DC-9: The end of an era is near

[topDawg]

Top Dawg,
Thanks for the info. I was told the remaining 738s are slated to get AVOD nose to tail so the entire 737NG fleet will have this (-700/-800/-900ER).

Josh

nothing written in stone, but yes...more than likely the 738s will be upgraded.
I have heard rumors the 73W/738s will get the new bins like the 739 does.   
 

thanks, 700. The point, robbed, is to refresh history moments in the airline industry that easily get lost after a couple decades.

I would guess, 700, based on your account that US was attempting to integrate the Shuttle into the rest of the airline.

You are absolutely correct that there is a lot of institutional knowledge and experience that has the potential to get lost in a merger.

FWIW, and to your point, DL tried for a few months to retain Pan Am's knowledge when they bought the TATL operations but quickly realized that DL had to come up with better ideas in order to keep the TATL operation from taking down DL.

In contrast, the DL Shuttle (BOS-LGA-DCA) has seen different aircraft but it is largely the same type of point to point operation that it was when DL first flew it 22 years ago. Specific to this topic, the DC9 didn't operate on the DL Shuttle for DL but the M80 was briefly used.

I am glad that DL will be holding the T tail heritage alive with 3 generations of the DC9 family for a number of years to come.

There is more than a little bit of truth to the joke that the pilots who fly the last 737NGs and 320s to the desert will probably fly home on a DC9 derivative.

The 717 will be doing the LGA-BOS leg of the shuttle. 

 

[WorldTraveler]

The 717 will be doing the LGA-BOS leg of the shuttle.

have heard that several places.... DL is already the largest carrier in the local market on LGA-BOS so DL apparently intends to expand its market influence and to strengthen its position in BOS. Absent a change in the point to point operation at LGA, the only way to fill the seats is to aggressively win over the part of the local market that DL does not carry or start pushing traffic onto the Shuttle in BOS. I believe DL will be shifting its NE growth focus to BOS in the near future.

DL also frees up a number of Ejets which could be used elsewhere... that may or may not be part of the source of Ejets that are being used to develop the west coast.

 

[AdAstraPerAspera]

 
As for the 9s and the airbus......and any other fleet, they are for the most part all in good shape. Now they need to be updated, but being compared to a 3rd world airline in a joke. Honestly you can't really tell a drastic difference between the 717 and DC9. (or the 88s) 

 
Sit in the last row of the 9 with no earplugs and tell me there isn't a difference between it and the 717

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

Sit in the last row of the 9 with no earplugs and tell me there isn't a difference between it and the 717

That is why the DC-9 had engine sync (that worked most of the time). It would try and match N1 speed to eliminate the obnoxious waaow, waaow, waaow, through the flight if both engine fans were turning at different speeds. IIRC, NWA disabled it. That said, most pilots would try and match the speed with the T/L's. The aft F/A were keen to this.

After an engine change, we would rig the throttles so there would be less than a half knob split at matched power settings.

Another feature in the DC-9 was more speakers overhead in the aft cabin to make up for engine noise.

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

Southern Airways Flight 242. I think this is the only time a DC-9 had a dual engine failure in flight due to mechanical malfunction. Of course this was due to hail/rain and pilot input.

A very sad history of this flight and the DC-9 that flew it.

http://ashevilleoralhistoryproject.com/2013/04/10/242-aerial-view/

http://ashevilleoralhistoryproject.com/2013/10/18/flight-controller/

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/14/us/memories-and-healing-2-decades-after-crash.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

 

[AdAstraPerAspera]

TWA must have disabled the engine sync too cuz i remember the waaow waaaaaow vividly!

 

[700UW]

http://airchive.com/blog/2014/01/06/dc-9-completes-final-scheduled-flight/

 

[topDawg]

 
Sit in the last row of the 9 with no earplugs and tell me there isn't a difference between it and the 717

fair point. 
 
The M90 (IAE V2500) and the 717 (BR715s) are not in the same ball park of the JT8Ds for noise. 
 
but I'm just talking about the condition of the interior  

 

[AdAstraPerAspera]

http://www.nycaviation.com/2014/01/deltas-final-dc-9-flight/
 
Awesome final trip report

 

[Kev3188]

Southern Airways Flight 242. 

 
This crash became part of the curriculum for ASSIST class at NW, and was discussed quite a bit. 

 

[AdAstraPerAspera]

If only they had served a North Central-style brunch service on the final flight, in addition to the champagne:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQFaVy0Kl2Y

 

[AdAstraPerAspera]

Ya gotta admit, that republic jingle was catchy as hell...
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNh1oIm9MFc

 

[AdAstraPerAspera]

OMFG carol channing!!
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3He8S9lZBs

 

[Kev3188]

These are great! Thanks for posting them.