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Delta to retire MD-88, MD-90 fleets in June

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Delta will retire the MD-88 and MD-90 aircraft earlier than previously planned, with both aircraft types exiting the fleet effective June 2020. The accelerated retirement schedule of both aircraft is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as we reduce capacity systemwide. Delta cut its overall active fleet by about half, parking more than 600 mainline and regional aircraft in the last two months. (news.delta.com) עוד...

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flywildblue
Chris Kirk 31
Bittersweet. Have over 10,000 hours in those two airplanes. Certainly reliable, if not a little quirky. They served DL extremely well though and I'll miss seeing them.
boughbw
boughbw 8
I just have to ask -- Captain Kirk? ;^D
I always loved flying on these planes, and will certainly miss them.
musocat
James Patterson 5
I know a Ph.D. whose last name is Brain. Dr. Brain. Gotta love apt names lol
Salmon37
J.J. Reed 12
My company still flies them. Of course, we fly DC-9s, DC-6s and C-46s too. That makes the MD the newest airplane in our fleet.
RetiredCaptain
Jasper Buck 4
Must be with Everts Air up in Fairbanks. Yes? No?

Best
gsmith4151
harold smith 1
I think Rob should buy about 10 more from delta
nasdisco
Chris B 1
With all the aircraft being retired, used values must be plummeting faster than a tire deflates...
kgriffin1724
Kyle Griffin 9
I will never forget flying BOS - ATL - CHS as a kid in the MD-88. They were so smooth and it felt like takeoffs were vertical. So much fun!!

I regret not flying them as an adult.
jmadunleavy
John D 3
That's what my experience has been, Kind of whooshing down the runway and gently airborne.
I almost never experience that on a more contemporary aircraft.
Justthefacs
Justthefacs 9
Loved the planes. Only half as many middle seats.
n914wa
Mike Boote 17
I sure will miss these planes. I always loved them. At least Delta will still be flying the 717, so the DC-9 will still be in the air.
Quirkyfrog
Robert Cowling 1
But isn't Delta trading the 717's in for Airbus 220's? I read an article about one airline that is doing that. I can't remember if it was Delta. I'd imagine the 220's are more efficient, and quieter too. Win-win...
AbieshanG13
Abieshan Ganeshamurthi 7
Goodbye Mad Dogs! Thank you for your service and carrying on the legacy of Delta Air Lines!
jmadunleavy
John D 6
Loud for sure, but always thought they had a great ride.
Quirkyfrog
Robert Cowling -1
THe new ones weren't as loud, but I'm sure they weren't very efficient. It's the old DC's that were horrendously noisy. We had a very small airline that ran one of those a few days a week, and the complaints over the noise were epic. In the winter, it was something you could not avoid. They eventually stopped flying here. Good riddance...
RetiredCaptain
Jasper Buck 5
I'll always have fond memories of the DC-9 family of aircraft. I got my first type turbojet rating in a DC-9-30 and have either have flown or given check rides (or investigated accidents) in many of the models. My favorite to fly as PIC, and don't ask me why, was the -51.

The Boeing DC-9 models under FAA Type Certificate Type A6WE are :DC-9-11, DC-9-12, DC-9-13, DC-9-14, DC-9-15, DC-9-15F, DC-9-21, DC-9-31, DC-9-32, DC-9-32 (VC-9C), DC-9-32F, DC-9-32F (C-9A, C-9B), DC-9-33F, DC-9-34, DC-9-34F, DC-9-41, DC-9-51, DC-9-81 (MD-81), DC-9-82 (MD-82), DC-9-83 (MD-83), DC-9-87 (MD-87), MD-88, MD-90-30. and 717-200.

Best

J Buck
ATP DC-9 B757 B767
CFI
GI
FE TP TJ
A&P Mechanic
FAA Aviation Safety Inspector (Ret.)
FAA certified accident investigator (Ret.)
ICAO Accident Investigation Panel
n914wa
Mike Boote 4
Jasper - you are truly an aficionado. To show you how much I loved the DC-9, I arranged for my million mile flight on Delta to be on a DC-9-51 from Nashville to Atlanta. I also lived for many years about a mile from the Long Beach airport and watched them test fly the new birds.
RetiredCaptain
Jasper Buck 3
Thanks. Aviation is my thing. I started flying when I was 12ish (my dad had a Cessna 170) and am still at it at 70ish. Not flying any of the heavy stuff now of course but still manage to putz around in my trusty Cessna 182S. Used mainly to run my wife and I up and down the East coast to see the grandkids (mostly KTPA to KHEF and back). Did Delta do anything special for you for your millionth mile? If I'd been the PIC I would have had you up in the cockpit on the jump seat. Not as comfortable as 1st class but more interesting/fun IMHO.

Best
jbsimms
James Simms 4
Sad day. Flew on one but it was AA to/from BHM-DFW. @ least some will live on as cargo carriers
n914wa
Mike Boote 4
Somewhat off-topic. Ironic that Delta was the launch customer for the DC-9 in 1963 and will be among the last, if not the last, to operate the type.
RetiredCaptain
Jasper Buck 3
To set the record straight, the Douglas DC-9 entered service Dec. 8, 1965 by Delta Airlines, and was produced until 1982. More than 976 DC-9s were built — including 47 C-9 aircraft for military customers.

