Cotswolds Jet Graveyard Hosts Saddam’s $12M Plane, SAS Crash Drills
Cotswolds plane graveyard, where Saddam Hussein’s private jet rusts beside Batman’s Batwing, recycles £12 million worth of parts while SAS commandos rehearse hijack rescues among gutted Boeings. Curious why Tom Cruise films chase scenes here and who decides which UK jets get scrapped? Mark Gregory’s Air Salvage International, two miles from Kemble, is the answer: “We once crashed a plane into a van for training—SAS had to handle hijackers and wounded passengers.”
Inside this Gloucestershire scrapyard, SAS drills collide with Hollywood blockbusters as Mark Gregory’s ponytail orchestrates the breakdown of over 1,400 aircraft, including fuselage beneath Thorpe Park’s rollercoaster. What happens to airplane parts after recycling, and why do airlines pay £1 million for a jet MOT? “Sometimes you spot my arms flying the Boeing 727 in films,” Mark admits, as Star Wars and Doctor Who chase scenes play out among rusting engines and drum solos by the runway.
One jumbo jet’s fuselage now lurks beneath a Thorpe Park rollercoaster, while Mark’s cameo arms pilot a Boeing 727 through both SAS mayhem and Mission: Impossible’s explosions.
