Drachinifel recalls seeing retired and abandoned aircraft around El Alto airport, which also served the Bolivian Air Force. Aircraft that broke down, belonged to failed airlines, or left military service were pushed to the perimeter and left there. His remembered lineup included DC-3s, DC-4s, DC-6s, Constellations, Super Constellations, F-86 Sabres, early jet airliners, and what he thought was a P-80 Shooting Star. He associates their apparent preservation with the airport's dry, thin high-altitude air and compares the conditions with the Arizona aircraft boneyard. A later check during the stream suggests that the old lineup had dispersed, with aircraft moved to a Bolivian Air Force museum area or other parts of the airport. Some DC-3 and Constellation examples appeared still to occupy their earlier positions, so the change was not simply the disappearance of the whole collection.
Notable Point · 2:48:05-2:54:49
El Alto's accidental high-altitude aircraft boneyard
Aircraft abandoned around El Alto formed an informal collection of postwar aviation history, although a later check suggests that many had been moved elsewhere around the airport.