Best

J Buck
Airline Transport Pilot DC-9
n914wa
Mike Boote 2
And the project was green lighted with an order for 50 aircraft from Delta in 1963, if my records are accurate.
RetiredCaptain
Jasper Buck 3
Yes. Douglas developed the DC-9 as a short range airliner complementing the much larger DC-8. Development was launched on April 8 1963 with an order from Delta following soon after. Construction of the prototype began in July 1963 and the first flight occurred on February 25 1965. Certification and service entry was December 8 1965 at which time the FAA issued Type Certificate data A6WE. All the DC-9s and the B-717 still remain on A6WE. Delta flew the first flight on November 29, 1965, with DC-9-14, N3305L operating as Flight 791, Atlanta-Memphis-Kansas City. This was the first of several non-revenue proving flights as required by 14 CFR § 121.163 (Aircraft proving tests.) Delta started daily scheduled service began December 8, 1965 the day the Type Certificate was issued. At least that's how I remember it.


Best

J Buck
ATP DC-9 B757 B767
CFI
GI
Aircraft Dispatcher
FE TP TJ
A&P Mechanic
FAA Aviation Safety Inspector (Ret.)
FAA certified accident investigator (Ret.)
ICAO Accident Investigation Panel
n914wa
Mike Boote 3
Jasper - wasn't the DC-9 the first time a major manufacturer created a new model that was smaller than existing models being sold?
RetiredCaptain
Jasper Buck 2
Mike, Sorry I meant to say that the A320 first flew in 1987 (not 2002.) And the A318 first flew in 2002. It would appear that another cup of coffee is in order.

Best
RetiredCaptain
Jasper Buck 1
No. Airbus has a couple of models that are smaller than previous models of the same airplane. For example the A318 which first flew in January 2002 is smaller (both pax capacity and gross takeoff weight) than the A320 which first flew in 2002. The A318 is simply a shortened version of the A320. About 20' shorter but otherwise the same airplane. The same is true for the A319. It's about 10' shorter than the A320 but, again, the same airplane. In fact the A320 Type Rating is a common one. That is if a pilot gets a type rating in the A318, A319, A320 0r A321 the type rating put on the pilot's certificate is A320. He/she can fly any of those without further testing. Similar to the B757 and B767 which is a common type rating. When i took my checkride in the B-767 my certificate was reissued and now says B-757,B-767 (and DC-9).

The same is true for the B-717 which was designed to compete with the Airbus 318. Boeing downsized the DC-9-90 (MD-90) series aircraft (first flight 1993) to make the B-717 (first flight 1999). The B-717 is both shorter (by about 30') and lighter in terms of weight limitations. As in the case of the 757/767 my old DC-9 rating that I got back in the 1970s in a DC-9-15 is good for all the DC-9s and B-717.

Best
n1gke
myrton smith 4
Like many a good bird, they will be missed. Especially the sounds. . .
Get the pictures while you are able. . .
SLWARRIOR500
Eugene Aaron 4
I always enjoyed traveling in the MD 88-90-80. Always smooth and pleasing to the eye. low noise level inside.

Eugene A
Quirkyfrog
Robert Cowling 1
You obviously sat near the front. I was waiting for the restroom on an MD, and the drone of the engines was incredible. How can people stand sitting in the back of those things. Yikes...
vvutever
Verne Gordon 3
I used to take the MD-88 / 90 flights up and down CA coast between LA and Reno or San Jose and Orange County. They were nice planes and fairly quiet;in a couple of cases, I took first class the front was very little engine noise. Too bad they don't want to continue them !
21voyageur
21voyageur 3
Besides cargo, some of these will also eventually end up with 2nd and 3rd world countries to live on for a few more years. May take a while for uptake due to COVID-19 though.
Elijah1299
Elijah Beville 3
It’s going will be sad day on on next month. I’m gonna miss those Delta’s “maddog” McDonnell Douglas Fleets. I must be lucky for I flew those MD-88 and MD-90
anthony96
anthony geinopolos 3
god speed md88 90 flew on you many of times
ADXbear
ADXbear 4
Boy, the dersert is filling up.. sad end to many aircraft..
ewrcap
David Beattie 0
I wonder. Are any airplanes going to Mexico for storage?
jathacker101
John Thacker 2
I hate to see it go...my first jet plane flight, an Eastern Air Line DC-9 "Whisper Jet". What a ride! Probably flew on DC-9's more than any other plane from Bham and DFW.
joelucia
Joe Lucia 2
One of the most comfortable airliners ever to fly. I'm really going to miss them.
ghanker
Gregory Hanker 2
For 3 decades this airplane was the workhorse of USAF Aeromedical Evacuation. Back then it was called the C9A-Nightingale and it was a wonderful airplane to fly. It covered aeromedical evacuation missions throughout Europe, Africa, UK, Middle East, South East Asia and the USA from bases in Germany, Philippines and Illinois.
jbsimms
James Simms 1
@ one time, I believe the SHAPE Commander had a C-9 as his aircraft based @ Chievres AB in Belgium

dlfehmel
Doug Fehmel 1
I believe they brought the hostages back from Iran to Rhein-Main Airbase in 1981.
RetiredCaptain
Jasper Buck 1
They did. A C-9A Nightingale. A DC-9-31 in the civilian world. You can se the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXGXsRWjZ9g
RustySimmons
RustySimmons 2
I've been a passenger on those in multiple configurations and airlines. All in all fairly comfortable, but I've always wondered... Why does the PA howl like it does on every one of them? Some sort of ground hum, always annoying. So personally, I'm looking forward to more modern craft in my travels. Agree it's the closure of a chapter, though.
watkinssusan
mary susan watkins 2
another goodbye to an "old friend"...
PSUAth
Supercool Marmol 1
We all knew the angry puppy would need to be put down some day. It's been a good run my friend.
dlfehmel
Doug Fehmel 1
I loved flying on them, especially when I would take my wife along on business trips. We always took the two seat side.
21voyageur
21voyageur 0
@Mike Boots. When I last checked there were 195 countries in the world so I have serious doubts Delta will be the last. As, after all, it a BIG world.
n914wa
Mike Boote 1
Jeez-oh-man, take all the romance out of my squawk. You are correct of course. :-)

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