Peak, CA, B-17 crash site.
United Kingdom
The laws in the UK cover the remains of all aircraft which have crashed during military service (land or sea) are protected by the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986Protection of Military Remains Act 1986
The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom which provides protection for the wreckage of military aircraft and designated military vessels. The Act provides for two types of protection: protected places and controlled sites. Military aircraft are...
. This Act defines an offence of tampering with, damage to, moving, or unearthing the aircraft remains. Exceptions appy to those holding licences, which can be issued by the Secretary of State, authorising specific procedures to be performed.
For the wreck-chasing hobbyist there is a self-regulating body, the British Aviation Archaeological Council (BAAC), which defines ethical standards of behaviour, coordinates activities and provides a forum for discussion for its member groups. Not all active groups in the UK are members of this organisation.
Abandoned missile silos and sites
CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
has missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
launch sites abandoned by the US Army. Archaeological research includes these sites throughout the United States. Exploring and hiking around abandoned silos and sites may constitute trespassing as well as being dangerous. Permission from current land owners or caretakers is imperative. Research and formal site investigations adds to the historical record of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. One such site is the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site was established in 1999 to illustrate the history and significance of the Cold War, the arms race, and intercontinental ballistic missile development. This National Historic Site preserves the last remaining Minuteman II ICBM system in the United States...
Abandoned airfields
Abandoned airfields can yield much information of historic information about aviation and related industries. From civilian airfields to military airfields, aviation archaeologists can find, uncover, and recover a variety of artifacts, just to name a few: aircraft parts with serial numbers, equipment parts, asphalt or runway material, variety of contamination, structures and foundations, businesses and economics, to community and cultural changes. With the closure of many military airbase, the street system and runways become local expansion of city streets and business; one example is the community conversion of Lowry Air Force BaseLowry Air Force Base
Lowry Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in the cities of Aurora and Denver, Colorado. Its primary mission throughout its existence was Air Force technical training and was heavily involved with the training of United States Army Air Forces bomber crews during World...
to a local residential, commercial, and educational environment. Other bases, like the Arlington Auxiliary Army Airfield reverted back to farming and ranching.
Underwater surveying and recovery
Underwater search and recovery is a complex aspect of aviation archaeology. Dive and recovery team have to do extensive research and planning before any recovery is performed. The aircraft site may be left as a memorial and not recovered. Once an aircraft has been located, an underwater survey is conducted before recovery operations begin. Many tasks are established and the research is a long process that requires the detailed review numerous and various sources of information. The complexities include a great deal of preparation, extensive training, precise planning, and very technical equipment and coordination. Conservation has often proved very difficultAustralia
The Australian focus has been on underwater aviation archaeology, partly as a result of the interest of the relatively large number of maritime archaeologists and shipwreck conservators in the field. This has resulted in numerous studies and reports, including some cross-fertilisation or ideas, theory and techniques with practitioners in other parts of the world, with a strong emphasis on the involvement of conservators. Underwater aviation Archaeology commenced in Australia at the wrecks of the Dornier, Catalina and Sunderland Flying Boats destroyed by Japanese fighters at Broome in WWII. These lie, both in the intertidal zone, and in deeper water. The study continued in Darwin in the Northern Territory with research and fieldwork at its series of submerged PBY Catalina wrecks, Subsequently the study has spread to other regions in Australia, partly as a result of the Interest of Flinders University and its postgraduate student body. While military aircraft remain the property of their respective governments unless delegated to a third party, submerged aircraft wrecks the wrecks at Broome in Western Australia once proved quite difficult to protect from unauthorised recoveries and looting. Those in Broome are now protected under the provisions of the 1990 Heritage of Western Australia Act.As a profession
In America aviation archaeologists, crosstrained in other areas of study, are found in the employ of Joint POW/MIA Accounting CommandJoint POW/MIA Accounting Command
The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command is a joint task force within the United States Department of Defense whose mission is to account for Americans who are listed as Prisoners Of War , or Missing In Action , from all past wars and conflicts. It has been especially visible in conjunction with the...
(JPAC), traveling to former war zones throughout the world, to search for the remains of American servicemen and women that have been lost. Many of these losses involve aircraft mishaps in remote and difficult to reach areas. A group of volunteers, under the banner of "The BentProp Project
BentProp Project
The BentProp Project are volunteers whose common goal is gathering information that can lead to the location, identification and repatriation of remains of U.S. service members who were killed in action in the Republic of Palau during WWII, and who are still listed as missing in action. The...
", have pursued American military wreck sites and remains without disturbing them; their findings are forwarded to JPAC. In Australia and in some other parts of the world, where there are human remains involved, a tendency has been for the armed forces to secure the services of forensic anthropologists and crash investigators.
Professional aviation archaeologists may also be involved in the recovery of near-complete examples of wrecked or abandoned aircraft for profit. The clients of these professionals range from private individuals and aviation museums, to government agencies. Often these aircraft are in remote areas, which aids wreckage preservation. Examples include Glacier Girl
Glacier Girl
Glacier Girl is a Lockheed P-38F-1-LO Lightning World War II fighter plane, 41-7630, c/n 222-5757, that was restored to flying condition after being buried beneath the ice of the remote Greenland Ice Sheet for over 50 years.- History :...
