Warbird Information Exchange

Hello everyone,

I was wondering, I know that you can't recover any navy aircraft without the Navys consent. But what about USAF aircraft? Lets say you took a hike one day and found some USAF aircraft wreckage, would it be against the law to take what you can carry? Silly question I know.....

Thanks!

-Nathan

The Air Force policy is provided in a 1994 Air Force manual (United States Air Force [USF] 1994).

Aircraft that crashed before 19 November 1961, when a fire destroyed the pertinent Air Force records, and that remain wholly or partially unrecovered are considered formally abandoned. The Air Force neither maintains title to, nor has property interest in these aircraft. The authority for access to, and recovery of these aircraft, as well as liability for damages associated with their recovery, are matters to be resolved between persons seeking recovery and landowners of the wreckage sites.

In 1996, the Air Force added the caveat, "if any human remains are discovered at the site, recovery personnel should immediately contact the nearest United States Embassy or United States military installation. To assist in proper identification of remains, recovery personnel should refrain from further operations at the site pending removal of the remains by United States experts. (USF 1996)."

_________________
It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Talk about common sense in the military, strange but true. Too bad the Navy doesn't have the same.

Unless there's some sort of official standing around watching you, I always say . . .

"Take whatever you can carry."

It's better then letting it rot.

And how, prey tell, is anyone going to find out if someone takes something and saves it from rotting in the elements?

Are they going to stand around and shout about it?

"Here I am, I took these parts from an old aircraft crash."

Maybe they'll want to run and tell the nearest Forest Ranger, or whoever.

I think not.

And, how would these mysterious N.I.S. agents find out where a person lives? Do we now have to worry about a secret "GESTAPO" type police force guarding old aircraft crash sites?

Or, if someone mentions that they acquired a piece of a wreck on a site like this, do we now have to worry about government informants?

Please . . ., enlighten us.

I dare say that the only time your rules, amendments or regulations apply, is when you're seeking some form of publicity, as with the B-25.

Personally, I don't.

If I choose to recover something from a site, I may, or may not, only tell some close friends that have the same interest.