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Delta to Retire Last DC-9 in January
Delta Air Lines, which was the launch customer for the original Douglas DC-9 aircraft in 1965, announced plans to retire its last DC-9 in January. The last DC-9 flight will take place on January 6, 2014. Flight 2014 is scheduled to depart Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 4:20 p.m. local time.... (www.frequentbusinesstraveler.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
I recall Air West & Hughes Air West(Top Banana)DC-9s very well. Also, the military C-9 Nightingale aeromedical transport. Probably the most famous was Hugh Hefner's Playboy DC-9 painted all black. The short Dash 10s & 15s were hotrods and a number of them were converted to corporate jets.
The Air Force used them for transporting patients
flown this airplane for years absolutely love it
I was never a fan of T-tails.
DC-9's were built to last a long time, my guess is with proper maintenance they would be just like the DC-3. Technology and gas mileage obsoletes stuff quicker today. The A320's we got at NWA in the early 90's were headed for the parking lot after 20 years. The DC-9-10 is still the fastest climbing airliner in the world at 6,000 feet per minute. But it had no slats and landed hot. Air West eventually didn't use it at El Centro because of that high approach speed and hot temps. Most long time DC-9 ramp guys eventually had knees replaced because of the small cramped cargo pits, bent over and on your knees was the norm. The worrisome departures were the under-powered DC-9-50's out of Denver in the summer. Max tire speed was 175, and a lot of flights went out close to that when they were full. Skilled crews and good maintenance made it through all those years just fine. Back in the day all operations ceased if the temp exceeded 120F, not enough lift due to the density altitude. I see the newer planes today are rated for a few degrees higher than that. Just some trivia to entertain....lol
It's about time. The DC-9 had it's wonder years in it's prime but the B-727 was truely the work horse of the design. Those two airplanes competed with each other and I think the 27 won the race.