The latest issue of Air & Space magazine has a story about aircraft recyling. It's online here: recyling story.
They have some info & photos (more in the actual magazine than online) about how they go through the aircraft finding components with useful remaining life, these are reconditioned & sold. Wiring & other items are then stripped from the interior.
And last but not least they use a cool, large piece of equipment to literaly tear the shell of the aircraft to shreds. They ship these remains to a smelter that recyles the aluminum alloys. The article mentions that this last process must be done with some care or you'll have a 747 roll over on top of you.
The recycler they mention & have photos of is Evergreen, north of Tucson, AZ.
This sounds perfect for Dirty Jobs, and I really want to see a 747 get shredded!
