For three decades, Mark Gregory's Air Salvage International (ASI) has been evaluating, dismantling and salvaging aircraft at a private airfield. Share this article Share this article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy link Link copied Bookmark Comments
What do Saddam Hussein, Tom Cruise and Doctor Who have in common? The answer is Cotswolds Airport. An infamous dictator, a famous Hollywood star and an iconic BBC sci-fi series have all, in their own way, been linked to one of the most fascinating aspects of the aviation industry: the graveyard.
Mark Gregory’s Air Salvage International (ASI) has been assessing, dismantling and scrapping aircraft at this private airfield just two miles from Kemble in Gloucestershire for 30 years. After receiving his redundancy package in the early 1990s, Mark bought his first aircraft and spent six months stripping it for parts. Now with over 1,400 aircraft owned, the company is thriving and has a large team ready to meet the growing demand in the ever-evolving aviation sector.
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And it's a significant amount. The cost of servicing a commercial aircraft, equivalent to an MOT, is around £1 million, so many owners choose to send their older aircraft to Mark.
In some cases, up to £12 million in reusable components or recyclable materials can be recovered from these aircraft. During a tour of the facility, Mark gave a detailed account of the various aspects of the work.
ASI runs intensive training sessions for organisations including the SAS to prepare them for aviation emergencies. In one such exercise, Mark and his team simulated a plane colliding with a van, putting the special forces to the test, as well as dealing with hijackers and ‘injured’ passengers on board.
The airport and its aircraft have also gained popularity in the film industry. Numerous films have been filmed at ASI, including Fast & Furious 6, World War Z, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Mission: Impossible, and Batman.
He has also appeared in television shows such as The One Show, Horizon, Inside Out, Terror in the Skies, Engineering Giants, Casualty and, of course, Doctor Who.
The next time you watch a dramatic plane crash or runway scene on screen, pay close attention. You might spot the unmistakable Gloucestershire landscape in the background, or even catch a glimpse of Mark's hands.
When he's not tinkering with old planes or playing drums in his office next to the runway, the ponytailed scrap metal magnate can be seen on the big screen “piloting” a Boeing 727 in his latest cinematic adventure.
While many companies sending their aircraft to ASI have specific requirements (sometimes requesting up to 2,000 parts for a single aircraft), the fate of other aircraft is less predictable.
One of the large fuselage sections ended up in the shadow of the Swarm rollercoaster at Thorpe Park. The rest of the components are being given away to aviation enthusiasts who want to decorate their homes with various aircraft parts.
On ASI's sister site, planestation.aero, customers have the option of purchasing a decommissioned pilot seat for £6,000 or smaller fuselage sections with windows for £150.
The proceeds go towards funding a Christmas party for the staff. Seat pockets containing purses stuffed with cash also sometimes contribute to the fund, although most of the money is returned to its rightful owners. More unexpected finds, including large quantities of cocaine, are sometimes found during thorough searches.
“It happened quite a long time ago, at least 15 years ago, in the toilets in the back parking lots, behind some panels, they found some cocaine. We, of course, informed the authorities, the police and the border guards, and they confiscated it.
“After investigation it was found that the value was quite high and it appeared that the contraband was being smuggled into Europe by a person who must have hidden it rather than being caught at customs,” Mark explained.
Another area of work is investigating crash sites. Although downed planes rarely reach AS
Sourse: www.express.co.uk