, a Lockheed P-38 that was successfully recovered from below the Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
ice cap, and restored to airworthy condition, and Kee Bird
Kee Bird
The Kee Bird was a United States Army Air Forces B-29-95-BW Superfortress, 45-21768, of the 46th Reconnaissance Squadron, that became marooned after making an emergency landing in northwest Greenland during a secret Cold War spying mission on 21 February 1947...
, a B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
also abandoned on the Greenland ice cap, but severely damaged by recovery efforts.
In June 2009, the Wreckchasing/Aviation Archaeology Symposium, on the topic of wreckchasing and aviation archaeology was held in northern California at Moffett Field near Mountain View
Mountain View, California
-Downtown:Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south...
.
North America conference
On April 17 & 18, 2010, a group of aviation archaeology professionals, avocational and interested persons met in Broomfield, ColoradoBroomfield, Colorado
The City and County of Broomfield is a prominent suburb and tier of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States. Broomfield has a consolidated city and county government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The...
at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport for a two-day summit. The attendees came from Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
representing the interests of wreck chasers, aircraft recovery teams, and avocational archaeologists. The North American Aviation Archaeology Summit was conducted and sponsored by the North American Institute of Aviation Archaeology and Colorado Aviation Historical Society
Colorado Aviation Historical Society
The Colorado Aviation Historical Society is located in Denver, Colorado and founded in 1966. CAHS home is at Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum...
's Aviation Archaeology Programs Staff. Some of the attendees had also attended the 2009 Symposium at Moffett Field. The group discussed all aspects of aviation archaeology, wreck chasing, recovery, modern archaeology techniques, ethics, education, training, hobby enthusiasts, and professional interests. Breakout sessions, consensus, and voting occurred to determine the Summit outcome. The Summit created an organization initially respresenting the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada, now to be called: Aviation Archaeology and Heritage Association, and with full agreement to expand and include all nations interested in aviation archaeology and wreck chasing.
See also
- Accidents and incidents in aviation
- Air safetyAir safetyAir safety is a term encompassing the theory, investigation and categorization of flight failures, and the prevention of such failures through regulation, education and training. It can also be applied in the context of campaigns that inform the public as to the safety of air travel.-United...
- Aerial archaeologyAerial archaeologyAerial archaeology is the study of archaeological remains by examining them from altitude.The advantages of gaining a good aerial view of the ground had been long appreciated by archaeologists as a high viewpoint permits a better appreciation of fine details and their relationships within the wider...
- List of aviation historical societies
- Crash coverCrash coverA crash cover is a philatelic term for a type of cover, meaning an envelope or package that has been recovered from a fixed-wing aircraft, airship or aeroplane crash, train wreck, shipwreck or other accident...
- Industrial archaeologyIndustrial archaeologyIndustrial archaeology, like other branches of archaeology, is the study of material culture from the past, but with a focus on industry. Strictly speaking, industrial archaeology includes sites from the earliest times to the most recent...
- Protection of Military Remains Act 1986Protection of Military Remains Act 1986The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom which provides protection for the wreckage of military aircraft and designated military vessels. The Act provides for two types of protection: protected places and controlled sites. Military aircraft are...
- Wreck divingWreck divingWreck diving is a type of recreational diving where shipwrecks are explored. Although most wreck dive sites are at shipwrecks, there is an increasing trend to scuttle retired ships to create artificial reef sites...
Further reading
- Jung, Silvano (2001). Wings Beneath the Sea: the aviation archaeology of Catalina Flying Boats in Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory. Unpublished Master of Arts thesis, Northern Territory University (now Charles Darwin University), Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
- Merlin, Peter W. & Moore, Tony (2008). X-Plane Crashes: Exploring Experimental, Rocket Plane, and Spycraft Incidents, Accidents and Crash Sites; Specialty Press, North Branch, Minnesota. ISBN 1-58007-121-X
- Veronico, Nicholas A., Ed Davies, et al. Wreckchasing: A Guide to Finding Aircraft Crash Sites; Pacific Aero Press, Castro Valley, Calif., 1993. ISBN 0-9636332-0-1
- Veronico, Nicholas A., Ed Davies, Michael B. McComb, Donald B. McComb. Wreckchasing 2: Commercial Aircraft Crashes and Crash Sites; World Transport Press, Miami, Fla. 1996. ISBN 0-9626730-3-X
External links
International sites- TIGHAR.org - The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery
- Waymarking.com - coordinates for selected crash sites
Australia
Canada
- chaa-recovery.ca Canadian Underwater Recovery Team
- harvards.com Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association
Germany
UK sites
- British Aviation Archaeological Council - official site
- Thameside Aviation Museum - aviation archaeology
- Peak District plane wrecks
US sites
- National Park Service's National Register Bulletin: Guidelines for evaluating and documenting historic aviation properties
- AircraftArchaeology.com - aircraft wrecks in Arizona and the Southwest
- Check-Six.com - aviation archaeology, before & after photos
- OKwreckchasing.org - aviation archaeology site & message board
- US Army Nike site information
- Wreckchasing.com - information & message board
- Southeast Wreckchasing.com - aviation archaeology in the southeastern U.S.