A DC9 gets retired!

[RooFlyer]

Who would have guessed that one of these antiques was still in the air. SHM report (subscription, which I don't have).

Bye, bye DC-9: airline finally retires America's oldest jets

 

[OATEK]

Some of my earliest jet flights were in DC9s. I remember them very fondly, and each time I see a B717 it reminds me of some of my flights back in the 70s.

 

[samh004]

Nothing wrong with using very old aircraft so long as there's parts and they're reliable.

 

[Mwenenzi]

There are a lot of old aircraft flying passenger service in the USA

Northwest's total of DC-9s hit 180 in 1997 before it began retiring some of its oldest DC-9s. On December 31, 2007, the last year before the Delta merger, Northwest still had 94 of the planes, which at that time averaged 35.6 years old.

McDonnell Douglas DC-9 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nothing wrong with using very old aircraft so long as there's parts and they're reliable.

And nothing wrong with using very old pilots so long as there's parts and they're reliable
I get worried when the pilot is younger than the aircraft

 

[Bundy Bear]

Interesting that Delta is picking up 88 717s from Southwest Airlines(Airtran), Northwest/Delta liked those old airframes.

Delta still flies the MD88 and MD90.

 

[Fruitcake]

I get worried when the pilot is younger than the aircraft

So you don't trust any pilot born after the war?

 

[drron]

I loved my flights in DC3's.

 

[UP4014]

Fatigue is an issue in old equipment and I'm not comfortable on the old fellas.

Up to 22 years no issue, if they are older then I'd do it on a case by case basis by airline. i.e. forget anything Africa.

Matt

 

[Mwenenzi]

Many flying DC3's have low hours (if you believe the paperwork).
A big difference from some DC9, MD80 or 737 that has been worked hard on commuter routes in a western country and then Africa, Indonesia or wherever with a low cost start up airline. Fatigue life is an issue
I own several cars built in 1939, about the same time as DC3's. If cars of that era fail to proceed its not a big drama.
[/Mechanical Engineer]

 

[markis10]

Many flying DC3's have low hours (if you believe the paperwork).
A big difference from some DC9, MD80 or 737 that has been worked hard on commuter routes in a western country and then Africa, Indonesia or wherever with a low cost start up airline. Fatigue life is an issue
I own several cars built in 1939, about the same time as DC3's. If cars of that era fail to proceed its not a big drama.
[/Mechanical Engineer]

Cars can drop a bit of body work and continue planes of course a different story.

 

[smithy]

Be it DC3 or DC9 both of these are amongst my favorite planes, as a young boy in the 1970's I flew in a lot these types. Pity there was no such thing as frequent flyer points back then. And I never thought of becoming a TAA junior flyer....doh!,,,,

 

[DC3]

Yes, from the late 60's and through the 70's both TAA and Ansett were flying them, along with the 727's.

 

[OATEK]

Be it DC3 or DC9 both of these are amongst my favorite planes, as a young boy in the 1970's I flew in a lot these types. Pity there was no such thing as frequent flyer points back then. And I never thought of becoming a TAA junior flyer....doh!,,,,

Used to fly DC3s to/from Pt Macquarie back in the 50s. It was a great view as we flew along the coast below 10,000'.

 

[RooFlyer]

Just noticed this article:

Saying Goodbye To The DC-9 on its Final Scheduled Flight With Delta - AirlineReporter.com


There are a bunch of pics at that link, for those interested.

Once at the gate, the flight crew opened up the flight deck for a peek at just how old school this aircraft really is. The DC-9 is about as far from a glass coughpit as you can get. Despite the aircraft’s old age, Delta has done an amazing job keeping the interior up to date. Most passengers would never be able to tell the difference between a newly delivered 717 and a 36-year-old DC-9. Delta even installed in-flight WiFi on the DC-9 fleet a few years back, which is amazing considering “internet” wasn’t even a word when the aircraft was built.

WiFi on a DC9. Now that's amusing.